Toronto Maple Leafs Defenseman Brutally Disrespected by the NHL

Chris Tanev was an absolute beast with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, and there is no denying that he was the best defenseman on the team.

Overall, he was a plus-31, which is very good, regardless of the fact that the Maple Leafs were one of the best teams in the entire NHL.

Furthermore, he was easily the league's best shot-blocker, something that came in very handy during the playoffs as the Leafs needed someone to sacrifice the body.

Despite all of this, the NHL doesn't seem to consider Tanev among the most elite defensive talents in the entire league.

We say this because just yesterday, the NHL put out its top 20 ranking for the best defenseman in the entire league. Unfortunately, Tanev did not make the cut.

19th on the list was Lane Hutson, a defenseman who is certainly talented offensively, but leaves a lot to be desired on defense. As it turns out, offensive defensemen are simply evaluated differently.

Last season, Tanev only managed a total of 18 points, so it makes sense that the NHL would ignore him for some of the other offense-minded guys.

Either way, this just goes to show that Chris Tanev is completely underrated, and that a lot of analysts need to start giving the guy his proper flowers and credit.

Going into this season, Tanev will easily be the most important defenseman on the Leafs, even more so than the likes of Morgan Rielly.

Only time will tell whether or not the NHL will begin to recognize Tanev in the future, and give him that credit he rightfully deserves.