Ranking NHL Teams By Defensemen

• Ranking NHL Teams by Forwards
• Ranking NHL Teams By Goaltenders

---

In this piece, I’ll be ranking all 32 teams by their defensemen in terms of overall impact. So, this won’t be based on pure defense or pure offense. Projection will also be a factor, i.e., a player is aging and showing signs of decline.

To create an even playing field, all defensive pairings will be courtesy of Daily Faceoff.

32. Vancouver Canucks

First Pair: Zeev Buium, Filip Hronek

Second Pair: Jamie Oleksiak, Tom Willander

Third Pair: Elias Pettersson, Luke Schenn

Even with the additions of Jamie Oleksiak and Luke Schenn in free agency, the Vancouver Canucks have the worst on-paper defense in the NHL. Zeev Buium should have a bright future, but he hasn’t proven he can handle top-four minutes. Filip Hronek is legitimately good, but not No. 1 defenseman good.

While the ceiling here isn’t particularly high, the young guys can get Vancouver out of 32^nd place.

31. Calgary Flames

First Pair: Kevin Bahl, Zach Whitecloud

Second Pair: Jacob Middleton, Šimon Nemec

Third Pair: Yan Kuznetsov, Zayne Parekh

The Calgary Flames are arguably deeper than the Canucks are, but there isn’t a Hronek-type player to eat minutes. This group is a mix of decent to above-average bottom-pairing defenders and some young guys who could have a top-four-caliber impact.

Keep an eye on Šimon Nemec and Zayne Parekh, who are both breakout candidates. The former struggled to find his game with the New Jersey Devils, and the latter missed time in a rookie campaign that many felt had the potential to culminate with some Calder Trophy votes.

30. San Jose Sharks 

First Pair: Sam Dickinson, Jacob Trouba

Second Pair: Darnell Nurse, Dmitry Orlov

Third Pair: Luca Cagnoni, Michael Kesselring

The San Jose Sharks were down there with the Canucks last season, and they have been one of the worst defenses for a while, but the additions of Michael Kesselring, Darnell Nurse, and Jacob Trouba, to a lesser extent, should be net positives.

A lot will be weighing on the shoulders of Sam Dickinson, who showed promise as a prospect and could take on a greater role in his sophomore campaign. Luca Cagnoni, another young defender, is a breakout contender.

29. Chicago Blackhawks

First Pair: Alex Vlasic, Bowen Byram

Second Pair: Wyatt Kaiser, Artyom Levshunov

Third Pair: Ian Cole, Sam Rinzel

The Chicago Blackhawks surrendered far too many scoring chances last season, but there’s reason to believe that this new defensive unit can be better. For starters, having Bowen Byram as a No. 1 should help. A pairing of him and Alex Vlasic isn’t too shabby on paper.

Further down the lineup, Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel can realistically only improve upon their previous campaigns. You can do much worse than Wyatt Kaiser on the second pairing, and Ian Cole is a veteran depth presence.

28. Nashville Predators

First Pair: Roman Josi, Brady Skjei

Second Pair: Nicolas Hague, Nick Perbix

Third Pair: Adam Wilsby, Ilya Lyubushkin

For the most part, the Nashville Predators have an older, uninspiring group of defensemen. Roman Josi’s offensive game hasn’t vanished, but the defense did last season, and Brady Skjei has been a regrettable signing for the Predators to this point. So has Nick Perbix. Nicolas Hague was a decent addition last summer, though.

27. Anaheim Ducks

First Pair: Jackson LaCombe, Tristan Luneau

Second Pair: Pavel Mintyukov, Ian Moore

Third Pair: Tyson Hinds, Nick Jensen

Jackson LaCombe is unmistakably fantastic, and a talented Pavel Mintyukov has continued to improve his game. Beyond those two, there are plenty of question marks.

Tyson Hinds, Tristan Luneau, and Ian Moore are a young, unproven trio. Nick Jensen, who was signed in free agency, is not the player he used to be. LaCombe can only do so much heavy lifting, so the Anaheim Ducks find themselves 27^th on the list.

