Ranking Every NHL Team's Best Defenseman Ahead of the 2025-26 Season
Everybody loves a good ranking, so let’s introduce a new one here by ranking the best defenseman on every NHL team.
It’s a simple concept: Take the best defenseman on each team, and then, among that group, rank them to discuss and argue about who is the best.
This is not necessarily an exact ranking of the best defensemen in the NHL because some teams might have more than one player worthy of being in that discussion. This list is simply limited to the best defender each team provides. Maybe you disagree with our choice for that player. Maybe you disagree with our ranking of that group.
Either way, here is what we came up with.
32. San Jose Sharks: Dmitry Orlov
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The Sharks are building a promising young team, but their defense is still light-years away from being good enough to contend.
You do not need to look further than Dmitry Orlov being the best defenseman. He’s a viable NHL defenseman who will chip in some offense in a sheltered role, but he is going to be miscast near the top of a lineup.
31. Chicago Blackhawks: Alex Vlasic
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When Vlasic got his first full season of hockey in the NHL during the 2023-24 season, he immediately emerged as a top defensive player. Not a top defensive player among young players or rookies, but simply a top defensive player.
And he was doing so while playing for a lousy team that had little defensive help around him. While his offense took a step forward in 2024-25, his defense regressed a little. He remains a key part of the Blackhawks’ future and is signed to a bargain contract.
30. New York Islanders: Adam Pelech
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Between the 2019 and 2021 seasons, the Islanders’ duo of Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock was one of the better defensive duos in the NHL. They played a massive role in helping the team reach two Eastern Conference Finals.
Pelech is never going to be a big-time offensive presence, and he scored zero goals in 2024-25, but he remains a very good defensive player. Now that Noah Dobson is in Montreal, he is going to have to take on a bigger role again as one of the Islanders’ top defenders.
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29. Philadelphia Flyers: Travis Sanheim
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The Flyers have been a much better defensive team than they may be given credit for over the past couple of years.
Goaltending issues have completely undermined all the strong defensive work the team has done, including the efforts of the players manning the defense. Sanheim has become the most reliable player in that group. He is not going to win a Norris Trophy anytime soon, and he might not be a true No. 1 defender on a Stanley Cup team, but he has a role as a top two-or three-defender on a good team.
28. Calgary Flames: Rasmus Andersson
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Andersson is not going to light up the scoreboard, but he is as rock-solid a defensive player as you will find in the NHL. He also has a pretty great contract for the remainder of this season, counting just $4.5 million against the salary cap.
The only question and concern for the Flames and their fans is how long he will remain in Calgary. He is a pending unrestricted free agent after this season and has been the subject of trade rumors over the past year.
27. St. Louis Blues: Cam Fowler
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The Blues finally made strides to rebuild their defense in 2024-25, and one of the most impactful in-season moves across the NHL was their trade for Cam Fowler.
He played some of the best hockey of his career after the trade and helped transform the Blues not only into a playoff team, but also back into a top-tier defensive team. The Blues' defense at this point is one where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and Fowler might not be a Norris-level defenseman, but he’s a fantastic addition.
26. Utah Mammoth: Mikhail Sergachev
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When the Arizona Coyotes relocated to Utah with new ownership and a new direction, they made an immediate attempt to upgrade the roster.
The defense was the first position that got that attention, with Sergachev being the biggest addition. He rewarded them with one of the best seasons of his career, which saw him score 15 goals with 53 points. You could certainly do worse than him as a No. 1 defender, but you could also probably do better if you want to be a serious contender.
25. New Jersey Devils: Dougie Hamilton
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Hamilton is one of the most underrated and underappreciated players of his era.
He has consistently been an outstanding point-producer, a dominant possession driver and a better defensive presence than he often gets credit for. He has not received anywhere near enough Norris Trophy love for the player he has been, because there have been times at his peak where he was arguably one of the best overall defenders in the league. The biggest knock on him the past couple of seasons has simply been injuries.
24. Anaheim Ducks: Jackson LaCombe
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Jackson LaCombe took a massive step forward for the Ducks in 2024-25 and not only became the team’s best overall defenseman, but he also became one of the best young, up-and-coming defenseman in the NHL.
He had a breakout year offensively that saw him score 14 goals to go with 29 assists (43 total points), while also posting strong underlying numbers. He was a massive bright spot on another rebuilding Ducks team that fell short of the playoffs again. Better days are ahead for the franchise, however, and LaCombe is a big part of that bright future.
23. Seattle Kraken: Vince Dunn
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The Kraken have not done many things right so far in their existence, but taking Dunn in the expansion draft was a strong move.
He has rewarded them with strong play as their top defenseman, averaging more than 10 goals and 40 points per 82 games with strong underlying numbers. The only thing that has held him back the past two years is that he has missed significant time due to injury. Even with that, he’s a very good top-pairing defenseman when healthy.
