Weekly Question: Best Defensive Defensemen

The most celebrated defensemen in team history were offensive threats like Wade Redden or complete players like Zdeno Chara. But Ottawa has had a few shutdown types over the years. Today's Weekly Question asks: which player is the best defensive defenseman in team history?

Chris Phillips

Not as dominant as many first-overall picks, Chris has had one of the most successful NHL careers of anyone in his draft class. His 16 years of service is second only to Daniel Alfredsson in club history. While there have been some tough times lately, Phillips has also provided many memorable moments during his career with the Senators and formed part of a dominant shutdown unit with Anton Volchenkov in his prime.

Anton Volchenkov

Volchenkov was drafted 21^st overall by the Ottawa Senators in 2000. While with Ottawa, he developed a well-earned reputation as a premier defensive player and elite body-checker. In the summer of 2010, he signed a six-year contract with the New Jersey Devils. Volchenkov made his second appearance with in the Stanley Cup Finals with the Devils in 2012, but again came up short.

Marc Methot

Methot's first season in the capital was a successful one. He played 47 games during the lockout-shortened season, and was Ottawa's best defenseman when Erik Karlsson went down with his Achilles injury. His second season with the Senators was rockier, but he's still an important member of Ottawa's blueline. Known for his hip checks, Methot is fairly mobile or a defensive defenseman.

Jason York

He was acquired by the Senators along with Shaun Van Allen in a trade with Anaheim in exchange for Ted Drury and Marc Moro in 1996. York had the best spell of his career in the nation's capital, establishing himself as a reliable defender over the course of five seasons.

Curtis Leschyshyn

A veteran of over 1000 games in the NHL, Leschyshyn was a reliable defenseman for a club increasingly seen as a Cup contender. He spent parts of four seasons in Ottawa.

Lance Pitlick

He signed as a free agent with the Ottawa Senators for the 1994-1995 season. He spent most of the season with Ottawa's AHL affiliate but still appeared in 15 games at the NHL level. Pitlick spent parts of five seasons with the Senators before moving to the Florida Panthers.

Which player is the best defensive defenseman in Senators history?