Ryan Suter, Minnesota Wild
Suter skated all the way to the bank this past off-season, signing a huge contract with the Wild to become a blue line staple for the next decade. Suter made an immediate impact, arguably carrying the defense on his back, evident by NHL-leading 27:16 time-on-ice per game. To put that into perspective, Suter logged 1,309 minutes and 25 seconds of ice time this year. His play in the last 2 weeks of the season was a huge reason the Wild were able to hold onto a playoff spot. Suter was also very productive offensively, contributing a total of 32 points (4 goals, 28 assists) in 48 games. It is also important to point out that three of Suter’s four goals came on the power play. Suter’s physical presence is also a big piece of his game, and that helps makes him one of the better well-rounded shut down blue liners in the NHL.