22. Toronto Maple Leafs: Morgan Rielly
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Rielly is one of the longest-tenured members of the Maple Leafs organization at this point and has been there through the rebuild, the playoff years and whatever is coming next for them.
He’s a good player, but like the rest of the Maple Leafs' core, he has struggled to help get the team over the hump in the playoffs. He’s probably best-suited as a No. 2 defenseman on a championship-level team as opposed to the go-to-guy.
21. Pittsburgh Penguins: Erik Karlsson
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Erik Karlsson’s time with the Penguins has been a bitter disappointment.
His arrival was supposed to keep their Stanley Cup window open for another year or two, but instead, all it did was help slam it shut. Offensively, Karlsson still has a lot of juice to his game. Defensively, his game has rapidly fallen off to the point where he has, at times, been a major liability in his zone and with turnovers.
He is probably best suited to be a No. 2, 3, or 4 now on a good team instead of the clear-cut No. 1 guy. Still a good player, but he needs to be used properly.
20. Minnesota Wild: Brock Faber
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Faber’s offense regressed during his second season in the NHL, dropping from 47 points to 29 points.
But while there was a definite slide in his offense, his defense took a big step forward as he took on an increased – and more important – role given the injuries Minnesota dealt with on defense all season. He’s already a good player. He’s only going to keep getting better.
19. Los Angeles Kings: Drew Doughty
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At his peak, Doughty was an elite defensive player and a top-five defenseman in the NHL every year. And then Father Time caught up to him and his play rapidly declined.
But in recent years, his career went through a renaissance of sorts and he again became an outstanding defensive player with enough offense to make an impact. The biggest thing that held him back in 2024-25 was injuries that limited him to just 30 games.
When healthy, he’s still a really good player, even if he’s not quite the elite player he was 10 years ago.
18. Montreal Canadiens: Noah Dobson
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There might be a time soon when Lane Hutson is regarded as the Canadiens’ best defenseman, and he probably would have been already this season, had it not been for the trade for Dobson.
Dobson’s offense took a big hit this past season, but the circumstances around him almost certainly played a big role in that. The Islanders’ forward group and system were not always conducive to big point totals. Montreal seems like it should be a much better fit for him in that regard.
17. Ottawa Senators: Jake Sanderson
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The Senators finally returned to the playoffs in 2024-25, and they have an outstanding core of talent at the top of their lineup that should keep them as a playoff contender.
Sanderson has rapidly emerged as one of the most important players in that group and is coming off a true breakout season offensively that saw him record 57 points. He is still only 23 years old and is just now starting to hit the prime of his career. He is going to be a cornerstone piece in Ottawa for a long time.
16. Washington Capitals: Jakob Chychrun
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Acquiring Chychrun was one of the many bold moves the Capitals made before the 2024-25 season, and it paid off in a big way as he scored 20 goals for the Capitals and averaged more than 21 minutes per game.
He is not a perfect player by any means, but there are not many defenders in the NHL who can put the puck in the net the way he can or as reliably. Getting him re-signed was also a big win for the Capitals' front office.
15. Florida Panthers: Gustav Forsling
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Aaron Ekblad is the biggest name on Florida’s defense and tends to get the most attention, but if we are talking about the team’s best overall defender, then Forsling has to get the nod.
His story is also incredible, and one of the many examples as to why the Panthers have become the best team in the NHL. They didn’t get him through a lopsided trade or because of the lack of state income tax in Florida. They got him on waivers and watched him blossom into a top-pairing player. He might not be one of the top-five or even top-10 defensemen in the league, but he is still a rock for a two-time Stanley Cup champion.
14. Detroit Red Wings: Moritz Seider
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If you look at Seider’s underlying metrics and advanced stats, he does not really stand out as a terribly effective defender.
But he is one of the examples of where the eye test still matters because he just has the look of a top-pairing defender. He is extremely durable (yet to miss a game in the NHL), has the type of size NHL general managers dream about for a defender, plays a physical game and has been remarkably consistent offensively.
The Red Wings just need to give him more help, both in terms of a steady partner and better second-and third-pairing defenders.
13. Nashville Predators: Roman Josi
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Josi is going into his age-35 season, but he still has it offensively – when healthy.
He was limited to just 53 games in 2024-25, but still topped 38 points in those games (a nearly 60-point pace over 82 games) and has been a Norris Trophy finalist in two of the past four seasons (runner-up both times).
He still has three years left on his contract at over $9 million per season and should be one of the few bright spots on a Predators team that doesn’t seem to know what it is, where it is going, where it should be going, or how it will get there.
12. Vegas Golden Knights: Shea Theodore
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Theodore is one of the original Golden Knights and one of the remaining in the organization.
From day one, he has been a standout player and helped anchor their blue line, and he is still bringing it now, even as he approaches his age-30 season. If he is healthy, you can easily pencil him in for 50 points and great possession-driving numbers every season.
