NHL’s Top 10 Defensive Pairings for 2026-27

With the initial excitement of free agency gone and most of the offseason rumors beginning to die down, it’s a great time for player rankings.

Instead of ranking the 10 best defensemen in the league, a type of list you may have already seen this summer, what are the 10 best pairings entering the 2026-27 campaign? Here’s a (partially subjective) list.

Note: Wins above replacement (WAR) is a metric used to quantify impact. Read more about it here.

10. K’Andre Miller & Sean Walker, Carolina Hurricanes

Combined 2025-26 WAR: 1.94

Their regular-season metrics were solid enough, but the K’Andre Miller and Sean Walker pairing was excellent in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. By average and total ice time, Miller was the Carolina Hurricanes’ No. 1 defenseman during the postseason, guiding them to a championship. Walker, meanwhile, also took his play up a notch.

A 19-game sample shouldn’t be overrated, but it’s hard to deny them after the run they went on. Plus, their regular-season play, as mentioned, would’ve had them as a borderline contender for the list anyway.

9. Vladislav Gavrikov & Adam Fox, New York Rangers

Combined 2025-26 WAR: 3.81

When the New York Rangers signed Vladislav Gavrikov to a seven-year, $49 million contract last summer, the hope was that he’d pull his weight next to Adam Fox. But that didn’t happen—the 2025-26 campaign was a difficult one for the 30-year-old blueliner. With that said, however, he should be on bounce-back status, and even if not, Fox can carry the load.

Last season proved just how important Fox is to the Rangers’ defense. When he was on the ice at 5-on-5, the Rangers scored 45 goals and allowed just 34. When he was off the ice—which included a 27-game absence due to injury—the team was outscored 122-109. Improved health for him, regardless of what Gavrikov does, could lead to a playoff berth.

8. Jake Sanderson & Artem Zub, Ottawa Senators

Combined 2025-26 WAR: 3.70

This is another pairing where one player is doing most of the heavy lifting, but Artem Zub is fantastic in his own end. Combined with the two-way excellence of Jake Sanderson, the Ottawa Senators’ top defensive pairing gets the eighth spot on this list.

Sanderson missed some time later in the 2025-26 season, but he still ended up with 54 points and a plus-16 rating in 67 games. He has finished 10^th in Norris Trophy voting in each of the last two seasons, but the 24-year-old is a contender to win the whole thing if he can stay on the ice. Zub is a solid shutdown partner to have in that quest.

7. Mattias Ekholm & Evan Bouchard, Edmonton Oilers

Combined 2025-26 WAR: 5.11

Even entering his age-36 season, Mattias Ekholm still has a positive impact on the top pairing. Evan Bouchard, meanwhile, is coming off a sparkling campaign, recording 95 points in what was one of the best offensive defenseman seasons we’ve seen in a while.

The presence of Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid leads to this pairing getting overlooked at times, but Ekholm and Bouchard have formed something special. Perhaps Draisaitl and McDavid would already have a Stanley Cup if a pairing of this caliber existed earlier in their careers.

6. Devon Toews & Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche

Combined 2025-26 WAR: 3.04

This may seem a little low, especially since Cale Makar was just a Norris Trophy finalist, but I think we’ve seen better hockey from him in the recent past—a testament to how good he is. The same could be said for Devon Toews, but that’s natural for a 32-year-old. He, too, is still a quality top-pairing guy.

I know I just said the opposite with Ekholm and Bouchard, but I attribute more of the Toews and Makar pairing’s success to Nathan MacKinnon than usual. To quantify that claim, Ekholm and Bouchard had terrific numbers without Draisaitl and McDavid: 5-on-5 expected goal shares, goal shares, and shot shares in the 55% range. Toews and Makar, meanwhile, were in the 50% range without MacKinnon alone.

This section is more negative than I would like it to be, but it’s in an attempt to justify this placement. Obviously, Toews and Makar are an impeccable duo. That much doesn’t have to be said.

