What to do about defense?  The importance of this position, much more so than any other, varies dramatically from league to league.  In some formats, defense can win you a championship.  In others, it's completely an afterthought.  So before worrying about who to rank where, find out how much you should care.

The good news when it comes to this position, is that it's much easier to predict than the other positions.  While goalie leaders fluctuate wildly from year to year, the top defensemen are typically consistent and predictable.  If you're playing on CBS, or another site that actually values the role of defensive scoring, be sure to grab 2 of the top 10 here.

Now that you have that settled, let's take a look at who you should be focusing on this season.

1. Shea Weber (NAS)

Weber was rewarded this summer with a huge contract, and he's about to show the NHL that he deserved it (and the next big money deal coming next summer). He's my pick for Norris and fantasy MVP on the blueline this season. The last three seasons, he's put up goal totals of 23, 16 and 16. And he's just now entering his prime years.

2. Keith Yandle (PHO)

Yandle finally cracked the title of "best defenseman that nobody talks about" last season. He was at or near the top of the defensive scorers all season long. A quick look at his stats by season shows he's heading in the right direction, with dramatic increases in points in each of his 5 seasons with Phoenix. You'll have to spring early to snag this superstar defenseman this time around.

3. Dustin Byfuglien (WIN)

Byfuglien was pure gold for the first half of the season, putting him on pace for insane goal and point totals. He cooled off significantly mid-winter, but still finished with an impressive 20 goal, 53 point performance in his first season back on defense with the Thrashers. He'll be the face of the Jets this season and will likely given free reign to roam and do his thing. Expect another solid return on your early investment with him this time around.

4. Drew Doughty (LA)

Doughty was a bit of disappointment with "just" 11 goals and 40 points in his third season. That's mostly due to the insane totals he posted as a sophomore. There's little doubt that he'll rebound and put up another 50+ points this time around as the Kings continue to strengthen their ability to score goals all around. Now if he would just sign that contract and get on with it...

5. Mike Green (WAS)

It's hard to know what category to put Green in, and what to expect from him this time around. Should we write off last season as an injury-laden fluke? Even in the 49 games he did play, he posted a meager 24 points. Was that playing hurt, or was it an adjustment to the new Capitals defensive system? No doubt, he's a powerful offensive force, but will be able to get back to that incredible 70+ point territory. I'm betting he gets close.

6. Zdeno Chara (BOS)

Chara has been a model of consistency for fantasy defensemen over the past 8 seasons, sticking around the 40 point territory, contribuing with about 10 or so goals, and piling up the PIMs. You can't ask for much more, and you know what you'll get. Draft him with confidence.

7. Kris Letang (PIT)

Letang finally registered that break out season that Penguin fans had been waiting for. His 50 points and 101 PIMs contributed to the 3rd best overall fantasy value at this position last year. With Goligoski gone, Letang is the undisputed puck-moving leader for Pittsburgh and will get all the playing time (even strength and power play) that he can handle. Expect another great season for Letang.

8. P.K. Subban (MON)

Subban did not disappoint in his rookie season. He put up 14 goals, 38 points and 124 penalty minutes. It's surprising he didn't merit much Calder consideration with those numbers. And if that's the starting point, the sky is the limit for this young pup. Anything less than 45 points would be a disappointment in his sophomore season.

9. Lubomir Visnovsky (ANA)

Visnovsky surged like crazy in the second half of last season, finishing with more fantasy points than any other defenseman. A whopping 18 goals and 68 points will be hard to repeat. No doubt he's a solid pick, but to assume he'll be the #1 guy again this season is too much for me to risk. Let someone else overpay in the first couple of rounds.

10. Niklas Lidstrom (DET)

Perhaps the biggest surprise of last season shouldn't have come as a surprise at all. This guy just doesn't age. And for that reason (and many others), I can't bring myself to rank him outside the top 10. Expect another 10 goals and 50 points from the best defenseman of our generation.

To see the rest of my top 60+ defense rankings, visit:  http://www.landsharkhockey.com/LS/tools/DraftRankings.aspx.  You can also customize your own list there.

As we start to turn the corner on summer, it's just about time to start gearing our minds towards next season's draft.  To kick things off, let's take a look back to see which players had the strongest finish to the 2008-09 season.  We'll ignore the obvious players who were strong from start to finish, and focus on players that turned it on in the last quarter.   It's not always a perfect indication of things to come, but it's worth noting who ended the season on a high note.

