Islanders: Should Adam Pelech Have Made NHL’s Defensemen List?

The NHL released a list of 25 defensemen and New York Islanders d-man Adam Pelech didn’t find his way onto that list.

For Islanders fans, we understand the importance of Adam Pelech. Heck, we saw it first hand this year what happens when Pelech isn’t in the lineup as the Isles season was falling apart from January onwards without his presence.

Due to Pelech’s defensive nature, with very little offense, it’s difficult to compare him with some of the other big name d-men in the league. For reference, the most amount of points he’s put up in a season is 21, but that’s obviously not his game.

The NHL Network Twitter account put out a list of 25 d-men asking who is the top defenseman in the NHL right now?

Honestly, are you surprised that Pelech isn’t on this list? I wasn’t, he is not comparable to any of these players. Is he better defensively than some of the guys on this list, absolutely he’s one of the better defensive defensemen in the game?

The issue is the type of list put out isn’t one that Adam Pelech would appear on due to the lack of offensive production. Don’t get it twisted, Pelech is a huge piece to this Islanders team and I’m not knocking him.

I just don’t think he fits the mold of the d-man they’re looking for when looking at the best defensemen. Some Islanders fans won’t like that, but realistically the case should be made for Ryan Pulock being excluded off this list.

If Jaccob Slavin and Ryan Ellis can make the list, Pulock can and likely should be included on here as well. Honestly, it’s a popularity contest and name recognition. Islanders fans know how good Pulock and Pelech are but the rest of the hockey world? Not so much.

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Let the hockey world continue to discredit or overlook the Islanders, it seemed to work well the last two years.