26. Seattle Kraken

First Pair: Vince Dunn, Adam Larsson

Second Pair: Ryker Evans, Brandon Montour

Third Pair: Ryan Lindgren, Cale Fleury

There’s help coming, with 2026 seventh-overall pick Chase Reid in the pipeline, but the Seattle Kraken have a subpar defensive corps for now. Vince Dunn is a respectable No. 1, and Brandon Montour is in the same tier. After those two, this unit starts to get dicey.

Adam Larsson is fine, and Ryker Evans is a little better, but Ryan Lindgren and Cale Fleury are arguably sub-NHL caliber.

25. Detroit Red Wings 

First Pair: Simon Edvinsson, Moritz Seider

Second Pair: Ben Chiarot, Justin Faulk

Third Pair: Albert Johansson, Axel Sandin-Pellikka

Moritz Seider was a deserving contender for the Norris Trophy last season. After him, this defense starts to get shaky. Simon Edvinsson certainly has the potential to be a good top-four defender, but he wasn’t that in 2025-26. Ben Chiarot and Justin Faulk might be the worst second pairing in the league, unfortunately, and Albert Johansson and Axel Sandin-Pellikka are unproven to this point.

24. New Jersey Devils 

First Pair: Jonas Siegenthaler, Dougie Hamilton

Second Pair: Luke Hughes, Brett Pesce

Third Pair: Brenden Dillon, Johnathan Kovacevic

For now, the New Jersey Devils are running back the same defensive group as last season, only healthier. Dougie Hamilton is a true top-pairing defender, and Luke Hughes should make progress toward being a reliable No. 3. As for the rest of the defense—consisting of all veterans—it might need some work. Brenden Dillon, Johnathan Kovacevic, Brett Pesce, and Jonas Siegenthaler have all shown top-four ability before, but those days might be gone.

23. St. Louis Blues

First Pair: Philip Broberg, Logan Mailloux

Second Pair: Theo Lindstein, Colton Parayko

Third Pair: Cam Fowler, Brandon Carlo

The depth here is obviously somewhat concerning, with Logan Mailloux performing poorly in his NHL action, Theo Lindstein not having much experience, and Brandon Carlo coming off arguably his worst season, but there is room for optimism. Philip Broberg and Colton Parayko are capable of carrying the load, and Cam Fowler isn’t a bad No. 3 option.

22. New York Islanders

First Pair: Matthew Schaefer, Ryan Pulock

Second Pair: Adam Pelech, Scott Mayfield

Third Pair: Alexander Romanov, Tony DeAngelo

The New York Islanders are an interesting one. At 18 years of age, Matthew Schaefer is already an elite No. 1 defender. Adam Pelech will be 32 years old when the new season starts, but his 2025-26 performance was arguably the best of his career. But after those two, you start to get into serious liability territory in the depth chart.

New York allowed the eighth-fewest goals in the league last season, but that’s more of a testament to how good Ilya Sorokin was between the pipes—the team, overall, was below-average in chance-prevention.

21. Toronto Maple Leafs

First Pair: Jake McCabe, Darren Raddysh

Second Pair: Morgan Rielly, Chris Tanev

Third Pair: Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Emil Andrae

The Toronto Maple Leafs should be noticeably better on the blue line this season. Darren Raddysh was a flashy addition, and Emil Andrae has done relatively well in a depth role. A healthy Chris Tanev would do wonders, and the offensive ability of Morgan Rielly makes him key for this team, despite trade rumors during the summer.

Toronto’s defense is fairly well-rounded, so getting back to the playoffs after a disastrous 2025-26 campaign is in the cards.

20. Los Angeles Kings

First Pair: Mikey Anderson, Drew Doughty

Second Pair: Joel Edmundson, Brandt Clarke

Third Pair: Brian Dumoulin, Cody Ceci

The Los Angeles Kings prevent chances, but their defense is probably about average. Brandt Clarke took some serious steps last season, though, showing No. 1 upside. Drew Doughty is effective even at his age, so that’s a plus. Mikey Anderson, Cody Ceci, Brian Dumoulin, and Joel Edmundson aren’t exactly the best way to use $16.5 million in cap space, but they’re passable.

