A common phrase heard around the NHL is that a team has a “top-five defense” or “one of the best forward units in the league” or a team’s goaltending duo would be taken over any other in the league. An elite unit can not only dominate the competition but carry a team throughout the season and even to the Stanley Cup.
Related: NHL Power Rankings Based On Positional Rankings
This offseason, Ryan Gagne of The Hockey Writers ranked the best forwards, defense, and goaltending units in the NHL. The question is, which units are the best in the league regardless of position? It’s hard to compare different positions but some groups stand out and have been the reasons their teams have been successful in recent seasons. So, let’s dive into the 10 best position groups in the NHL.
10. Ottawa Senators Forwards
The Ottawa Senators have stumbled to start this season but their offense has been dominant, averaging 3.80 goals per game. They’ve gotten a boost from the blue line with Thomas Chabot playing a big role and Jakob Chychrun, who they acquired at the 2023 Trade Deadline, creating scoring chances from the point but they’ve been led by a remarkable forward unit.
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Tim Stutzle, Brady Tkachuk, and Joshua Norris are the young skaters leading the group and they are entering the prime of their careers. Norris is slowly returning to form after missing last season with an upper-body injury but is emerging as a top-six center who has an instinct for finding the back of the net, something he did 35 times in 2021-22. Tkachuk and Stutzle meanwhile are the two top-line wingers who have both proven they are elite but more importantly, versatile skaters who can adapt and beat a defense in a variety of ways. To round out the top six, in particular, Claude Giroux and Vladimir Tarasenko are the two veterans who were acquired in recent offseasons.
The forward depth, or lack of it, is a question mark and something that will hold the Senators back throughout the season. Trading Alex DeBrincat this offseason, a move that became necessary with his contract holdout, had a trickle-down effect as they lost an elite top-six forward. Additionally, Shane Pinto, a middle-six center, won’t play until at least January with his suspension. While Ridly Greig, a 21-year-old center, has stepped up in Pinto’s absence, the bottom six is a significant drop-off and prevents the forward unit from being arguably the best in the league.
That said, the Senators have a forward unit that can lead them back to playoffs. They have multiple potent scoring lines that can overwhelm defenses and allow them to run up the score. The Senators haven’t made the playoffs since 2017 but they have the forwards in place to propel them back into contention.
9. Dallas Stars Goaltending
This might be one of the most underrated and least talked about elite units in the league. The Dallas Stars have been one of the best teams in the NHL in recent seasons, reaching the Western Conference Final last season and starting out this season as one of the top teams in the Central Division. They’ve played great across the board and have a great offense and defense, but their goaltending has separated them from the pack.
Jake Oettinger has established himself as one of the best goaltenders in the game. He finished in fifth place in Vezina Trophy voting last season and at 25 years old, he looks to dominate in the Stars’ net for years to come. He’s never had a save percentage (SV%) below .911 or a goals-against average (GAA) above 2.53 in his career. This season, he has a .938 SV% and a 1.97 GAA with 7.4 goals saved above average (GSAA), making him a frontrunner for the Vezina.
Oettinger starts the majority of the games for the Stars and is a goaltender they can rely on for 60 or more games in a season. However, the Stars still need a reliable backup for the handful of games he doesn’t start. They have one in Scott Wedgewood who has provided stability in each of the past two seasons. The duo of Oettinger and Wedgewood carry the Stars and make them one of the teams to beat in the Western Conference.
8. Buffalo Sabres Forwards
Last season, the Buffalo Sabres had arguably the most dominant forward unit in the NHL. The offense averaged 3.57 goals per game, and they were an explosive group capable of running up the score against any opponent. The same group returns this season and looks to pick up where they left off — only this time, allowing the Sabres to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2011.
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Tage Thompson has emerged as one of the best forwards in the NHL. He’s a bigger-bodied skater at 6-foot-6 and weighing 220 pounds, but his acceleration and quick shot allowed him to 85 goals and 77 assists in the past two seasons combined. Last season, he put himself on the map with a five-goal performance against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Dec. 7, and the league saw firsthand how he could take over games as a scorer.
Along with Thompson, Alex Tuch, Dylan Cozens, and Jeff Skinner are three well-rounded forwards who both create scoring opportunities and find the back of the net in the top six. Tuch was acquired in the Jack Eichel blockbuster trade during the 2021-22 season and he’s not only helped the Sabres on the ice, but has set the tone for the team as he hopes to bring a title to his hometown team. Cozens, meanwhile, has a lot of similarities to Thompson as a young forward who is continuing to improve and become one of the elite skaters in the league.
