Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman has had his fair share of up-and-down moments over the last few seasons. Much to the chagrin of Hedman the downs have consisted of defensive struggles. The Lightning will rely on Hedman more than ever this season to set the standard of blueline play in Tampa. As the class of defensemen around the NHL continue to be some of the best players in the league, we take a look at the most recent rankings dropped this past week by NHL Network.
When you think of Victor Hedman you think of the defense wizard that won the Norris Trophy in 2017. Others might think so the potent offensive weapon that led the Lightning to their first Stanley Cup win to break the 16-year drought in the Covid Bubble. The stereotype of a typical NHL defenseman has widely changed since then. Being a two-way defenseman is now the minimum for most first-line blueliners where offense is prioritized during the regular season and preferred.
With the plethora of backend talent around the league the next logical thought would be to wonder where Victor Hedman ranks among the best. NHL Network released their preseason Top 20 Defensemen list last week with some of the usual names at the top of the list. What was surprising to some fans was how high Victor Hedman was on the list. The veteran Swede was ranked third behind Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar. One has to wonder if this is a sign that many think Hedman will be in the running for the Norris, or is this high ranking based on last season's performance.
The sole reason why some, inlcuding yours truly, are surprised by such a high rank is cause of where Hedman is in his career. As stated before, when one thinks of Victor Hedman they think of his defensive prowess. To see that others think so highly of him when compared to the other top talent is a good sign to see considering some of the question marks surrounding this Lightning team heading into the new season. Safe to say if Hedman plays like the third-ranked defensemen in the NHL thi season, then the Bolts will be well on their way to competing with some of the other top teams in the East.