19. Boston Bruins

First Pair: Mason Lohrei, Charlie McAvoy

Second Pair: Hampus Lindholm, Will Borgen

Third Pair: Nikita Zadorov, Henri Jokiharju

The Boston Bruins have some juice on their back end, led by Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy. They’re not dominating to the extent that they were at their peaks, but don’t get it twisted: they are more than capable top-pairing guys. Plus, Nikita Zadorov is a solid enough No. 3.

Mason Lohrei is running out of chances to prove he is a quality defenseman, entering his age-26 campaign. Will Borgen wasn’t the best acquisition over the summer, but Henri Jokiharju was a strong one at the 2025 trade deadline.

18. Washington Capitals

First Pair: Jakob Chychrun, Matt Roy

Second Pair: Martin Fehérváry, Vincent Desharnais

Third Pair: Cole Hutson, Timothy Liljegren

The Washington Capitals were tricky to rank. They’d be higher if not for Rasmus Sandin’s injury, but that’s not the only thing worth keeping an eye on. While Jakob Chychrun has been a well-known name for some time, he was on another level last season—the sustainability there is questionable. Also, rookie Cole Hutson will need to be one of the better defenders on this team.

With Sandin out, the depth isn’t spectacular, but there’s enough here to hold down the fort. Free-agent signing Vincent Desharnais had strong defensive results at 5-on-5 last season, and Matt Roy has always been known for that aspect of his game.

17. Pittsburgh Penguins

First Pair: Trevor van Riemsdyk, Erik Karlsson

Second Pair: Samuel Girard, Kris Letang

Third Pair: Ryan Graves, Kaeden Korczak

The Pittsburgh Penguins look worse on paper than they should be in practice. Even at 36 years old, Erik Karlsson can carry a defense, helping drive some offense from the back end. Getting Kaeden Korczak and Trevor van Riemsdyk this offseason should improve depth, and a second pairing of Samuel Girard and Kris Letang is better than the eye test says at times. Ryan Graves is a legitimate weak point, though.

16. Florida Panthers

First Pair: Gustav Forsling, Aaron Ekblad

Second Pair: Niko Mikkola, Seth Jones

Third Pair: Dmitry Kulikov, Radko Gudas

The Florida Panthers probably have the best forward group in the league, but their defense is average. Gustav Forsling and Seth Jones played well last season when healthy, and Niko Mikkola’s shutdown ability is huge for this lineup.

But age may be starting to show for Aaron Ekblad, and a bottom pair of Dmitry Kulikov and Radko Gudas is old and bad.

15. Winnipeg Jets

First Pair: Josh Morrissey, Dylan DeMelo

Second Pair: Dylan Samberg, Neal Pionk

Third Pair: Mario Ferraro, Elias Salomonsson

The Winnipeg Jets had their issues last season, but their defense shouldn’t be one of them in 2026-27. A left side of Josh Morrissey, Dylan Samberg, and Mario Ferraro is strong, and Neal Pionk is a bounce-back candidate on the right. The only concern is Elias Salomonsson’s health, as he might be out at the start of the season.

14. Tampa Bay Lightning

First Pair: J.J. Moser, John Carlson

Second Pair: Victor Hedman, Charle-Édouard D’Astous

Third Pair: Ryan McDonagh, Erik Černák

The Tampa Bay Lightning’s forwards do a sensational job in their own end, so as an overall team, the Lightning should be higher. Their defense alone is a tier below, but it’s not a bad unit. There should be some age concerns here, between John Carlson, Erik Černák, Victor Hedman, and Ryan McDonagh, but that’s a decent group.

J.J. Moser is the headliner at this point, and he broke out last season. As for Charle-Édouard D’Astous, Tampa Bay has a habit of finding unknown minor-leaguers and having them become capable NHL regulars—he’s another one of those types.

13. Philadelphia Flyers

First Pair: Travis Sanheim, Rasmus Ristolainen

Second Pair: Cam York, Jamie Drysdale

Third Pair: Nick Seeler, David Jiříček

Like a few teams on this list, the Philadelphia Flyers are well-rounded—there’s no weakness in the top four. Travis Sanheim has evolved into a true No. 1 defender, and Rasmus Ristolainen is great when healthy. Cam York and Jamie Drysdale are in their primes and are probably more likely to improve than regress, so even if Ristolainen misses time, the Flyers should be fine.