To add depth to the forward unit, the Sabres have multiple skaters capable of playing on the top six, but oftentimes play on the third or fourth line. Kyle Okposo, the captain who is playing in his eighth season with the team, plays a checking role and is one of their top penalty-killing forwards. Peyton Krebs, Tyson Jost, and Jordan Greenway are all 25 or younger but step up on the later lines and add a spark to the offense. The Sabres have a high-powered offense that can catapult them to the playoffs, and the forward group looks to make them a contender in the Eastern Conference.
7. New York Rangers Defense
Between a remarkable defense and elite goaltending, it’s hard to pick one unit that stands out for the New York Rangers. A lot of teams have this in common where they shut down opponents and it’s hard to pinpoint whether it’s the defense or the goaltender getting the job done. The Rangers have one of the best goaltending units in the game with Igor Shesterkin, who won the Vezina Trophy in 2022, leading the group. However, the unit is just Shesterkin and has otherwise seen a revolving door or backups who will only start a handful of games.
The defense is elite from the top down. Adam Fox is the two-way player leading the way as he not only creates turnovers but starts up the offense with outlet passes and quick plays from the point. Fox won the Norris Trophy in 2021 and is a perennial finalist for the award as one of the league’s best. To give the Rangers two great pairings, K’Andre Miller, Ryan Lindgren, and Jacob Trouba are the defense-first skaters who cut off angles to the net and eliminate opposing skaters in space. Trouba has also added a hard-hitting presence to the blue line as he’s delivered 731 hits since being acquired from the Winnipeg Jets in the 2019 offseason, and he makes the unit one that can win with speed but also physicality.
To prevent the defense from displaying any glaring weaknesses, the team added veteran Erik Gustafsson this offseason, who plays a minimal role on the second and third pairings. Likewise, Braden Schneider is one of the younger skaters on the Rangers, but he rounds out the defense and makes it one of the best in the league. The Rangers have gotten off to a hot start this season and even with Fox suffering a lower-body injury, they haven’t experienced much of a dropoff.
6. New York Islanders Goaltending
The New York Islanders don’t have a great roster with the core starting to decline with age. The goaltending is elite and the primary reason they made it to the playoffs as a wild card team last season. The offense was below league average and the defense battled injuries throughout the season, but the goaltending unit combined for 42 GSAA to carry the Islanders. The duo of Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov remains intact and will be the same for the foreseeable future with both players signing new contracts this offseason. Once again they look to lead the team to the playoffs.
Sorokin is a Vezina Trophy-caliber goaltender and could have taken home the award last season with a .924 SV% and a 2.34 GAA on 1,838 shots with 36.0 GSAA and six shutouts. He hasn’t looked sharp to start out the season, allowing four goals or more in four of his first seven starts, but the Oct. 17 shutout against the Arizona Coyotes has proved he can still shut down opponents on any given night.
Varlamov is 35 years old and his best years are behind him. However, he is playing at a high level and remains one of the best backups in the NHL. With two shutouts this season and a 7.1 GSAA, he’s looked like a starting-caliber goaltender, but instead he’s a backup with Sorokin starting the majority of the games.
The Islanders might not look like a Cup contender; something they were in 2020 and 2021 when they reached the Stanley Cup Semifinals. That said, they have a high floor because of their goaltending unit and they’ll be a playoff team as a result.
5. Colorado Avalanche Defense
The Colorado Avalanche are one of the teams where every unit they have is elite. Their goaltending has been excellent while their forward unit and defense are two of the best in the NHL. The forwards, while great, are top-heavy but the defense is elite from the top pair down to the third pairing.
Cale Makar is possibly the best defenseman in the NHL. He’s a great skater and paves the way for the modern-day NHL defenseman as he can limit opponents and close in on the fast-paced forwards with his speed, but also handle the puck up the ice and lead the rush. On top of that, his offensive skills make him one of the best playmakers regardless of position, and his ability to find the back of the net puts the offense over the top. Makar is a Norris Trophy finalist every season and in 2022, he won the award and the Conn Smythe trophy as he led the team to the Stanley Cup title.
On Makar’s pair, the Avalanche have Devon Toews who is also one of the best two-way defensemen in the league and has thrived since joining the team in the 2020 offseason. With 30 goals and 112 assists, he’s mostly made his mark offensively as a passer, finding teammates open on the rush in the offensive zone, but he’s been great on the defensive end of the ice as well. Since joining the Avalanche, he’s had 19.0 defensive point shares, 318 blocked shots, and 197 hits, proving he’s willing to play the dirty areas and put his body on the line to impact the defense.
