To become a successful NHL defenseman, it takes a long time to learn and adapt to the overall decision-making process. Defense is a physical, yet cerebral position. Only through maturity experience -- and a lot of it -- can a defenseman learn how to read the rush and what is coming at him at all times.

	Already an All-Star, Sergei Gonchar is motivated to improve is defensive play.

Playing through different situations allows a defenseman to better anticipate his opponent's next move. Similar to a football quarterback who learns to read defenses, an NHL defenseman must learn to read the offense. How a player is positioned, even one or two feet in either direction, can make a difference.

A defenseman has to know where he and his opponent are in relation to the net. Then he will decide whether to stay back or move in. Because each individual play is its own animal, only game experience can teach a player to judge a situation accurately. A years go by, the judgments are more often right than wrong.

Mistakes are more magnified for a defenseman. If a forward reads a play wrong, he has two defensemen and a goaltender behind him. If a defenseman reads a play wrong it often results in a scoring opportunity, such as a two-on-one breakaway.

A defenseman's offensive contributions are based on a combination of instincts and talent. If he has the instincts, but no touch, he won't score many goals. Talent is more of a God-given gift. It's like trying to teach a baseball player to hit home runs; he either has the knack or he doesn't. The same thing applies to hockey players trying to score goals. Experience helps in different situations, but a player's ability to score is based more on talent.

There is no way to really speed up a defenseman's education. The more he practices and the more game situations he faces, the more he will learn and improve.

Some players take longer than others to reach their peak level of performance. For example, at 28, Sergei Gonchar has played eight seasons and is still learning how to play well inside his own end. And many players, like Gonchar, may already be at a higher level than perceived, but they are simply not getting the notoriety.

Here's my list of the top five defensemen on the verge of greatness. With 30 teams, keep in mind that it is tough to keep track of every player. Even in the broadcast business, I don't get to see every defensemen play enough. My initial list consisted of about 20 players, but I had to chop it down to five:

Engblom's Top 5 Defensemen

	Jovanovski

1. Ed Jovanovski, Vancouver Canucks: When Jovanovski arrived in Vancouver in January of 1999, he improved quickly. He settled down mentally and began to make better decisions. A great talent, Jovanovski is also tough as nails. Experience has really turned him into a good two-way player. He kicks in good offense, often while playing against opponents' top two lines. Players in the league know how good he is -- he was picked to play on Team Canada in the Olympics and played well.

	McCabe

2. Bryan McCabe, Toronto Maple Leafs: McCabe has settled down and found a home in Toronto. At 27, McCabe has already played for four teams, and experience has played a huge factor for him. He's a tough, nasty guy to play against. He's the kind of defenseman that every coach would love to have. McCabe has a big shot and plenty of offensive potential. Mentally, he understands how and when to take chances. McCabe won't try to push it anymore. There may be an entire game when he doesn't have much of an offensive chance, but he won't try to make something out of nothing. When it's not there, he won't risk it. That knowledge is attributed to experience.

	Rafalski

3. Brian Rafalski, New Jersey Devils: What Rafalski lacks in size, he makes up for in talent. At 29, he entered the NHL late in his career. Because of his 5-foot-9 frame, everyone thought he was too small to play in the NHL -- especially defense. So, after college, Rafalski went to Europe, where he established himself and brought his game to the next level. In his first NHL season, Rafalski did a heck of a job. He teamed with Scott Stevens and helped the New Jersey Devils to the 2000 Stanley Cup. He's bright and adapts well. For a little guy to succeed, he must find ways to be effective against larger opponents. Often matched against a big, monster-sized forward like John LeClair, Rafalski finds a way to be effective quickly. He has great offensive touch and speed and moves the puck as well as any defenseman in the NHL.

	Stuart

4. Brad Stuart, San Jose Sharks: At 23, Stuart is the youngest player on my list. He entered the league at 19 and showed offensive talent early. With his big shot, he was expected to become a great star. As a result, we saw him in predominantly offensive situations. But his career has changed a lot from his first year. Last season, Sharks coach Darryl Sutter had him playing against top lines. Stuart played mean, nasty and physical. He quickly became one of San Jose's most reliable and physical defensive defensemen. In a short time span, he has become a solid two-way player who can play in any situation. And if the Sharks need some points, he can move the puck. It's difficult for a young player to progress quickly. Just playing on a regular basis is amazing. It shows the amount of talent Stuart possesses. So, although it takes a while to add maturity, Stuart has stepped up the process. He's smart, adapts well and has the tools to make it all happen.

	Gonchar

5. Sergei Gonchar, Washington Capitals: One of the top goal scorers over the past five years, Gonchar is already considered to be one of the league's top defensemen. It's surprising that when talking about the top defensive players, that his name doesn't roll off your lips. But it will. He makes my list because I believe he can get even better. With his tremendous offensive skills, Gonchar tied Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom for the points lead among defensemen (59), but outscored him 26-9 in goals. Gonchar's weakness has been exposed in his own end -- and he knows that. Because he has received some notoriety, he seems hungry to get to the next level. He's motivated to improve on the defensive side of the puck.

Honorable mention: