In their prime, who are you choosing?

[UWSaint]

Interestingly enough your reason for Tanev or Salo is the same as my reason for Salo over Tanev.

The primary reason I didn’t put Salo on the list is that he was never really relied on to be the team’s top defensemen in either the shut down role or the power play role—all the top 6 did one or the other. One year (AV’s second) he had 23+ minutes, but that was the one AV season the Canucks didn’t make the playoffs. Generally he was second or even third pair (albeit on some pretty deep defensive groups). So that to me was the biggest contrast with Tanev. To be sure, Salo might be the victim (from an opportunity perspective) of being a good player on very good teams while Tanev was a good player on mediocre or poor teams, but Tanev made the most of it when healthy, succeeding in the role despite being surrounded by a Sea of Granlunds.

[Chef Boi RD]

I get nostalgic and sentimental sometimes thinking back to Dana Murzyn hustling back to his own end to get an icing call, the skating is permanently imbedded. That and closing my eyes for all his fights praying he doesn’t get killed. Loved Murzyn.

[Topper]

No love for Kearns, the captain who has it stolen from him because he got hurt. One of the cheapest incidences in Canuck history, right there with the way Boudreau was treated.

[theman]

Dave Babych is a great shout. Would have been an excellent partner for Quinn. So based on posters who have made suggestions, we would be looking at a:

Hughes - Babych
Hamhuis - Ohlund
Lumme - Tanev


Top 6? Think I got the left/right side correct. I went with Lumme over Edler as I think Lumme was a bit more offensive side to him. A bit tough on Edler as well as Salo / Jovo. Another shout out could be for Lidster.

Looking at it some more, only thing the top 6 is missing is a head hunter bottom pairing guy, Jiri Bubla maybe?

[donlever]

Speaking of heavier players I love how Bossys primary assist man gets no love.

Most talented D-man to ever play here outside of Hughes was Paul Reinhart.

114 points in 131 games

Short duration and not eligible to be in this conversation but his play in the '89 Otto kicked it in series was out of this world.

Dominant player when healthy which was obviously an issue for him.

[Strangelove]

Hughes - Jovo
Edler - Ohlund
Hamhuis - Salo

[Carl Yagro]

Speaking of heavier players I love how Bossys primary assist man gets no love.

Most talented D-man to ever play here outside of Hughes was Paul Reinhart.

114 points in 131 games

Short duration and not eligible to be in this conversation but his play in the '89 Otto kicked it in series was out of this world.

Dominant player when healthy which was obviously an issue for him.

C'mon, all the Haaaarold chants means there is some love and forgiveness for the big lug. Can you imagine how Lafayette feels? 30 years later and random people just passing by still making "ping" sounds.

Agree about Reinhart. I remember how much better the Canucks played once he donned the new yellow jersey. And yeah, Fuck Otto.

[Carl Yagro]

Karl, Diduck and Babs were a pairing. Brownie and Hedican were a pairing. Lumme and Murzyn were a deal until game 7 of round 1 and the butcher broke his ankle, then Bryan Glynn stepped in. I don't think Slegr and Plavsic got much more than a sniff.

Blobber, as I (barely) remember, didn't they start the season with Robert Dirk too? Dirk, Plavsic, Slegr, Murzyn... holy, that was a terrible defence

But as we all know, the Big Irishman redeemed himself and turned it into chicken salad with the additions of Brown and Hedican to sit those other guys permanently. It was a blessing when Murzyn went out and Glynn came in which I believed allowed the new paring of Babych/Lumme... this was a frickin' good Top 6. I was totally impressed by Glynn as a bottom pairing... the complete opposite of Murzyn.

Still to this day, loved how he assembled this crew going into that playoffs, from the core to the depth forwards. This was a great playoff team that ran into Messier and the league office in New York.

[Cousin Strawberry]

I got tear gassed and beat on with batons by VPD goons in the hotel Van valet station after the game 7 loss.

It was all fun and games taunting the pigs on Robson til they charged us lol

[Cornuck]

Yeah - I got gassed on Robson. I really need to find my old video from that night....

[theman]

I got tear gassed and beat on with batons by VPD goons in the hotel Van valet station after the game 7 loss.

It was all fun and games taunting the pigs on Robson til they charged us lol

Did you at least get some shots in?

[UWSaint]

Still to this day, loved how he assembled this crew going into that playoffs, from the core to the depth forwards. This was a great playoff team that ran into Messier and the league office in New York.

It truly was an "assembled" crew. Linden, Bure, Odjick, and Antoski were the only guys on the '93-'94 team that played in the Stanley Cup playoffs and were drafted by the Canucks. A couple guys were waiver wire pickups (Gelinas, Glynn), but it was a team made from wheeling and dealing.

[Ronning's Ghost]

I'm limiting this to Canucks who played at least 2 full seasons after 92-93:

Not all subsequent posters have maintained that criterion. Without it, but sticking to the original "in their prime" specification, I'd slot Gustav Forsling in on your list just behind Ohlund. Hamhuis never had a season like '23-'24 Forsling. (Really, neither did Ohlund, but he brought valuable physicality.)

Thank you, Jim

Sorta. Almost...
(It was a great draft pick at 126th overall)

[MJN]

In his first 400 games played Bure had around 200 goals with three 50+ goal seasons out of the next four seasons played on the horizon. Bure is still the most dynamic player that the canucks have ever had. Hughes will most likely be the best D the Canucks have ever had, I’m picking Bure at this point.
Honourable mention to Brian McCabe for decent Dmen who played two years for the Canucks in that time period.

[Cornuck]

Hughes IS will most likely be the best D the Canucks have ever had

There's no doubt.