Flyers-Flames: Who Has the Best Top Three Defense Corps?

There is no question that the two teams with the best top-three defensive corps in the NHL are the Calgary Flames and the Philadelphia Flyers.

With the Flames having a top defensive pairing (at least on the depth chart) of Dion Phaneuf and Jay Bouwmeester and the Flyers having Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timonen (all four of whom have played in All Star games), they are four of the best in the world.

But the third defensemen on each team could be the determining factor; Robyn Regehr for Calgary and Braydon Coburn for Philadelphia.

So which of these two teams have the best top-three?

No. 1 Defenseman

Jay Bouwmeester
The third overall pick in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, Bouwmeester is a heaping 6-foot-4, 214-pound defenseman. With at least 37 points in every year since the lockout, he signed a 5-year, $33.4 million deal just hours before becoming a UFA.

Bouwmeester has an incredible skating ability, great hockey sense and is a shutdown defender who can play on both sides of the puck. Unfortunately, he does not play much of a physical game, which hurts his credibility a bit. He also is often called the most overrated player in the NHL by some media outlets.

Chris Pronger
The second overall pick in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft by the Hartford Whalers, Pronger is the biggest defender on the Flyers roster at 6-foot-6, 210 pounds. He has posted at least 46 points in every full season but one since the 1998-99 season. Since the lockout, he has not posted less than 11 goals and 43 points.

One of the best one-on-one defenders in the league, he can punish forwards with his incredible body checks and start the rush the other way. He is also and excellent power play specialist and a vocal leader in the locker room. On the negative side, he is known as a dirty player and tends to take many bad penalties. Since October 2000, Pronger has been suspended six times by the NHL.

Advantage: Flyers

No. 2 Defenseman

Dion Phaneuf
Drafted ninth overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, Phaneuf was a Calder Trophy finalist along with Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin in the 2005-06 season. He has posted at least 47 points in every season and had a career year in 2007-08, when he posted 60 points and 182 PIM in 82 games.

Phaneuf is as good a hitter as Chris Pronger. He unleashes a powerful shot from the point and displays great all-around ability in the offensive zone. His defensive zone coverage needs to improve, though. He sometimes gets himself out of position by trying too hard to make a big hit.

Kimmo Timonen
A diamond in the rough, Timonen was drafted in the tenth round of the 1993 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings. He made his NHL debut six five years later and has posted at least 40 points every year since the 2001-02 season. His career high came in 2006-07 with the Nashville Predators when he posted 55 points in 80 games; a number that included 13 goals.

Timonen’s biggest assets are his speed and hockey sense. He can quarterback the power play and is a master on the rush. His play in the defensive zone is second-to-none. However, due to his small 5-foot-10 stature, he rarely plays physically and often gets worn down by physical play.

Advantage: Flames

No. 3 Defenseman

Robyn Regehr
The 19th overall pick in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, Regehr has only known one NHL team; Calgary. He is known more for his defensive play as opposed to putting up points, although he does have almost 130 points in his career. He is a bulky guy, clocking in at 6-foot-3 and 226 pounds.

He has an accurate point shot, good hockey sense and an incredible work ethic. It’s tough to get the puck around him going down one-on-one in the offensive zone. However, he is very hesitant with the puck and therefore makes many mistakes on the rush and the breakout.

Braydon Coburn
The Atlanta Thrashers’ eighth overall selection in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, he was traded to the Flyers for Alexei Zhitnik, the worst trade in Thrashers history. Coburn’s 6-foot-5, 220 pound frame has been able to surpass the 25-point mark the last two years.

Coburn is a great all-around defenseman who can play well in the offensive and defensive zone. He has a booming shot and great hands that can put up numbers offensively. However, he is very inconsistent and often has trouble using his size effectively.

Advantage: Flyers

It is very close, with three completely different types of defensemen on each roster: the bruiser, the point producer and the defensive player. However, the Flyers seem to have the advantage going into the 2009-10 NHL season. A top pairing of Pronger and Timonen will scare any team that steps on the ice against the Orange and Black, while Bouwmeester has yet to prove that he indeed can play high-quality hockey on both sides of the puck.

Unfortunately, each of these teams only meet once in the regular season.

But perhaps they will meet again in a distant seven-game series.