There is always a lot of talk here on the Board about how small D won't work when you move up to college. As a PC alum, I follow the team closely, I tracked down the below link from earlier this Spring. Talks about how effective so-called "undersized D" can be in DI hockey. Remember, PC has one of the premier programs and coach in the country:

https://www.newportri.com/news/20190329/top-defensive-pairing-leads-friars-into-ncaa-tournament

You want it all at every position. Size, speed, quickness, skill. Whetever area you lack you better make up for in the others. If your small you better be elite in other areas. If your big with no speed or skill, you can't play.

Game has changed reducing the advantage that size used to have but it's still valuable, as long as it's not the only thing you have.

Personally I like bigger D men who can skate. So many teams, college included are looking for that '4th forward' to bring more offense but are willing to sacrifice defense to do it. The key to this craziness is, just how good is your goalie? In high school and all pre-college hockey, give me two defense first, big / long reach, cover the front of the net, clear people out, responsible defensemen. It wins.

High school and lower level college coaches love to see the 'direction of the game' and place too much responsibility on the gambling, offense first, rush the puck, get caught behind the play, make the risky pass, irresponsible defensemen. They think they are NHL coaches waiting in the wings and they clearly don't get it. Their goalies are never good enough to put the '4th forward' out there. It does not win.

I've scouted long enough and I can point to hundreds of kids who are great examples were the coaches give the 'little puck moving defensemen' far too much room. They can not be trusted - no one on the team feels good when they're on the ice, they know the 'puck is coming back' no matter how the guy got it out of their own zone. A huge problem is coaches - they let the kids freewheel, lunging at puck carriers instead of playing technically sound defense, just helter skelter, always leaning forward instead of where they are suppose to be. Behind every irresponsible defensemen (who gets ice time) is a terrible coach who just won't reign the kid in and teach the kid the basics.

With that said, every young defensemen should a) work continuously on their skating and b) play forward on their lesser teams. The best skaters on the ice have to be defensemen - at all levels. Period. And b) the kid has to be comfortable with the puck and able to handle it well so there is no better way to learn it than make them attack with the puck.

Teams need both types just like they need different types of forwards. Your not going to have 7 D that are all the same. The key is pairing them or playing them to their strengths and trying to mitigate their weaknesses.

But clearly if you can't skate really well no matter your size, you can't play.

I agree with the blend of size approaches for a team but based on what I've seen, the normal sized defensemen that can skate and has superior quickness BUT makes the right offensive decisions are the most impactful to winning games. Stay at home big D seem to always get beaten but yes they clear out the front of the net while the smaller dumb selfish ones hurt more than help as there is a 3 on 1 down your goalies throat after a turnover in no mans land. The combo of size/speed/skating/quickness and IQ is very rare.

I would say if the above post is from a "scout", it is one of these NZ types, if at all. Very closed minded view of the game and speaks in too many generalizations. Cory Krug is an undersized defenseman and I don't think it makes him a turn the puck over, always get caught.....bla bla bla.

To me big or small a defenseman needs to be preferably a strong skater with enough puck confidence to not have to look down to know its there. This is skating and stationary so they can see the ice and what is happening at all times. They need to be a strong and accurate passer and on the defensive side understand their gaps and positioning on the ice.

Big or small, that would work pretty good. If it were me, ya, I would pair a smaller one with a bigger one but saying a smaller guy is one type of player no matter what is idiotic.

And let's face it, 'The Lil' Ball of Minus' Torey Krug is a terrible defender. Size, reach, skating, gap control, most aspects of playing defense.... Good thing Carlo (big, swift skating defense first defensemen) is saving his hide. Love watching Krug stand next to Rask and see him watching Carlo play both sides of the defensive zone. Let's all hope Carlo eventually gets some of Krug's $5.25 million once Krug gets replaced by Gryzlck

Size is relative to the other players on the ice. For every small D man in college there are at least 2 small F's. With its ridiculous rules about hitting and head touches, the NCAA has, to a great extent, taken the advantages of size and strength out of college hockey. Lacrosse used to be a physical game--now its 2-hand touch. Hockey is well on its way down the same path.

So your saying my 5'8" 15 year old has a chance! Yes!

Game has changed. 5’8” and 175 and strong/fast is fine. Speed, agility, vision. All good for the game. The days of big, slow, unskilled goons is over.

Game has changed. 5’8” and 175 and strong/fast is fine. Speed, agility, vision. All good for the game. The days of big, slow, unskilled goons is over.

Sure. Name one in college now that has a positive impact?

This is a real dumb argument. There is clearly a place for both in the game. Slow D are getting passed by. A 6'5 D that can fly would be everyone's first choice but with a lot of size sometimes it comes with bad feet. A lot of good NCAA Dmen over at 6'4 and over and 5'9 and under but not sure why that is the barometer. Everyone can agree that the best players are usually very good skaters. Here are the D that fit this dumb criteria that had over 15 points.

6'4: K'Andre Miller, So, Wisconsin, 22 points
6'7: Connor McCarthy, Sr, Clarkson, 15 points
6'5: Greg Moro, Sr, Clarkson, 20 points
6'4: Dylan Samberg, Duluth, 19 points
6'4: Nick Wolf, Duluth, 18 points
6'4: Nick Perbix, St. Cloud, 20 points

5'9: Dennis Cesana, So, Michigan Tech, 24 points
5'9: Zack Mirageas, Jr, Air Force, 17 points
5'9: Brennan Kapcheck, Jr, AIC, 25 points
5'6: Dan Willett, Jr, RIT, 20 points
5'8: Michael Davies, Denver, 16 points
5'8: Jack Ahcan, St. Cloud, 34 points
5'9: Tristan Thompson, Alaska, 20 points
5'9: Jacob Nordqvist, Lake, 18 points

So there are more short ones with more points.....correct

It’s like comparing Krug and Grzelcyk and their speed and skill to Carlo and Chara. Fast, skilled Dmen vs. 2 guys who literally can’t skate or stick handle. Both serve their purpose, but the little guys get the PP minutes.

Chubby Charlie more prototypical. 5’11” and thick.

D should NOT be ranked by goals/assists.

i'll take an 'unskilled' shut down D that plays against the others top line and eats short handed minutes before 'troy krug' types everyday --- as much as the 'game has changed' defense still wins championships.

If you look at the NHL the Bruins are about the only team with more than 1 D under 6 feet. In the NHL at least, the little guys are (1) always paired on their regular shift with a big guy who can save their bacon when they have to actually play defense and (2) often are the PP QB's. In the NCAA, the negative impact from a defensive perspective of a little D is mostly offset by the fact that the forwards are also getting smaller and smaller. As an aside, this Stanley Cup could have a big impact on the future of little D's in the NHL--with the Blues Bigs versus the Bruins Littles--should be fun to watch.

And he is a good kid!

Looks like the small D got it done last night

Yeah, one big hit and we're all happy! Like most experienced hockey people I think Torey Krug has been playing a bit north of his usual horrible defense BUT there is no reason why they shouldn't (provided they win The Cup) put a bronze statue of that slow moving little power play specialist out front of The Garden - legs flying, hair flying the whole package right next to Bobby Orr

Soooooooooo hows the "Little puck moving defensemen" working out for you in the playoffs?

"Move the puck for show, smash them through the boards for dough!" Hitting wins championships.

What we witnessed was a team of defenseman vs a team with glorified forwards playing defense.

Miller is a pylon.