Nick Seeler is an underrated bottom-pairing guy, but the area of slight concern comes after him. David Jiříček needs to be better to secure a full-time NHL role, and Simon Benoit, who is likely to suit up for games, was a liability in Toronto. Oliver Bonk may end up winning a spot, but it remains to be seen what he can provide.

12. Utah Mammoth

First Pair: Mikhail Sergachev, MacKenzie Weegar

Second Pair: Nate Schmidt, John Marino

Third Pair: Dmitri Simashev, Andrew Peeke

The No. 12 spot might be a conservative estimate for what these players can do. Unfortunately, analytical darling MacKenzie Weegar had his first bad season in a while, and at 32 years old, that may not have been a fluke. But John Marino, Nate Schmidt, and Mikhail Sergachev round out the top four nicely, and Dmitri Simashev has breakout upside. Andrew Peeke, added in the summer, is better than most bottom-pairing defensemen.

11. Edmonton Oilers

First Pair: Mattias Ekholm, Evan Bouchard

Second Pair: Jake Walman, Connor Murphy

Third Pair: Ryan Shea, Shakir Mukhamadullin

The Edmonton Oilers did a good job this summer to replace Darnell Nurse’s bloated $9.25 million cap hit with Ryan Shea and Shakir Mukhamadullin, who are set to make half of that amount.

Edmonton could be higher in practice than this list has them if Jake Walman can bounce back and Mattias Ekholm maintains his form—he’s 36 years old, so regression has to come eventually. Evan Bouchard is the driver, and he was great in 2025-26, while trade deadline acquisition Connor Murphy should provide a boost to the second pairing.

10. Vegas Golden Knights

First Pair: Brayden McNabb, Shea Theodore

Second Pair: Noah Hanifin, Rasmus Andersson

Third Pair: Parker Wotherspoon, Jérémy Lauzon

The Vegas Golden Knights play a strong shutdown game, and that should continue in 2026-27. Shea Theodore missed time last season, but it was good to see him reach the 70-game mark for the first time since 2021-22—he’s very important to this team. A healthier campaign for Brayden McNabb would also help, as he grades out nicely at 5-on-5.

Noah Hanifin can function as a No. 1 if necessary, and while Rasmus Andersson’s impact really hasn’t been all that great recently, he moves the puck well. Parker Wotherspoon and Jérémy Lauzon can be a defensively sound bottom pair.

9. New York Rangers

First Pair: Vladislav Gavrikov, Adam Fox

Second Pair: Marcus Pettersson, Sean Durzi

Third Pair: Matthew Robertson, Braden Schneider

The New York Rangers added Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi to their blue line this summer, which should be a huge upgrade. Getting Adam Fox for a full 84 games would be great, as the team went 8-16-3 when he was out of the lineup. When he played, it was 26-23-6.

There’s a big drop-off from there, though. Vladislav Gavrikov really struggled in his debut season with the Rangers, and Matthew Robertson and Braden Schneider were out-chanced and outscored when they were on the ice (but they were fine together, interestingly enough).

8. Carolina Hurricanes

First Pair: Jaccob Slavin, Jalen Chatfield

Second Pair: K’Andre Miller, Sean Walker

Third Pair: Shayne Gostisbehere, Alexander Nikishin

Like Tampa Bay, the Carolina Hurricanes are an elite chance-prevention team, but their forwards deserve credit for that, too. Isolating the defense, they still have a high-end group.

K’Andre Miller and Sean Walker formed the best pairing in last year’s playoffs, combining for a 65.4% goal share and a 58.0% expected goal share. Jaccob Slavin continues to grade out well on the defensive side, and Shayne Gostisbehere functions well as a No. 4-5 defender. Finally, Alexander Nikishin has more to give, and Jalen Chatfield is due for positive regression.

7. Montreal Canadiens

First Pair: Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson

Second Pair: Jayden Struble, Lane Hutson

Third Pair: Kaiden Guhle, Alexandre Carrier

The Montreal Canadiens have a talented defensive unit that helped drive their success in 2025-26. At 22 years old, Lane Hutson is already one of the best blueliners in the NHL, and Noah Dobson plays a top-pairing role admirably. Kaiden Guhle and Alexandre Carrier have formed some nice chemistry, becoming a reliable duo at 5-on-5.