11. Boston Bruins: Charlie McAvoy
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When healthy, Charlie McAvoy is one of the best pure defensive players in the NHL.
A true shutdown defender that always has enough offensive punch to his game to be a bona fide top-tier defender and potential Norris Trophy contender (he has finished in the top-five two times).
His 2024-25 season was cut short by injuries, and that was just one of the many issues the Bruins had in what was one of their disappointing seasons in almost two decades. Getting a healthy McAvoy back in 2025-26 will be a potential season-changer for the Bruins.
10. Buffalo Sabres: Rasmus Dahlin
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The Sabres have invested a ton of assets and money into their defense, and so far, those investments have produced very mixed results. The one player that has truly stood out, however, is Dahlin, who has blossomed into one of the top offensive defenseman in the NHL.
He is signed for another five years at $11 million per season. That is an expensive contract, but he’s worth it, and it’s going to look a lot better under a rising salary cap.
9. Tampa Bay Lightning: Victor Hedman
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Hedman might still be coasting on reputation from his prime, at least if you’re still referring to him as one of the elite all-around defenseman in the NHL and a Norris Trophy contender, but he is still a really good player.
Especially offensively following a 66-point season for the Lightning. At his peak, he was a yearly finalist for the Norris and put together a Hall of Fame career.
8. New York Rangers: Adam Fox
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Fox faced a ton of criticism late in the 2024-25 season. Part of that was related to his 4 Nations Faceoff struggles, and part of it was related to his perceived struggles defensively with the Rangers at the NHL level.
He did not have his best season by any stretch of the imagination, but some of the criticism was a little over the top.
The Rangers’ defensive play as a whole was lousy, while the Rangers have struggled to find Fox a defense partner that can consistently complement his game. Maybe Vladislav Gavrikov can be that person. Even with some struggles defensively, Fox remains an elite power-play quarterback and point producer.
7. Carolina Hurricanes: Jaccob Slavin
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If you are still referring to Slavin as underrated at this point, it’s only because you are not paying attention.
Everybody should know exactly how good he is and what he is capable of. His brilliance is not always going to translate into big point totals, but he is one of the best defensive players in the league and an excellent puck-mover in transition. A truly sensational player who is one of the many Hurricanes players signed to an outrageously team-friendly contract (just $6.3 million against the salary cap).
6. Edmonton Oilers: Evan Bouchard
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Every few years, the NHL gets a defenseman that produces monster numbers but always gets a ton of backlash and criticism for not being tough enough or good enough defensively.
Bouchard is currently that defenseman. And it’s wild to watch unfold because he is a huge part of the Oilers and their success. His skill set is a perfect fit for the way the Oilers play, while he complements their top forward duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl extraordinarily well.
5. Dallas Stars: Miro Heiskanen
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From the moment Heiskanen entered the NHL, he demonstrated the ability to be a shutdown defender, while also having the offensive ability to help carry an offense. He had a bit of a down year offensively in 2024-25 (only 25 points), but he was also limited to just 50 games due to injury.
He has not yet been a finalist for the Norris Trophy in his career, but that does not take away from the all-around dominant player he is. His day for the individual hardware is still coming.
4. Winnipeg Jets: Josh Morrissey
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It took a few years for Morrissey to take off as a top-pairing defender, but over the past three seasons, there have not been many defenders in the NHL more consistent when it comes to producing points and offense.
He has topped the 60-point mark three seasons in a row and finished in the top seven of the Norris voting each season.
3. Columbus Blue Jackets: Zach Werenski
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When healthy, Werenski has emerged as one of the top offensive defenseman in the NHL and is coming off a runner-up season in the Norris Trophy voting thanks to his 82 points in 81 games.
His $9.5 million contract extension at the time of its signing seemed like a big investment, and maybe even a small overpay, but it has proven to be a great bargain for the Blue Jackets. If he were to sign a new contract extension this offseason, he would get significantly more than that.
2. Vancouver Canucks: Quinn Hughes
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Hughes is not only just about as good as it gets in the NHL on defense, but he was also one of the few bright spots in Vancouver during the 2024-25 season.
He is an elite playmaker and puck distributor, already has one Norris Trophy on his resume and will very likely add another one in his career. The only question regarding him and the Canucks is whether or not the team will be able to re-sign him when he becomes eligible for a new contract extension after next season.
1. Colorado Avalanche: Cale Makar
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Forget being one of the best defensemen in the NHL, Makar is one of the best players in the NHL. Period. Regardless of position.
He scores like a top-line forward, defends at a Norris Trophy level and is capable of taking over games in all three zones and all three phases (even-strength, penalty kill, power play). He has already won two Norris Trophies before his age-27 season, topped 90 points twice and averaged at least a point per game in every season outside of his rookie year – when he had 50 points in 57 games.
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