From possessing a dominant forward unit to a shutdown defense, every team aspires to have a great position group if not multiple great ones. They can lead a team to the playoffs and possibly the Stanley Cup but few units in the league are good enough to do that.
Related: Ranking NHL Teams By Forwards
There are some great units around the league but which ones are the 10 best in the NHL? It’s hard to compare some positions to others with forwards, defensemen, and goaltenders all playing different roles on the roster, so this ranking is sure to leave some fans wondering how thier team was left off the list.
10) New Jersey Devils Forwards
Notable Players: Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Nico Hischier
Last season was an oddity for the New Jersey Devils, a season where a lot went wrong and they missed the playoffs because of it. The assumption is that this team will return to form and this forward unit particularly will be something special. Aside from being exciting, with fireworks waiting to happen on any shift, it will fuel one of the best offences in the NHL.
Jack Hughes is a highlight-reel waiting to happen as he can gash opponents on the rush or find the back of the net with a quick shot on the net. Jesper Bratt, meanwhile, is the ideal complementary skater to Hughes as a fast skater on the wing. Then there’s Nico Hischier, the two-way forward in the top six, and Timo Meier, the power forward on the wing.
The question about this group is whether they have the size and physicality to compete in the playoffs. That said, the Devils have some forecheckers on their third and fourth lines to round out the unit. They will be fun to watch this season and dominant, especially in the offensive zone and when they have space to operate.
9) Winnipeg Jets Goaltending
Notable Players: Connor Hellebuyck, Eric Comrie, and Kaapo Kahkonen
Goaltending around the league has declined and this unit is the only one that makes the list. It all starts with the best in the NHL and the reigning Vezina Trophy winner. Connor Hellebuyck is great and can take over games with dominant play in the net. Moreover, he can start more games than most goaltenders and face a greater workload, making him someone the Jets can lean on to be a great team.
The Jets have a great unit not just because of Hellebuyck, they have two reliable backups as well. Eric Comrie is back with the team he started his career with while Kaapo Kahkonen proved early on in his career that he can provide stability as a backup. Sure the two backups won’t start a lot of games, but they will keep the unit from falling off and make it the best in the NHL.
8) Carolina Hurricanes Defense
Notable Players: Jaccob Slavin, Brent Burns, and Shayne Gostisbehere
The Carolina Hurricanes lost a lot of elite talent this offseason. Brady Skjei signed with the Nashville Predators and Brett Pesce was acquired by the Devils. The expectation is for this unit to take a step back. However, the Hurricanes still have one of the best defenses in the NHL.
It starts with Jaccob Slavin, arguably the best stay-at-home defenseman in the league. He’s the player who leads the unit and makes the Hurricanes one of the best teams with his strong play on the defensive end and his ability to also add a spark on the offensive end of the ice. Throw in Brent Burns, who has somehow turned back the clock at 39 years old and continues to open up the offense at the point, and Shayne Gostisbehere and Dmitry Orlov to round out the unit, and it’s clear this defense is still a great one.
Sure, the Hurricanes don’t have a dominant defense like they used to. That said, it’s still one of the best in the NHL and will help them be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
7) Vancouver Canucks Defense
Notable Players: Quinn Hughes, Filip Hronek, and Tyler Myers
This defense is great and here to stay. The Canucks burst onto the scene last season with the best record in the Pacific Division. While a regression is possible, they looked poised to have one of the best defensive units in the NHL and it starts with a dominant top pair.
Quinn Hughes won the Norris Trophy last season when he rounded out his game to establish himself as one of the best defensemen in the NHL. He’s been a great playmaker since joining the NHL but is now also an elite scorer and remarkable in the defensive end of the ice. Then there’s Filip Hronek, who plays alongside Hughes; as a top two-way player, he gives the Canucks a great one-two punch on the blue line.
What makes the Canucks’ defense better than most is that they have the skaters in place to round out the unit. Tyler Myers, Carson Soucy, and offseason additions Derek Forbort and Vincent Desharnais will prevent the unit from falling apart and they also add a hard-hitting, shot-blocking presence to provide a different look compared to the speedy Hughes on the top pair.
6) Edmonton Oilers Forwards
Notable Players: Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Zach Hyman
There’s a good argument that the Edmonton Oilers have the best forward unit in the NHL and the most dominant unit in the league. The star power is overwhelming and the primary reason their offense and power play are consistently near the top of the league.
Connor McDavid is the best player in the NHL and has just about done everything in this league but win the Stanley Cup (and he singlehandedly willed the Oilers in the Final to get them one goal short of glory as well). Leon Draisaitl is also one of the best skaters in the league and his great play was rewarded this offseason with a lucrative contract. Zach Hyman made his mark both last season and during the playoff run as one of the top scorers.
So, why is this group not the best? The lack of depth is why. Sure, they have a lot of good skaters in the middle of the forward unit who have impressed recently but losing Ryan McLeod and Dylan Holloway this offseason won’t help the cause for a team where there’s a big drop in scoring after the top six. The Oilers have a great forward unit with elite talent at the top but it’s not the best in the league.