5. Mattias Samuelsson & Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres

Combined 2025-26 WAR: 3.93

It’s no secret that Rasmus Dahlin is among the best defensemen in the NHL. But the emergence of 26-year-old Mattias Samuelsson alongside him made for an unbelievable pairing. The Buffalo Sabres won 50 games en route to ending their long playoff drought, and this duo had a lot to do with it.

If Samuelsson can retain his 2025-26 impact, the Sabres should be back to contending for a Stanley Cup next spring (there’s little doubt that Dahlin will be great). With Bowen Byram out of the picture, there’s some pressure on him in that sense. But he should be able to run it back.

4. Esa Lindell & Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars

Combined 2025-26 WAR: 3.35

If there were an award for the NHL’s best defensive defenseman, Esa Lindell would have deserved to win it several times throughout his career. He was again incredible in 2025-26, as the Dallas Stars went from above average to dominant when he was on the ice at 5-on-5. Joined by Miro Heiskanen, who finished eighth in Norris Trophy voting, this pairing is very well-rounded.

Heiskanen recorded 63 points in 77 games, which stands out more, but Lindell’s defensive impact is also top-notch. These two are equals, and if anything, the latter was more impressive last season. Thus, a fourth-place spot is warranted.

3. Simon Edvinsson & Moritz Seider, Detroit Red Wings

Combined 2025-26 WAR: 3.92

Following a promising 2024-25 campaign, 23-year-old Simon Edvinsson was just okay this past season by top-pairing standards. Fortunately, Moritz Seider was so good that this duo comes in at third on the list regardless.

Seider probably should have, at the very least, come in second place for Norris Trophy voting last season. He had an MVP-caliber impact on both sides of the ice, nearly sending the Detroit Red Wings to the playoffs by himself. At 5-on-5, he outscored teams 71-57 (plus-14). When he was on the bench, the Red Wings were one of the worst teams in the NHL, outscored 112-71 (minus-41).

If Edvinsson can take a step in the right direction in 2026-27, this pairing could be a contender for the best in the league. By extension, the Red Wings could end their playoff drought—with or without Dylan Larkin.

2. Zach Werenski & Damon Severson, Columbus Blue Jackets

Combined 2025-26 WAR: 7.05

Zach Werenski won the Norris Trophy in the spring, and he unequivocally deserved it (over the other finalists, anyway). As good as he is, though, Damon Severson was quietly impactful. He had a great season in his own right.

It should be noted that Werenski spent 300 or more minutes at 5-on-5 with four different defensemen. He spent 393 minutes with Severson, and those were his best, putting up a whopping 68.4% expected goal share and a 59.5% goal share. The other combinations were well below those marks.

If Werenski-Severson is a full-time pairing in 2026-27, maybe the Columbus Blue Jackets can end their playoff drought. It would be a welcome surprise after the nightmarish rumor mill fans had to endure (from ‘Zach Werenski vetoes trade to Stars, open to landing with Maple Leafs or Lightning: Sources,’ The Athletic, June 30, 2026).

1. Quinn Hughes & Brock Faber, Minnesota Wild

Combined 2025-26 WAR: 5.77

The Quinn Hughes trade was a game-changer for the Minnesota Wild, emerging as the team’s best player by the numbers. He was a big help to Brock Faber, who had his best season to date.

In the past, Faber’s elite reputation was not justified by his actual play (he had serious defensive woes in 2024-25). But that changed last season, improving immensely at both ends of the ice. That wasn’t a Hughes thing, either—Faber got better on his own.

Shifting over to Hughes, the 2024 Norris Trophy winner found a new gear in Minnesota after an uncharacteristic—but still very good—26 games with the Vancouver Canucks. Suffice it to say, these two should be unstoppable in 2026-27.

Even for the best defensemen in the league, season-by-season results can be volatile. But the expectation should be for most of these pairings to excel.

Are there any other contenders that you think should have made the list? Feel free to leave a comment if so!

Advanced stats courtesy of Evolving-Hockey (not explicitly mentioned, but used to help compile this list), Hockey Stats