Forwards

• Eric Staal - Staal was the hottest player in the league in the last quarter, racking up 13 goals and 28 points.  If he can keep up this pace for a full season, he'll be challenging the big 3 for the Art Ross next year.
• Alex Kovalev - Kovalev got the message after his shameful time off in early spring and turned in 12 goals and 22 points in the fourth quarter.  With a change to Ottawa, we could be looking at a big season from #27.
• Alexei Ponikarovsky - Since Toronto was irrelevant in 2009, you may have missed the fact that Ponikarovsky contributed 22 points in the his last 20 games. 
• Marc Recchi - The old man keeps plugging along, and he was the go-to guy in Boston heading into the playoffs.  Recchi finished the fourth quarter with 10 goals and 22 points.  Probably a big reason for getting a new contract.
• Steve Sullivan - It seems that Sullivan is fully recovered from his injury woes.  He led the Preds with 22 points in the last quarter.
• David Backes - 13 of his 31 goals were recorded in the fourth quarter.  Backes has become a huge part of the surging Blues offense. 
• Steven Stamkos - Stamkos took the first half of the season to adjust to NHL life.  If the final 20 games of last season are any indication, he has arrived.  12 goals and 20 points was better than Lecavalier and St. Louis.
• Rod BrindAmour - Brind'Amour had a horrendous start to the season, but seemed to right the ship down the stretch.  He recorded 20 points in his final 18 games. 
• Marian Gaborik - Gaborik only played 11 games down the stretch, but he played out of his mind, racking up 18 points in those games.  If only he could play 82 games a year.
• Sam Gagner - Gagner was non-existent in the first 3/4 of the season, then turned it on with 10 goals and 21 points in the last 21 games.  He seems primed for a big season in 2009.

Defense

• Anton Babchuk - Babchuk was the hottest defenseman down the stretch, scoring 9 goals and 17 points in that period.  But don't get too excited.  He was non-existent and even scratched come playoff time.   Makes it hard to judge what to expect from him in 2009.
• Tobias Enstrom - Enstrom had an incredible rookie year, then looked headed for the sophomore slump.  He turned it around in a big way down the stretch, firing in 17 points over 20 games.
• Kris Letang - Almost half of Letang's points last season came in the fourth quarter.  Couple that with an impressive playoff run and you're looking at big time upward momentum for the rising star heading into 2009-10.
• Sergei Gonchar - No surprise here that Gonchar was among the leaders down the stretch.  It's only noteworthy because he missed most of the season and was such a huge impact player when he returned.  As with Letang, his playoff performance is pointing to another big season next year.
• Denis Grebeshkov - With the likes of Souray and Visnovsky on the Edmonton roster, Grebeshkov was barely on the radar heading into last season, and through most of the first half.  He turned it on bigtime, contributing 14 points in his final 21 games.
• Marc-Andre Bergeron - Bergeron is an unpredictable as they come for defenseman.  He looked headed for a sub-par season in Minnesota before he turned it on late, scoring 7 goals in his final 21 games. 

Goalies

• Chris Mason - Mason was a big part of the late season surge by the Blues.  He finished up with 14 wins in the final quarter.
• Jonas Hiller - Like Mason, Hiller helped get the Ducks into the playoffs, and earn a starting job in the process, by playing big late in the season.  He recorded 9 wins in 14 games over that span.
• Roberto Luongo - Nobody was hotter than Luongo heading into the playoffs.  After missing a good chunk of the season, he played well enough to be considered for the Vezina by some.  He piled up 14 wins and 4 shutouts in the final 20 games.
• Brian Elliot - Elliot stepped up big time for the hurting Senators late in the season, winning 9 of his last 15 starts.  However, it may be all forgotten next season, if Leclaire is healthy.  Either way, it showed that he's ready for NHL action.

So make a special mark on your draft sheets this fall next to these names and remember it's what they do for you lately that counts.

It feels good to talk about how well run the Redwings are as an organization.  You'll find no shortage of praise for Ken Holland or Brian Burke and the like.  It's much more fun to rip apart the organizations that just don't seem to get it.  So in the spirit of being cruel (summer is tough on a hockey fanatic), here are the Top 5 Worst run NHL franchises.