5) New York Rangers Defense
Notable Players: Adam Fox, K’Andre Miller, and Jacob Trouba
Despite all the rumors surrounding Jacob Trouba and whether he would be traded, the New York Rangers have kept their defense in tact and it remains one of the best in the NHL. It’s one of the reasons the Rangers won the Presidents’ Trophy last season and will once again be one of the teams to beat in the Eastern Conference.
Adam Fox is the Norris Trophy-caliber skater who both creates turnovers and sets up the offense while K’Andre Miller, Ryan Lindgren, and Jacob Trouba are the stay-at-home skaters who round out the unit. Erik Gustafsson was a pleasant surprise last season and he’s now on the Detroit Red Wings but this defense is still a special group.
4) Hurricanes Forwards
Notable Players: Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis, and Andrei Svechnikov
It’s crazy to think that the Hurricanes forward group is better than the defense. This is a team usually led by dominant defences with the offences being good but not great. That’s not the case this season.
The duo of Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis lead the way for the Hurricanes. They are two elite young skaters and only getting better, with Jarvis notably only 22 years old and just starting to hit his stride. The top six also has Andrei Svechnikov and Martin Necas creating scoring chances and burying shots in the offensive zone. It’s a tough one to stop.
On top of that, the Hurricanes have depth up front, and unlike most forward units, they can defend. Jordan Staal leads the way as a great defensive center but they have plenty of other skaters who can step up as well on the defensive end of the ice. All in all, it gives the Hurricanes a great forward unit that can lead them to the best record in the Eastern Conference.
3) Boston Bruins Defense
Notable Players: Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, and Brandon Carlo
One of the best defensive units in the NHL somehow enters this season looking better than before. The Boston Bruins already had three strong pairings and some prospects from the American Hockey League (AHL) on the way and then they added the cherry on top with a big signing.
That big signing is Nikita Zadorov. He’s a veteran who notably steps up in the defensive end of the ice, making him an ideal skater for a deep playoff run. He’ll go along perfectly with Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, and Brandon Carlo, a trio that steps up in both ends of the ice.
The Bruins are viewed as an aging team and one poised to take a step back, especially since (at the time of writing) they have no stability in the net. They traded Linus Ullmark in the offseason and have yet to sign Jeremy Swayman to a long-term contract. That said, the defensive unit is what will make the Bruins a great team this season.
2) Florida Panthers Forwards
Notable Players: Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, and Sam Reinhart
The Florida Panthers, in a lot of ways, have the ideal forward unit to win the Stanley Cup and it’s the reason they did last season. They can score, speed up the pace, slow things down, defend, forecheck, and do anything else needed to win which is vital for success in the playoffs.
Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk are the stars who embody that as they can do it all when they are on the ice. Barkov won the Selke Trophy and is the best two-way center in the game while Tkachuk is the power forward on the wing who is tough to prepare for. Then there’s Sam Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe, and Sam Bennett who have all stepped up as scorers on the top six.
What makes the Panthers group even better is that they have depth. Anton Lundell is a reliable middle-six center while Evan Rodrigues is a valuable scorer on a team-friendly contract. This forward unit is one of the reasons the Panthers look poised to dominate in the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference.
1) Dallas Stars Forwards
Notable Players: Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston, and Roope Hintz
Last season, the Dallas Stars had eight skaters score 20-plus goals. It’s hard seeing that happening again but it speaks volumes about their forward unit. It’s a great one from the top down with a lot of elite talent on the top six but also more than enough depth.
Jason Robertson is one of the best skaters in the game as he can both create scoring chances and find the back of the net himself. Wyatt Johnston is arguably the best young scorer in the league, scoring 32 goals last season and 10 in the playoffs. Roope Hintz, Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, and Matt Duchene are the veterans who are still playing at a high level. It gives the Stars a group with no shortage of offensive talent.
On top of that, their forward unit will only be better this season. How so? Mavrik Bourque is an elite prospect while Logan Stankoven, another great young forward, will be on the team from the start of the season. They will only add more firepower to an offence that has plenty of it.
The Stars look like a super team and it starts with the forward unit. Their general manager Jim Nill has built something special in recent seasons and it’s why this team could win the Stanley Cup.
Honorable Mentions
The Jets were the only team to have their goaltending unit on this list but if there was another team that had a strong case to have their goaltending make it, it would have been the New York Rangers. They have Igor Shesterkin, a world-class goaltender who is often in the Vezina discussion, and Jonathan Quick as a reliable veteran backup.
Speaking of the Jets, their defensive unit also has a strong case to make the list. Their goaltending leads the way but the defense can’t be overlooked with Josh Morrissey and a handful of Dylans (DeMelo and Samberg) anchoring the unit.
The Canucks’ defense made the list but their forward unit is also one of the best in the NHL. With Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, and Brock Boeser leading the way, and plenty of depth, it will once again be a tough group to stop.
There are a lot of great position groups in the NHL and a few are sure to surprise us and emerge as top units this season. It’s what makes the new season all the more exciting as there are sure to be a few new ones emerge.