But Mike Matheson, despite consistently averaging over 24 minutes a night under head coach Martin St. Louis, is not worthy of them. An ice-time reduction last season was a good sign, but he can’t be the most-used defenseman on the team again. Jayden Struble is serviceable, but he probably shouldn’t be Hutson’s full-time defensive partner.

6. Minnesota Wild

First Pair: Quinn Hughes, Brock Faber

Second Pair: Jonas Brodin, Jared Spurgeon

Third Pair: Olli Määttä, Zach Bogosian

The Minnesota Wild’s acquisition of Quinn Hughes was essential. They have one of the most electric top pairings in the league between him and Brock Faber, as both players are dangerous offensive threats.

Captain Jared Spurgeon is past the days of his elite 5-on-5 impact, but he’s still a net positive on the second pairing. There are similar concerns with Jonas Brodin as he enters his age-33 campaign, especially regarding his health—he has missed 20 games in each of his last four seasons. Fortunately, Olli Määttä can play higher in the lineup, if needed.

5. Buffalo Sabres

First Pair: Mattias Samuelsson, Rasmus Dahlin

Second Pair: Owen Power, Louis Crevier

Third Pair: Olen Zellweger, Conor Timmins

Although it made their 2026-27 defensive group worse, trading Byram was a necessary sacrifice for the Buffalo Sabres. Acquiring the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, used on Daxon Rudolph, and Louis Crevier, this unit is projected to be in a better spot long-term. As for today, it’s still excellent.

Olen Zellweger was added in the summer as well, a highly talented 22-year-old with tons of upside. The same can be said for this entire lineup—it’s young and has room to build on last season.

4. Dallas Stars

First Pair: Esa Lindell, Miro Heiskanen

Second Pair: Thomas Harley, Nils Lundkvist

Third Pair: Lian Bichsel, Tyler Myers

If it weren’t for Tyler Myers, the Dallas Stars would be even higher. They have one of the best pairings in the league with Esa Lindell and Miro Heiskanen, boasting terrific chance-prevention metrics. Thomas Harley and Nils Lundkvist are about as good as it gets for a second pairing, and Lian Bichsel had impressive impacts for a 21-year-old.

3. Ottawa Senators

First Pair: Jake Sanderson, Artem Zub

Second Pair: Thomas Chabot, Jordan Spence

Third Pair: Tyler Kleven, Carter Yakemchuk

When healthy, this is one of the most dominant units in the league. Jake Sanderson has established himself as a reliable No. 1 defender, coupling high-end skating with elite play at both ends of the ice. Artem Zub is great in his own zone, making him a good complementary player. Thomas Chabot and Jordan Spence both had a top-pairing-caliber impact last season, giving Ottawa what is arguably the best one-two-three punch in the NHL.

Carter Yakemchuk is a question mark on the bottom pairing, seeing as he’ll be just 21 years old when the new campaign starts, but he’s been promising in the pros already. This could be a breakout season for him.

2. Columbus Blue Jackets 

First Pair: Zach Werenski, Damon Severson

Second Pair: Ivan Provorov, Denton Mateychuk

Third Pair: Jake Christiansen, Dante Fabbro

The Columbus Blue Jackets deserve a lot more credit for how well-rounded their blue line is. Zach Werenski is the obvious headliner, coming off a Norris Trophy win, but Damon Severson was exceptional in his own right. On the second pairing, Denton Mateychuk really blossomed last season, while Ivan Provorov improved. Dante Fabbro rounds out this group nicely.

1. Colorado Avalanche

First Pair: Devon Toews, Cale Makar

Second Pair: Brett Kulak, Sam Malinski

Third Pair: Josh Manson, Brent Burns

Cale Makar does a ton of heavy lifting for a potent Colorado Avalanche team, from retrievals to setting up chances in the offensive zone. His partner in crime, Devon Toews, has maintained solid impacts even in his 30s. Sam Malinski was otherworldly in 2025-26, and Josh Manson and Brent Burns are also strong players. The only real weak point is Brett Kulak, whose age might be starting to show—he is in dire need of a bounce-back.

Do you agree with these rankings? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section!

Stats courtesy of Evolving-Hockey, Hockey Stats, and HockeyViz