1.00 PPG average. Age: 21Rating: 86Position: Left DefenseType: Offensive DefensemanTeam: Vancouver CanucksShoots: LeftBest Attributes: 93 Puck Control, 93 Offensive Awareness, 93 Speed. In those eight seasons, he'sthird overallbehind Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson in total points among defensemen with 429. Crusher will allow theuser to make bigger bodychecks more often and stayon their feet more effectively. Awareness, 91 Passing, 91 Puck Control, 91 Stick Checking. That includes a career-high 72 points (along with 20 goals) in 2018-19. Age: 28Rating: 92Position: Right WingType: SniperTeam: Tampa Bay LightningShoots: LeftBest Attributes: 96 Deking, 96 Puck Control, 96 Offensive Awareness. It is also something that cannot be taught. His defense is adequate, but still needs improvement. For forwards, the search parameters were having a minimum of 91 in speed and acceleration with an 87 in agility. I've made the case that the Lightning defenseman could be the best all-around hockey player in the world. Drew Doughty, LAK22. Hampus Lindholm, BOS18. In other words, they didnt sacrifice either Evan Bouchard or Philip Broberg in the deal, two of their better young defensemen. Predators get: Defenseman Tyson All rights reserved. NHL He had four different primary defensive partners -- Jan Rutta, Dan Girardi, Jake Dotchin and Anton Stralman -- during his four straight Norris nominations. He's also the leader in power-play points (106) during that period. In just three seasons, the 22-year-old Heiskanen blossomed into the Stars' best all-around defenseman. Top 20 defensemen in the NHL for the 2022-23 season of the last four seasons with the exception being the shortened year in 2020-21. I once asked Hockey Hall of Famer Nicklas Lidstrom how he evaluates other defensemen. Eric Duhatschek:It was only two years ago when the Nashville Predators Mattias Ekholm was at or near the top of everybodys trade board heading into the 2021 NHL trade deadline. Darnell Nurse, EDM35. Bahls non-balance skate skills all fall below 80, albeit only slightly. Ekholm was finally getting paid for a decade of quiet, effective service to the Preds. The 22-year-old Finn's 25:05 time on ice per game ranks seventh among all defensemen since last season. No need to worry about 6 7 PFs with 88 puck control and balance skating circles in your zone. Press J to jump to the feed. Interceptor will allow the user to not only intercept passes more effectively, but to get into position to make a good defensive play with the boost to Agility, as well. Is Evan Bouchard the PP1 guy now, or does Ekholm run the top group? Esa Lindell and John Klingberg were the Dallas Stars' best defense pairing prior to this season. That shouldve already been clear. Ranking the NHL's top defensemen for 2021 - Execs, The Oilers have previously been linked to a series of skilled mostly offensive defencemen Erik Karlsson and John Klingberg, to name just two. While his discipline is fine at 80, his offensive awareness is 77 and his poise a meager 70. His discipline is 75 with poise at 65 and offensive awareness at 63. Your email address will not be published. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. With Lukko last season, he had nine assists and a goal over 51 games, while the previous season, he had two assists over 19 games. He can use improvement in all aspects, particularly puck skills and defense. Your first click here will rank You have to be able to defend," he told me. Thomas Chabot, D, OTT31. He was also their leading scorer (26 points) in the, A two-time Norris Trophy winner, Karlsson netted at least 62 points six times in his 12 NHL seasons. "I've seen players where their ice time goes up and their performance declines. At the bottom of the page, you will find a list of the best young offensive defensemen in NHL 22. Dougie Hamilton, NJD7. Thatll be worth monitoring to see how it plays out. The physical blueliner is also their leader with 96 blocked shots and 52 takeaways, and he's second in hits with 136. The 25-year-old had 22 points in 35 games in 2020-21 before suffering a season-ending leg injury. Shawn enjoys discovering engaging stories, whether they be from movies, video games, books, or any other form in which they may be told. The former Stanley Cup champion had 20 assists and nine goals across 41 games during the 2020-2021 season. One of two New Jersey players on this list, Okhotyuk gains the edge over Kevin Bahl who is rated higher overall thanks to the higher