#5 - NY Rangers

Since winning the Cup in 1994 and ending the 50 year drought, the Rangers seem intent on making a run at that record.  Sather almost single-handedly forced the cap issue by offering ludicrous salaries to over the hill veterans.  Since the lockout, he hasn't done much better, offering bloated contracts to Holik, Gomez, Redden, and now Gaborik.  Any reputation he had for his work in Edmonton has been entirely reversed.  There are no signs on the horizon that things are getting better here.  If it weren't for Lundqvist in net, the Rangers wouldn't even be a playoff contender.  Change is needed in New York.

#4 - LA Kings

LA has been preaching the youth movement for over a decade now.  Some of the young guys back then have already retired, and they have yet to see a squad worth the price of entry.  Lombardi has been true to his plan over the past few years for the most part, only straying occasionally to sign a veteran or two.  Still, the Kings don't seem much closer to being relevant than they were in 2004.  How long do Kings fans have to wait for the dream to be realized.  How long can Lombardi hold off the wolves with the promise of better things to come?  Don't expect a sudden rise to power this year.

#3 - Montreal Canadiens

How can a team fall so far, so fast?  Or was it that 2007-08 was just a fluke?  The Canadiens haven't made a serious run at the Cup since they won it as major underdogs in 1993.  For an organization that once prided itself as the rightful owners of the Stanley Cup, they sure haven't shown it to anyone under the age of 50.  Bob Gainey had one really bad year in 2008-09, from his handling of the coaching situation, to barely making the playoffs only to be totally embarrassed, to allowing his team to be completely dismantled and put back together with whatever leftovers he could overpay for on July 1st.  Was this part of a plan?  If so, who is he working for?  Boston?

#2 - NY Islanders

It was a tough call not making the Islanders #1.  Good thing for Mr. Wang and company that the Lightning are around.  It's tough to recall anything this franchise has done right in the past 20 years (and drafting Tavares doesn't count - that was a no brainer that only came about because they were so inept this year).  You can start with Yashin, then move on to the DiPietro contract, throw in the coaching / GM fiasco of last summer, and sprinkle in a prospect firesale that netted two months of Ryan Smyth's services.  All told, John Tavares had better be that good.

#1 - Tampa Bay Lightning

The future was looking bright for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the summer of 2004.  The last five years have been a total disaster.  It started with mismanagement of contracts in the off season, resulting in the loss of Khabibulin.  Since then, no goalie to wear the Bolts logo has been worthy of the crease.  Things took a turn for the bizarre last summer with the new management team, who went on a teenage girl shopping spree, overpaying for every available player on the market.  Some of the defensive signings this summer may start to right the ship, but as for now, the Lightning hold the title as the undisputed worst run franchise in the NHL.

Honorable Mention:

Minnesota Wild for giving fans an expansion team for almost a decade now.

Atlanta Thrashers for failing to win a single playoff game in their existence

Toronto Maple Leafs for many reasons.  Burke seems to be righting the ship, which kept them off the list.

That was certainly the most memorable 1st day of free agency ever in terms of stories.  Unbelievable all the deals that went down, and the one that didn't.  Here's a breakdown of the best, worst and indifferent:

Most surprising deal:

• Hossa to Chicago - not just the destination, but the term.  If this deal had been done a month ago, there might have been a different team in the finals.  Chicago should be the Western Conference favorites going into next season, largely due to this signing.  Too bad they couldn't reunite him with Havlat.

Deal that filled the biggest need:

• Ohlund to Tampa - The Lightning have had one failure after another, but this signing made wonderful sense.  They get a solid 2-way defenseman, and a perfect mentor for Hedman.  The term may be a little long, but they won't regret this transaction

Most laughable signing:

• Gaborik to NYR - As with every year since Sather arrived in NY, the Rangers get the prize for the head-scratcher.  Yes, they need every bit of scoring that the talented Gaborik can bring, but 7.5 million for 5 years?  So easy to forget Redden, Gomez, Holik, Lindros, etc…  They'll be begging some team to take him off their hands in two years after Gaborik averages 30 games a season.

Who cares?

• Rupp to Penguins - 90% of hockey fans don't even know who Rupp is.  He might contribute on the fourth line, or he might not even make the lineup next season.

