The National Hockey League has seen a lot of change over the past few decades and the way defence is played is no exception. Just like goons and enforcers, the defensive defenceman as we know it is an endangered breed. Heavyweights like 6-foot-3, 245-pound Douglas Murray have to clear the way for more skilled players like, well, the Vancouver Canucks’ Christopher Tanev.
In an attempt to define Tanev’s player type, most people would probably call him a defensive defenseman. But yet, he has nothing to do with a guy like Murray, who was one of the hardest hitters of his time.