Ron Hainsey could be classified as a journeyman Defenseman, yet if that is the only way you think of Hainsey it is an incomplete assessment.

The American played collegiately at Massachusetts Lowell and was a First Rounder for Montreal in 2000.  He would later have runs with Columbus and Atlanta/Winnipeg, where between the two teams he had a three-year run of 30-plus Point seasons (2006-07 to 2008-09).  Hainsey then joined Carolina, and during his fourth season, he was traded to Pittsburgh at the trade deadline, where he helped the Penguins win the 2017 Stanley Cup.

He closed out his career with Toronto and Ottawa, finishing with 17 seasons, 1,132 Games and 311 Points, a nice career by every standard.

Johnny Boychuk was a stay-at-home Defenseman through his career who split his career with Boston and the New York Islanders (save for four Games in Colorado).

Boychuk was not known for his scoring, but he did have four years where he cracked 20 Points, and he won a Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 2011.  He overall scored 206 Points with a Plus/Minus of +123.

Jimmy Howard was taken late in the Second Round in 2003, but the American Goalie only played in nine Games for Detroit before he truly became a Red Wings rookie (2009-10).

Howard was the runner-up for the Calder and was Eighth in Vezina Trophy voting.  He posted a 2.26 GAA that year, and he would later have back-to-back sub 2.20 GAA seasons (2011-12 & 2012-13), with the latter season seeing Howard land sixth in Vezina balloting.  Howard continued to post respectable numbers had 246 Wins for Detroit over his career.

Many say Jay Bouwmeester is one of the most gifted skaters in hockey history.  We have to agree, and would gladly add that Bouwmeester is one of the more underrated players in the game.

The Canadian Defenseman was the third overall pick in 2002 by Florida, and was an All-Rookie after making the Panthers after being drafted.  Bouwmeester was a two-time All-Star with Florida, and he twice received Norris Trophy votes.  He would be traded to Calgary in 2009, and at the 2013 Trade Deadline, Bouwmeester was dealt to St. Louis, providing a veteran presence to the team that won the Stanley Cup in 2019.

Bouwmeester’s career ended abruptly when he suffered a cardiac arrest during a game against Anaheim in February of 2020.  He never played again, thus ending one of the most sneaky good careers in hockey.  As a professional, Bouwmeester scored 424 Points in 1,240 Games.

If Bouwmeester never becomes a serious contender for the Hockey Hall of Fame, the IIHOF could look at him, as he won five Gold Medals (one Olympics, two World Cups, two Worlds) while playing 57 Games for Team Canada.  That is one hell of an international career.