Defense wins championships. It’s a saying as old as hockey itself, but there is truth to this wisdom. A stout defense can both limit the opponent’s scoring chances while placing additional pressure on them in the offensive zone. When a defense is playing near perfection, it also helps ease some of the burdens on both the goaltender and forwards, which can turn the tide of a game or a playoff series.
It’s not easy to build an elite defense, of course. It can take years of drafting and developing defensemen before they eventually reach their full potential. Even then a team will still need to dip into free agency and the trade market to get enough talent to build a core of players capable of winning the Stanley Cup.
Related: The Best NHL Defensemen Ever
For the best defensive units in the NHL, it took years to assemble this talented core. However, these teams are now reaping the rewards of their hard work, and there’s a reason why all five of these teams will have an eye towards the Stanley Cup throughout the 2024-25 season.
5) Carolina Hurricanes
Jaccob Slavin – Brent Burns
Dmitri Orlov – Sean Walker
Shayne Gostisbehere – Jalen Chatfield
Ty Smith
ANALYSIS: In recent years, I’ve learned to never bet against the Carolina Hurricanes. Whenever they come up short of their ultimate goals, they double down (again) on what makes them great by going out and signing big names on defense during free agency.
When you start with a core of Slavin, Burns, Chatfield, and Orlov you automatically have four dominant (if not aging) offensive and defensive players to build around. By adding Walker and Gostisbehere this offseason, the Hurricanes have augmented this unit with a perfect mixture of defensive stability and an all-out offensive attack.
Even though this may not be their best defensive unit on paper compared to recent years, I think it might be their most balanced from top to bottom. They may lack a Norris-caliber player, but they do everything at an elite level and I find it hard to bet against their potential.
4) Colorado Avalanche
Devon Toews – Cale Makar
Samuel Girard – Josh Manson
Calvin de Haan – Sam Malinski
ANALYSIS:
There really isn’t much that needs to be said about the Colorado Avalanche’s defensive greatness. Makar is a generational player who is redefining what a modern defenseman can be and Toews is the perfect partner to let him be his best. Girard is an unsung hero who plays a smart defensive game while Manson rounds out this unit with needed grit. Finally, you can’t underrate a solid veteran like de Haan, who can step in and play 50-60 games if necessary.
Say what you will, but this is a special defensive corps that may soon be discussed as one of the all-time greats if they are all able to reach their potential this season. If not for injuries and terrible goaltending behind them, this unit could have even more dominant numbers. However, as they stand they’re still a unit you can’t sleep on, especially given the greatness in their top four.
3) L.A. Kings
Mikey Anderson – Vladislav Gavrikov
Joel Edmundson – Jordan Spence
Jacob Moveare – Brandt Clark
Drew Doughty (IR)
Despite being without their captain and aging defensive star Drew Doughty, the Kings still host one of the best defensive units this season. They may lack marquee names that jump off the page, but this unit comes together in a perfect way to limit their opponents when it matters most. Overall, the Kings give up the least goals per game, let up the fewest shots, and they simply stifle everything in front of their goaltenders, who are thriving because of it.
I know the Kings are one of those teams that are easy to underrate, as they have struggled in the postseason in recent years despite playing well in the regular season. Well, with a defense this strong, don’t be surprised if they make some real noise in 2025.
2) Winnipeg Jets
Josh Morrissey – Dylan DeMelo
Dylan Samberg – Neal Pionk
Logan Stanley – Dylan Coghlan
Colin Miller
When you’re discussing the top defensive units in the NHL, you can’t look past the Winnipeg Jets this season. This unit has been a surprising engine for the franchise, as they chip in countless points in the offensive zone while playing a sound structure in front of Connor Hellebuyck to limit chances.
This combines to give you a unit with the fourth highest-scoring defender in the NHL (Josh Morrissey), the third-fewest goals against, and a record-setting stretch of play to start the season.
1) Vegas Golden Knights
Noah Hanifin – Alex Pietrangelo
Brayden McNabb – Shea Theodore
Nicholas Hague – Zach Whitecloud
ANALYSIS:
En route to claiming the 2023 Stanley Cup, the Vegas Golden Knights showcased one of the most dominant defensive cores we’ve seen in recent memory. Led by Pietrangelo, the Golden Knights defense has so much talent in their top four alone that it stands amongst the best in the league. Theodore is a rising star who could be their best player in the coming years, Brayden McNabb is a franchise face that any team would want on their roster, and you can’t sleep on a veteran pairing like Hague and Whitecloud, who found a perfect spot with Vegas.
However, when you already have everything, all you can ask for is more. By acquiring Hanifin at the 2024 Trade Deadline, Vegas added another top-end defender to their wealth of talent which shored up one of the best defensive corps in the league.
This unit has been rock solid through the halfway point of the 2024-25 season, and their strong play is one of the reasons why Vegas remains near the top of the standings not just in their division but across the entire NHL.
The NHL Features Many Great Defenses
Whenever you create a ranked list like this, there will always be teams that are left off that just barely missed the cut. In terms of defense, a few teams to keep an eye on are the Dallas Stars, Vancouver Canucks, and the Washington Capitals as these franchises feature elite defensemen who could be in the Norris discussion by the end of the season along with incredible depth.
Plus, in the coming months, there will be those unexpected teams that find breakout candidates who shore up their blue line while pushing them into an elite unit. When that happens, they could make the case to earn a spot on this list and force one of the former top teams off it.