Staying where he belongs:

• Cole in Carolina - Cole just make sense in Raleigh.  It was great to see him sticking around at a fair salary.  Great signing for the Canes.
• Sullivan in Nashville - Good to see this happen for both sides.  Nashville was loyal to Sullivan during 2 trying years, and Sullivan rewarded their patience with a strong comeback.

Is that the Best you can do?

• Anderson to Colorado - Going on 4 seasons now that the Avalanche have settled for an average solution in goal.  Anderson may be the answer, or he may be like the others who came before and disappointed.

Addition by Subtraction

• Kubina leaving Toronto - Shedding some salary and losing an overrated defenseman.  Gives Burke the flexibility to do what he wants going forward
• Gill leaving Pittsburgh - Gill was a liability for the Pens.  He will fit in nicely on a team of misfits that is being assembled in Montreal.

GM that should be fired tomorrow

• Gainey in Montreal - Are you kidding?  This is the best you can do?  Signing 3 midget forwards, offset by a slow, lugging giant defenseman, while losing your entire top line and your top defenseman in the process on a team that was already bad and getting worse?  The wrong guy was fired in March.

Saving face

• Havlat in Minnesota - Wild fans should rejoice that the franchise might actually be thinking about offense for the first time.  Sure, they offset the loss of one injury-prone star scorer for another, but imagine if they hadn't signed Havlat.

Moron

• Couldn't get through the day without calling Heatley a moron for obvious reasons.  The NHL should consider a rule change based on his behavior.  If you request a trade, you nullify a no-trade clause.  Moron.

1. Who won the Pronger deal?

There is only one way that Philadelphia comes out of this trade without a heap of stink on their chest.  3 years from now (or even 6 months from now), we could look back on this deal as the worst trade in last 5 years.  The Flyers gave up a lot of promising young talent, in addition to some significant draft picks, to acquire an aging defenseman that they will struggle to find cap space for. 

On Anaheim's side, knowing Niedermeyer will be back again in the fall, and after adding Whitney at last season's deadline, they were able to let Pronger go without much set back to their defense.  Meanwhile, they've stockpiled some players and picks that could help them for years to come.  In addition, it will open the door for underrated James Wizniewski to get the playing time he deserves.

So, unless the Flyers manage to take down the Penguins as Eastern Conference Champs (which they could well do in 2009), this trade goes overwhelming to the Ducks.

2. Will Gomez be successful in Montreal?

Gomez never quite fit into the Ranger's lineup from the day he arrived.  Not that this makes him unique.  It's hard to remember a big name (other than possibly Jagr) that the Rangers have added in the past decade that helped the player's career.  Gomez is a gifted playmaker that will prosper if he gets paired up with at least one scoring winger, and is given ample playing time.  Both of these things should unfold in Montreal for Gomez next season.  Look for him to possibly put up a career season in Montreal in 2009.  He may ultimately be the lone bright spot for the Canadiens going into training camp.

3. Who will play the wing in Pittsburgh?

The Penguins have a history of recycling wingers by plucking up players on the tail end of a decent career, and squeezing one or two inexpensive seasons out them before retirement.  (Sandstrom, Robitaille, Sykora, Satan, etc.).  It seems unlikely that Sykora or Satan will be back, and Fedetanko is questionable.  It's possible that the Pens will just promote from within, but that's not how they historically address the position.  So who will the Pens target, now that Free Agent season has begun?  Here are a few names to ponder:

• Alex Tanguay - Tanguay has flirted with greatness over the years, but hasn't lived up to the hype of rookie season in Colorado.  A saucer pass or two every other shift from Crosby could put Tanguay into the 30 goal territory.
• Erik Cole - Erik's not exactly at the end of his career, but he would be a great fit in Pittsburgh.  Rumors were he was possibly going to Pittsburgh at the deadline last season.  Could Orpik and Cole co-exist?
• Brian Gionta - Gionta really only enjoyed one great season, scoring 48 goals in 2005.  While he'll never reach that height again, he could crack 30 in a Penguin sweater
• Alex Kovalev - Kovalev enjoyed his greatest success as a Penguin.  The Pittsburgh fans would love to see his wristshot back in the Igloo for one or two more seasons.