James O'Brien from Cycle Like The Sedins is in the process of compiling selections for the All-Decade Team in the NHL, based on specific positions and categories.
The great Eric McErlain offered his Stanley Cup-obsessed list over the weekend, and today James was kind enough to post my drivel.
My picks, in summary:
Goaltender: Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils
Defense: Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings; Chris Pronger, St. Louis Blues/Edmonton Oilers/Anaheim Ducks
Center: Joe Thornton, Boston Bruins/San Jose Sharks
Sports
Wings: Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames; Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
Fighter: Georges Laraque, Edmonton Oilers/Pittsburgh Penguins/Phoenix Coyotes/Montreal Canadiens
Coach: Mike Babcock, Anaheim Ducks/Detroit Red Wings
Loudmouth: Sean Avery, Detroit Red Wings/Los Angeles Kings/New York Rangers/Dallas Stars
You can check out the justifications (both pithy and semi-serious) over on CLtS; but in fairness to one of our favorite punching bags here, I figured I'd reprint my defense of ... gulp ... Chris Pronger as one of the two defensemen of the decade.
From the Cycle Like the Sedins blog:
Yes, he's a human suspension machine that somehow has thus avoided mandatory anger management. Yes, his egotistical (or cuckolded, depending on what you believe) departure from Edmonton was insulting. Yes, he looks like a goon for a Swedish Bond villain.
But he's also one of the most physically gifted players in the NHL; a rare combination of physical play, solid skating and offensive flourish. He's also a workhorse, averaging over 27 minutes per night in most of his seasons this decade.
This slot on the team comes down to Pronger and Scott Niedermayer. Nieds is a better offensive player, a better technical defenseman and has better intangibles. But you have to admit that, love him or hate him, Pronger put that Oilers team that made the Cup finals on his back in a way few defensemen have in the last 20 years. That was astonishing, and probably Conn-worthy even in defeat.
I feel dirty. I'd like to add that the center spot was a real revelation; I wanted to make the argument for Vinny Lecavalier, but honestly Thornton's numbers are absolutely silly.
Based on the categories listed above, we'd love to read your "All-Decade Team" selections in the comments. Should Jaromir Jagr replace Ovie? Does anyone trump Marty in goal?
If nothing else, this exercise is a stark reminder that it is in fact 2009, and we're less than 365 days away from a swarm of monoliths fully engulfing Jupiter. (/ Arthur C. Clarke'd!)