potential of the imposing Russian. If you choose to make use of any information on this website including online sports betting services from any websites that may be featured on this website, we strongly recommend that you carefully check your local laws before doing so. It feels different but the learning curve is pretty minimal. Lighting defensemen Victor Hedman tops this list, as he received a 91 OVR rating from the NHL team. Makar's point totals would have been higher if not for injuries. His awareness and stick checking are 78 with a 76 in shot blocking, and unlike others on this list, his senses are good with an 80 in discipline and 78 in offensive awareness though the 70 in poise is concerning. Winner of the James Norris Memorial Trophy in 2016-17, Burns enjoyed five straight 60-plus point campaigns from 2014-15 to 2018-19, including a career-best 83-point effort. Like his counterpart from Edmonton, MacKinnon excels in every aspect of the game. McDavid ended the 2020-21 season with 72 assists and 33 goals in 56 games for 105 points, his fourth season of 100+ points. No defenseman has as many as Karlsson's 468 assists since he entered the league in 2009-10. Kucherov is a menace on offense. , Hughes will be a significant contributor to the Canucks' offensive punch. After missing all of the 2020-21 regular season recovering from surgery, Kucherov joined Tampa Bay for the playoffs and had 24 assists and eight goals over 23 games in another championship season. Nevertheless, hetied for thirdamong defensemen last season with 45 points. Last season proved more difficult for Hughes and the Canucks as they, due in part to a slow start and a COVID-19 outbreak. Four were game-winning though none were in overtime. Brodin is especially shut down exclusive, so often gets missed. remains among the top 10, sitting fourth overall. The rise of the Florida Panthers among the NHL's top teams since last season can be attributed in part to their first defensive pairing of MacKenzie Weegar and Aaron Ekblad. He is a tall, mobile, intelligent defender who provides value at both ends of the ice. Target Slapper will allow the user to shoot slap shots with more accuracy and power. Already an ESPN+ subscriber? In NHL 21, players can choose from a varied selection of Traits and Specialties that will boost the attributes of their player loadout for online World of CHEL modes. The question, as always, is whether each end of the deal justifies its reason for being. He combines those with his 92 in passing, puck control, and offensive awareness, making him a fulcrum of any offensive attack hence why he is a playmaker. Given his youth, impressive mobility and play-making abilities, more Norris Trophies could be sitting on his mantel in the near future. WebDefensive Defenseman NHL 23 List of Players with Defensive Defenseman Archetype on NHL 23 Below is the latest list of Top 100 Players with Defensive Defenseman Player Two more had him third. Samuel Girard, COL28. All in the family: how three generations of Jaquezes have ruled West Coast basketball. We canvassed 10 active NHL players -- seven skaters, three goaltenders -- and 10 individuals in team hockey operations, from coaches to general managers to player personnel executives. An impressive rookie campaign earned the Colorado Avalanche defenseman theCalder Memorial Trophyin 2019-20. Injuries, however, have hampered the 31-year-old since joining the Sharks in 2018-19, dropping hispoint-per-game average(0.57) to 21st overall during that period. Since last season, Fox has averaged a team-leading 24:43 of ice time. , Aaron Ekblad has five seasons with at least 36 points, including a career-best 41 points in 2019-20. Thanks to his powerful shot, he sits fourth among all rearguards with 94 total goals. The 2013 first overall draft pick and Calder Memorial Trophy winner had 45 assists and 20 goals in 48 games during the 2020-21 season. Mikey Anderson - Drew Doughty Few defensemen in the NHL could've done more with the surrounding talent Doughty had last year. among NHL defensemen last season with 45 points. His puck-moving abilities and offensive instincts make him among the league's top rearguards. A finalist for the James Norris Memorial Trophy last season, Makar is among the NHL's elite mobile defensemen. He became a key cog in their offensive attack last season, especially on. Hedman's strong two-way game earned the James Norris Memorial Trophy in 2017-18 and the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2019-20. With his size, speed, hockey smarts and booming shot, he remains among the NHL's top offensive rearguards. Josi made his NHL debut in 2011-12 but came into his own as a point producer in 2013-14 with a 40-point performance. Your email address will not be published. 4. He and his teammates also struggled defensively, giving up the third-highestshots-against per game(33.4) and sixth-most goals-against per game (3.34). He's been a Norris Trophy finalist in four straight seasons, winning the award in 2017-18 for the first and only time. His best skills outside of his speed are with the puck as he has a 94 in hand-eye and a 93 in deking, passing, and puck control. This perk will increase the player's Slap Shot Accuracy and Slap Shot Power by 4 and 2 points. The first-round pick is the prize, and Schafer sounds like an interesting piece to have around, too. The Predators listened on Ekholm, but ultimately decided he had more value to them going forward. The Wild defender has been one of the leagues best defensive players for a while now. Victor Hedman, TBL11. Woos lines from last season with the Utica Comets saw him register three goals and two assists across 28 games. He netted 33 points during his 2018-19 NHL debut, 35 points 68 games as a sophomore and 27 points in 55 games last season. That was the beginning of seven straight seasons with 40-plus points, including a career-high 65 during his Norris Trophy campaign. They won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021, reached the Cup Final in 2015 and won the 2019 Presidents' Trophy with arecord-tying 62 wins. His performance earned him an eight-year contract extension worth an annual average value of $9.5 million. Some are fast, others are not. The youngest player on this list by one year, Quinn Hughes is also only the second defenseman who scored at least a 93 in speed score. That's why it's crucial to have a strong first pairing to anchor a blue-line corps. Foden's return to form helps mask De Bruyne's troubles. Log in here. Best NHL Defenseman: Points per Game. Brandon Montour, FLA13. 1. For defensemen, they'll want their build to have perks that help them break up plays with their stick, make good hits, and make quick breakout passes out of their zone. NHL By DylanFremlin @dylanfremlin May 17, 2021, 8:00am CDT Share this story Whether you are rebuilding or retooling, finding your defensive stalwart of the future only bodes well for your franchise. Two more had him The first version of this perk will reduce the player's Balance by 4 points instead of Wrist Shot Power, and Balance is more important for defensemen to make sure they're not knocked off the puck in their zone. 1 on 14 of the 20 ballots. Whether its Boston, Tampa Bay, Toronto, the Rangers, the Devils theyre going to have to play someone from the Western Conference. Chychrun is an extremely underrated but extremely good shutdown guy. Unlike Kukkonen, Montgomery is just 18. The saying goes that offense wins games, but defense wins championships. He was ranked No. 1 in that span, ahead of Zdeno Chara (+82). Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "ad8882951d244e308d463714f1cc5337" );document.getElementById("b90191b810").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. They turned around and signed him to a four-year, $25 million extension in October 2021. This list has the best young defensive defensemen in NHL 22. If you wanted the fastest line incorporating a players secondary position, then your line would look like this: Johnny Gaudreau (93) Connor McDavid (96) Nathan MacKinnon (93) Quinn Hughes (93) Cole Makar (93.33). Erik Gustafsson, TOR20. in power-play ice time per game (4:11) while finishing second with an average ice time per game of 24:19. Covers does not provide any advice or guidance as to the legality of online sports betting or other online gambling activities within your jurisdiction and you are responsible for complying with laws that are applicable to you in your relevant locality. Seth Jones, CHI43. Beyond his speed, the two-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner as MVP boasts incredible puck skills with a 97 in deking, hand-eye, and puck control with a 96 in passing. They get fatigued. Kris Letang, PIT15. He exceeded the 40-point plateau again in 2018-19 and 2019-20. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Recent performance, career offensive numbers and consistency factored into this compilation. Flyers' Nick Seeler has emerged as a hot name in NHL trade Injuries, however, have hampered the 31-year-old since joining the Sharks in 2018-19, dropping his. Mmmm that Yotes Avs series is still too fresh for me to agree there, It's that weird thing teams outside of california do. So Ive been using the dangler for all positions in 3s. Though limited to 33 points in 48 games last season, Josi remains among the game's elite mobile blueliners. For all his perceived defensive deficiencies, Barrie has been an effective player for the Oilers this year. Miska Kukkonen is rare for this list in that he has played all of his career for Finnish teams and the Finland national team. Awareness by 4 and 3 points. The 25 best NHL defensemen of all time | Yardbarker He was second among Isles skaters in short-handed ice time per game (2:14) and takeaways (25), third in ice time per contest (21:03) and fourth with 73 blocked shots. Bouchard would be my choice. This Specialty is a great choice for defensemen, as stretch passes can be vulnerable to interception by the opposing team. Nevertheless, Hughes finished thirdamong Canucks scorerswith 41 points in 56 games. among defensemen, and he's fifth in total points with 412 over the same period. Team: Vancouver CanucksAge: 21Position: Right DefenseType: Defensive DefensemanShoots: RightContract: $0.860M, 2 Years Left, Two-WayBest Attributes: 85 Durability, 84 Slap Shot Power, 84 Wrist Shot Power. Though sidelined by a recent injury, the 30-year-old has four points in his first three games whileaveraging 24:09 minutes per game. Scoring goals is the name of the game in hockey, but it's also important to limit an opponent's offensive opportunities. This perk will increase the player's Stick Checking when in their defensive zone. The 26-year-old rearguard netted 46 points in 71 games in 2019-20 and 42 points in 53 games last season. "Hedman came in young. NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. Awareness by 4 points instead of Passing, and the ability to break up opposing passes is more important for defensemen than completing their passes. This perk will increase the player's Body Checking and Balance by 4 and 3 points. He has a 93 in deking, passing, and puck control, though his hand-eye is lacking a bit (but still good) at 86. Rasmus Sandin, WSH (NEW)45. Roman Josi, NSH8. In just four NHL campaigns, Heiskanen has established himself as a talented offensive rearguard. Over 10 NHL seasons, Tyson Barrie has proved himself as a reliable point-producing defenseman. His defensive skills are good with an 85 in both shot blocking and stick checking and an 81 in awareness. WebThe best defence is a good offence. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Here's our ranking of the best defensive pairings for the 2021-22 season. Last season proved more difficult for Hughes and the Canucks as theymissed the playoffs,due in part to a slow start and a COVID-19 outbreak. But that wasnt nearly enough to squeeze in Ekholm which is why Tyson Barrie, the quarterback of the Oilers No. The following is our ranking of the top-10 offensive defensemen in the NHL today. Jeff Petry, PIT49. Fehervary is already a solid all-around player. Tyson Barrie, NSH40. He followed that up by becoming a finalist last season for the, Only 22, Makar possesses the speed and offensive skills of a more seasoned NHL veteran. Our survey respondents agreed that Hedman is, at the very least, the best defenseman in the world. Press J to jump to the feed. Since last season, the 6'3" 220-pound Finn leads the Stars in blocked shots with 120. The fastest line to play in NHL 22 is as follows, with each player selected on their speed score and preferred position: Johnny Gaudreau (93) Connor McDavid (96) Nikita Kucherov (93) Quinn Hughes (93) Cale Makar (93.33). While injuries limited Matt Grzelcyk to 37 games last season, he wound up seeing more playing time with McAvoy than any other Bruins blueliner. Spurgeon also gets listed as underrated by players, hard player to get by despite being 5'7". Gaudreau had 30 assists and 19 goals across 56 games for Calgary during the 2020-21 season. You can weigh in on this topic in the comments section below. Signed to a newsix-year contract, Hughes will be a significant contributor to the Canucks' offensive punch. They've since moved up to become the Blueshirts' top defensive pairing. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Welcome to NHL.com, the official site of the National Hockey League, Bienvenue LNH.com , le site officiel de la Ligue nationale de hockey, Tervetuloa NHL:n viralliselle nettisivustolle NHL.comiin, Vlkommen till NHL.com, NHL:s officiella web-sida, Vtejte na NHL.com, oficilnch strnkch National Hockey League, Vitajte na NHL.com, oficilnych strnkach National Hockey League, Willkommen auf NHL.com, der offiziellen Seite der National Hockey League, Bienvenido a NHL.com, el sitio oficial de la National Hockey League. With his team off to stumbling start to this season, New York Islanders head coach Barry Trotz separated his top defensive pairing of Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock by moving the latter to the second pairing to skate alongside Zdeno Chara. Zdeno Chara's departure last winter via free agency left the Bruins without a regular defense partner for rising star Charlie McAvoy. After Jamie Oleksiak's offseason departure to the Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft, he also leads them in hits over that period with 134. A model of consistency, the 6'3", 215-pound Carlson has reached or exceeded 32 points in 10 of his 12 NHL seasons. Others, like the Colorado Avalanche's Cale Makar, excel on the attack. This perk will increase the player's Def. Player stats (accurate as of Oct. 29) viaNHL.com. Part of the New York Rangers' recent rebuilding process, Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox have been together since their first full seasons in 2019-20. The 29-year-old became the Dallas Stars' highest-scoring blueliner over the, with 327 career points and is ninth overall among. His stats with the Predators over the past five seasons back this up. Cale Makar zooms onto the list with his 94 in agility and 93 in acceleration and speed, making him the fastest defenseman by speed score. The 6'2", 215-pounder logged a team-leading 22:26 of ice time per game last season, finishing second in blocked shots with 106 and fifth with 97 hits. One of the aspects of his game that doesn't get enough attention: That the Lightning have been able to play him with anyone and still Hedman excels. Paired together since 2019-20, they've swiftly emerged among the league's best blue-line tandems. Winner of the James Norris Memorial Trophy in 2019-20, Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi is among the NHL's best defensemen. among Canucks regular-season scorers and third with 16 points in postseason scoring. He should remain among the league's high-scoring defensemen while skating with superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. If you want to still be able to bang some bodies, but not sacrifice a ton of speed/athleticism. Despite missing time because of injuries throughout his career, the 34-year-oldsits sixthin pointsamong NHL blueliners since his debut, with 582 in 853 games. Where he could use improvement are his senses and puck skills. 4 platypus_bear CGY - NHL 2 yr. ago The players chosen for this list are all 21 and younger and chosen based on the grade in potential. He has good senses with a 94 in offensive awareness, 91 in defensive awareness, and 90 in poise. Traits come in versions one or two and will decrease other attributes depending on which version is chosen. Kucherov is in rather that Pastrnak as Kucherov has a higher overall rating, but both are fine as they have the same speed score. NHL In just two seasons, Adam Fox has joined the ranks of the NHL's elite defensemen. He netted 33 points during his 2018-19 NHL debut, 35 points 68 games as a sophomore and 27 points in 55 games last season. Dmitry Orlov, BOS (NEW)30. Pairing Ellis with Provorov should give the Flyers one of this season's top defensive duos. If Smid continues to improve, and young defenseman Justin Schultz makes an impact in his first NHL season, the Oilers' defense will take great strides in 2012-13. Instead, his speed is lower at 92 while his agility is higher at 94, with acceleration at 93. (0.93) ranked second among defensemen with at least 100 games played. Truth be told: The two guys in the top spots are really in a 1A Awareness boost also helps the user pick up loose pucks after a blocked shot. WebAt Odds Shark, we rank the best defensive teams in the NHL in several important handicapping categories. The 25-year-old had 22 points in 35 games in 2020-21 before suffering a season-ending leg injury. 10 Best Perks For Defensemen In NHL 21 - ScreenRant Winner of the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2014-15, the 6'4", 215-pound Ekblad sits fourth among Panthers scorers in points (241) since his NHL debut.