To round out the defense, the Avalanche have Bowen Byram, a 22-year-old skater who is starting to become a regular on the roster. On the second and third pairing, they have Samuel Girard, Jack Johnson, and Josh Manson adding a veteran presence and stepping up most notably in the defensive zone. The Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022 on the backs of their defensive unit, which not only opened up the offense, but limited some of the best offenses in the league as well. The team once again looks like one of the best in the Western Conference and while the top six plays a big role in that, the defense is the reason why.
4. Los Angeles Kings Forwards
The Los Angeles Kings are the epitome of a late-night team that many hockey fans don’t stay up to watch. They play their home games at 10:30 Eastern Standard Time, so it’s easy for their great play to go unnoticed by the majority of hockey fans. However, they have one of the best forward units in the game with each line being a great one that can overpower a defense. The Kings average 4.27 goals per game and have done so on the backs of their forward group, which interestingly, has been built both through development and offseason acquisitions.
The Kevin Fiala addition has been the icing on the cake and paid off tenfold for a team that was looking to take the next step. The Kings acquired him in the 2022 offseason in a trade with the Minnesota Wild, and he’s been a point-per-game player with 24 goals and 60 assists in 80 games. Fiala has been a dynamic playmaker on the wing but the best attribute of the Kings’ forward unit is that there isn’t one player to point to as the one that’s carrying them but instead, it’s an entire group.
Phillip Danualt was signed to a six-year deal in the 2021 offseason and he’s not only been one of the best two-way centers in the league but a reliable top-six scorer with 48 goals and 64 assists since joining the team. Two teams traded Pierre-Luc Dubois before he settled down with the Kings on an eight-year contract but he’s a top-line center who, at 25 years old, is entering the prime of his career. The veteran holdovers Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe round out the top six and have been a constant presence in the offense for years.
Considering how aggressive the Kings have been in recent offseasons with hopes of building a contender, it’s easy to forget about the young skaters who are starting to make their impact on the NHL roster. Arthur Kaliyev and Quinton Byfield have started to see increased roles in the forward unit, averaging over 14:00 ice time, and both players have high ceilings to take the offense to the next level. The Kings already have a great forward unit, and by season’s end, it looks to be one that can allow them to make a run at the Cup.
3. Vegas Golden Knights Defense
Their playoff run last season showed just how good the defense is. Sure, Eichel stood out with six goals and 20 assists while Jonathan Marchessault scored 13 goals and 12 assists to win the Conn Smythe Trophy and lead the Vegas Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup title. That said, the defensive unit was the reason they went on a deep playoff run as it not only stepped up but allowed the team to win in a variety of ways.
Taking a step back, if a team was looking to build the ideal defensive unit, they’d look at the Golden Knights as the template. Alex Pietrangelo is the primary two-way player on the unit, but Shea Theodore has also stepped up as a playmaker, scoring a defense-leading three goals and nine assists this season and 12 assists in the playoffs. Alec Martinez and Brayden McNabb, meanwhile, are the shot-blocking, gap-sound defensemen who eliminate shooting lanes and make it difficult for opponents to find open shots or second-chance opportunities. Aside from Pietrangelo, none of the defensemen are regarded as star-caliber or even All-Star caliber, but they get the job done. On any other team, they would be a top-pair option.
The Golden Knights have great defensemen in their top two pairings, but they also have depth with multiple skaters stepping up this season and in previous seasons. Zach Whitecloud emerged as a middle-pair defenseman last season but with him out of the lineup with an injury, the team has turned to Kaedan Korczak and Brayden Pachal, two younger skaters, to fill his void. Completing the unit are Ben Hutton and Nicolas Hague, two defensemen who often play the third pair, but they’ve been able to step up and take on bigger roles when called upon.
Along with having the players that make the defense elite, the Golden Knights can adapt to their opponent, something that was on full display in the playoffs. Against the Edmonton Oilers in the second round, the unit needed to keep up with the speed and quick puck movement of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Against the Florida Panthers in the Final, they needed to match the physicality and strength of Matthew Tkachuk, one of the best power forwards in the game. The Golden Knights’ defense eliminated both offenses, which allowed them to win games by multiple goals. This season, they once again look like the best team in the Western Conference and it’s largely because their defense is continuing to play at a high level.
