Best Bang for the Buck - Defence, Part 1

With most team rosters solidified, I thought I'd examine which team had the best bang for the buck on defense, offense and goaltending. I'll be using the numbers listed at nhlnumbers.com. Looking at all 30 teams at once would make for a gigantic post so I'm going to do it in 3 installments and hope to have it completed by the weekend.

Anaheim Ducks - $22.9M
Well, with the highest cap hit of any team (counting Scott Niedermeyer's hit), it would seem fairly safe to say that the Ducks do not have the best bang for the buck. Until you look at the names. Pronger. Niedermeyer. Schneider. Beauchemin. That is hands down the best top four in the league.

Atlanta Thrashers - $10M
Their #1 is Alexei Zhitnik. And it goes downhill from there. Even at a paltry $10M, they're a candidate for the worst bang for the buck.

Boston Bruins - $15M
Zdeno Chara headlines this backend and also gobbles up one half of their cap hit. The rest of the group is rounded out with Ward, Ference, Mark Stuart, Alberts and Wideman. One stud D followed by a group of mediocre to average D-men with an in-the-middle cap hit. Ouch.

Buffalo Sabres - $15.7M
An average group of defenders at an average cap hit. There is something to be said for a well-rounded group of d-men. Just ask Carolina. However at $15.7M, I wouldn't count this squad as being a deal.

Calgary Flames - $14.7M
I can't believe what Cory Sarich cost and I bet they're hoping Aucoin suddenly develops a better attitude. However it's tough to go wrong when you have Regehr and Phaneuf as your top pairing. Whith Warrener providing a solid defensive d-man as a 3rd-pairing/PK man and Sarich adding some extra muscle, it's a very solid group. But with three Saskatchewan-raised products in the group (Warrener, Sarich and Regehr), I could be biased in their direction.

Carolina Hurricanes - $10.9M
A Stanley Cup winning group for under $11M, you can chalk them up as a candidate for the best bang for the buck. Another squad filled with solid players (and one aging vet in Glen Wesley) but no superstar. Can Frantisek Kaberle come back from shoulder surgery and lead this squad deep into the playoffs again?

Chicago Blackhawks - $7.8M
After trading Adrian Aucoin, they have the lowest cap hit of the 30 teams. They also have one of the lowest average ages, weighing in with an average of 24 measly years. That youth comes with 2 former WHL stars in Cam Barker and Brent Seabrook. Those two will certainly be expected to carry a big load this year but are they ready to handle it?

Columbus Blue Jackets - $10.2M
Led by an aged Adam Foote, this group could be one of the worst in the league. Poor Rick Nash.

Colorado Avalanche - $12.4M
With the addition of Scott Hannan and the departure of Patrice Brisebois, the Avalanche have certainly improved in the defensive category. The question is whether Leopold can stay healthy enough to help anchor the #1 unit and contribute on the PP.

Dallas Stars - $13.6M
With Norstrom on board they now have one of the best defensive d-men to go with one of the best offensive d-men in Sergei Zubov. Aside from Boucher, the rest of the squad are 3rd pairing/reserve d-men. They'll be relying on big minutes from Norstrom and Zubov.

Stay tuned for the next round of teams in a couple days.