Nicklas Lidström

Nicklas Lidström rarely looked panicked, which was unfortunate for everyone trying to beat him. Red Wings No. 5 could shut down danger without turning every play into a wrestling match, then move the puck like he’d already seen what was coming. Seven Norris Trophies and four Stanley Cups make his résumé almost comically difficult to attack. His problem is that “calmly making the correct play for two decades” doesn’t generate the same instant fireworks as Kevin Garnett screaming through a championship run or Albert Pujols launching baseballs into orbit. That’s what makes Lidström such a great GoatWars contender. His fans get to argue that effortless-looking dominance is still dominance. And then there’s Denis Potvin, the perfect hockey foil: louder, meaner, more physical, with his own pile of trophies. If No. 5 belongs to hockey, those two have to settle it first. Quiet perfection or dynasty-era menace? Pick your defenseman.