2. New Jersey Devils Forwards
Last season, this group took the league by surprise, helping lead an offense that averaged 3.52 goals per game and over the offseason, the unit got even better, notably with the Tyler Toffoli acquisition. The New Jersey Devils have a forward group where every line is tough to stop and it makes them one of the best teams in the NHL.
The offensive success is fueled by the young forwards Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Nico Hischier. Hughes is one of the best skaters in the league and when he’s given space, he can gash a defense on the rush or with a quick play towards the net. Making plays alongside him on the wing oftentimes is Bratt, who has scored 65 goals and 99 assists since the 2021-22 season and can also beat opponents with his speed. Hischier is the glue and not just because he centers a top line. He is one of the best two-way players in the league, scoring 111 goals and 177 assists in seven seasons with the team while contributing 8.9 defensive point shares.
Hughes and Hischier are both sidelined with upper-body injuries, but the forward unit has enough star power to compensate for both players being out of the lineup. The Devils added Timo Meier at the trade deadline last season and the top-six winger adds power to a fast-paced forward group. Likewise, Toffoli was brought in with the hopes of adding another scorer to the top six but also a player with Stanley Cup experience.
To add depth, and more importantly, a veteran presence to the youth-led forward unit, the Devils signed Ondrej Palat and acquired Erik Haula in the 2022 offseason. Palat has been underwhelming since joining the team with only eight goals and 11 assists but he’s battled injuries. Even in a minimal role, he still gets the job done for the Devils. The Haula trade, at the time, was criticized as they moved Pavel Zacha to acquire the veteran, but the move has paid off tenfold as he’s emerged as one of the best forwards on the team.
There are a lot of ways for a team to build a contender. The draft, prospect development, trades, and free agency create plenty of avenues for a rebuilding team to become a contender. The Devils turned their forward unit into one of the best using all four methods and their success provides a blueprint for other teams to copy.
1. Boston Bruins Goaltending
The Boston Bruins have an elite defense and one of the best units in the league. It pales in comparison to their goaltending which is in a league of its own. The duo of Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman took shape at the start of the 2021-22 season and since then, it’s been utterly dominant.
Ullmark won the Vezina Trophy last season with a .938 SV% and a 1.89 GAA on 1,457 shots with 48.5 GSAA. After struggling in six seasons with the Sabres, he was signed by the Bruins in the 2021 offseason and has seen his career take off since. He seemed like the odd choice to replace Tuukka Rask, one of the great goaltenders in franchise history, but early on, he’s not only replaced him but proven he can be one of the best goaltenders in the NHL. Moreover, Ullmark has proven that the Vezina Trophy season isn’t a fluke as he has a .926 SV% and a 2.30 GAA on 188 shots with a 3.9 GSAA.
Ullmark alone would make the Bruins’ goaltending one of the league’s best but Swayman has been more than just a backup. He’s a homegrown player and, since joining the NHL roster in 2020-21, he’s put together a .922 SV% and a 2.19 GAA with 39.5 GSAA. Swayman, unlike most backups, starts at least 30 or even 40 games in a season and he gives the Bruins a great one-two punch.
For the Bruins to win the Presidents’ Trophy the way they did last season, with a 65-12-5 record, which was the greatest in league history, it took a great roster. The forward and defensive units were great but the goaltending led the way. While the Bruins came up short in the playoffs, losing to the Panthers in the first round in a seven-game series, they look poised to once again compete for the Cup with their goaltending tandem leading the way.
Honorable Mentions
This list didn’t include any special teams units. The Devils and Rangers have two of the best power plays in the game, but the Tampa Bay Lightning have created a dynasty of the backs of their power play and remain competitive because of their ability to find the back of the net on the man advantage. With Victor Hedman operating from the point and Nikita Kucherov creating scoring chances from the wing, the unit is scoring on 30.56 percent of opportunities.
The Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs have forward units that could have made the list as well. However, both teams while possessing some of the league’s best forwards, have top-heavy units. McDavid, Draisaitl, Auston Matthews, and William Nylander are exceptional players but there’s a dropoff after the top six with both teams.
The Detroit Red Wings are off to a hot start and are one of the best teams in the Atlantic Division. They have a great forward unit and a great defense but neither unit is a top-10 one. If they make the playoffs and finish with one of the best records in the Eastern Conference, that will change.
What do you think of the rankings? Is there a position group you think deserves to be in the top 10? Let us know in the comments section below.
