To get the historical perspective on their talent level, the defensemen on the University of Wisconsin men's hockey team don't have to go far.

Mark Osiecki, the Badgers assistant coach who works with players at that position, was part of the most hyped group of UW defensemen in terms of NHL draft status. In both the 1988-89 and 1989-90 seasons, the Badgers fielded a roster with seven drafted defensemen -- pretty good considering that typically only six play in a game.

Only three defensemen from the 1990 NCAA championship team ended up ever playing in the NHL: Sean Hill racked up 876 career games; Barry Richter had 151; and Osiecki played 93.

Even with as much recognized defensive talent as there was on that team, Osiecki doesn't remember them spending a whole lot of time talking about what they'd do at the next level. Now, with another highly decorated group of Badgers blueliners in the fold, it's a different story.

"The difference in this day and age, these guys all talk NHL," Osiecki said. "There's so much pressure. They go through the combine. They're interviewed. Their pictures are all over the place. So you've got to get away from that and get them focused on the task at hand and really band together."

They talk NHL for a good reason. The Badgers' five drafted defensemen all have elite pedigrees, meaning they can legitimately target the big time. All were selected in the top two rounds.

No Wisconsin team has ever had that many top-end drafted defensemen -- the 1989-90 team had only one -- and that fact led a scouting director for one NHL team to say the Badgers, on paper, have the best defensive corps in college hockey this season.

In all, seven former Badger defensemen played in the NHL last season. UW has another top-two-round NHL draft pick set to join the team next season.

So is Wisconsin, long known as Goaltender U for the number of goalies it has sent to the NHL, becoming Defenseman U?

At the very least, the defensive talent that the Badgers will put on the ice starting Friday, when they open the season at defending national champion Boston College, can rival the best they've ever had.

Developing a reputation

Osiecki freely admits that there's a little bit of luck involved with having three first-round picks (Ryan McDonagh, Jake Gardiner and Brendan Smith) and two second-rounders (Cody Goloubef and Jamie McBain) among the defensive corps this season.

Others think it has more to do with how Wisconsin recruits and the reputation it has built as a place where defensemen improve their pro potential.

"I think they've done a hell of a job of recruiting defensemen, probably the best job in the NCAA recruiting defensemen," said Trevor Timmins, the director of player recruitment and development for the Montreal Canadiens, who selected McDonagh 12th overall in 2007.

"You look at the guys that are there and the guys that are coming in next year, too. They've done an outstanding job in that sense."

Paul Castron, the Columbus Blue Jackets' director of amateur scouting, called it "amazing" that the Badgers have five defensemen who were drafted in the top two rounds.

"It takes a little luck," said Castron, whose team owns Goloubef's draft rights, "but it's a testament to their recruiting."