Ranking the 10 Best Defensive Pairings in the 2015-16 NHL Season

It is early days of a new NHL season, but we're starting to see teams settle in with the group they're counting on when the game is on the line.

In terms of defensemen, the best pairings so far include familiar names for the most part, but there are new names emerging. Some are part of a pairing with an established veteran and others are impacting their new cities in a big way.

Here are the top pairings in the NHL so far this season. Although quality of competition and zone starts are considerations, puck possession is the primary measurement for this ranking.

10. Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Justin Braun, San Jose Sharks

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The Situation Last Year: The San Jose Sharks endured a difficult year in 2014-15, but their tough-minutes pairing of Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Justin Braun remained strong. A 51.3 Corsi percentage in the face of tough opponents and punishing zone starts made the duo extremely valuable.

The Situation This Year: The Sharks acquired Paul Martin in the summer and paired him with Brent Burns, giving the team a more formidable top four on defense. The Vlasic-Braun tandem has a Corsi percentage of 54.5 and is flourishing in the new alignment.

The Overview: Two defensive pairs who can take on difficult minutes is vital in the Western Conference, and San Jose's improved depth should mean it won't run out of gas during the stretch run in 2015-16.

9. John Carlson and Brooks Orpik, Washington Capiitals

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The Situation Last Year: The Washington Capitals used Brooks Orpik and John Carlson together last season, and the pairing finished with a 49.7 Corsi percentage. The duo faced difficult zone starts, although they were not severe.

The Situation This Year: So far this season, the Carlson-Orpik pairing is receiving a zone-start push, and it's making a big difference. To this point, the duo has controlled 55.0 percent of on-ice shot attempts.

The Overview: The Capitals have stunning talent in a lot of areas and don't need their defense to win games, but they can't lose them with bad plays and long shifts in their own end. The Carlson-Orpik pairing is winning that battle handsomely this year.

8. P.K. Subban and Andrei Markov, Montreal Canadiens

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The Situation Last Year: The Montreal Canadiens had an effective pairing in Andrei Markov and P.K. Subban. Both men are two-way talents and have excellent chemistry, as shown by their possession numbers in 2014-15.

The Situation This Year: Although Markov is getting older, the pairing appears to be getting better. Impressive early-season offense and a 56.5 Corsi percentage show this duo to be one of the best in the business.

The Overview: The Canadiens are contenders to win it all, and having such a dynamic pairing with complete skills is a major advantage. The only issue is health, and the big payoff could be Montreal's first Stanley Cup since 1993.

7. Brian Campbell and Aaron Ekblad, Florida Panthers

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The Situation Last Year: The Florida Panthers used veteran Brian Campbell to make rookie phenom Aaron Ekblad as comfortable as possible in his rookie year. It worked like a charm, with the duo chiming in with a Corsi percentage of 56.0.

The Situation This Year: The pairing continues to roll, this time at 57.5 percent and with a lot of success all over the ice. This duo should be able to take on tough zone starts and competition as the season wears along.

The Overview: General manager Dale Tallon and the Panthers have delivered a textbook template for bringing in a rookie defenseman in the best possible way. Campbell is deep into his career but remains mobile and effective. Florida has invested brilliantly in Ekblad's future.

6. Travis Hamonic and Calvin de Haan, New York Islanders

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The Situation Last Year: The New York Islanders acquired veteran defensemen Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy just before the season. This allowed the pairing of Travis Hamonic and Calvin de Haan to play easier competition and establish itself.

The Situation This Year: The young duo is playing tougher competition so far this year, and it's managed to control 57.6 percent of on-ice shot attempts.

The Overview: The rebuild in New York has been going on for a long time, but this is a strong young team with a good chance to go deep into the playoffs in 2015-16. The emergence of Hamonic-De Haan is a big reason Islanders fans should feel good about their team this year.

5. Ryan Suter and Jared Spurgeon, Minnesota Wild

Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press

The Situation Last Year: The Minnesota Wild solidified their defense several years ago when they procured Ryan Suter via free agency. Last season, he and Jonas Brodin formed an effective—but less than dominant—defensive duo. 

The Situation This Year: Minnesota has Suter paired with Jared Spurgeon so far this year. Spurgeon is a puck-moving defender with astute offensive skills, and Suter's steady play is a perfect fit. The pairing has dominated early play, posting a 60.3 Corsi percentage in 2015-16.

The Overview: The Wild are a strong team in the NHL's best division and have plans to go deep into the playoffs in 2015-16. A productive pairing that combines strong defense and creative offense should help with that goal.

4. Jeff Petry and Alexei Emelin, Montreal Canadiens

Mary Schwalm/Associated Press

The Situation Last Year: The Montreal Canadiens ran Alexei Emelin with Tom Gilbert, and the pairing finished with a Corsi percentage of 46.8 for the season. That contributed to Montreal's trade-deadline deal that brought in Jeff Petry.

The Situation This Year: Petry has taken Gilbert's place, and the current pairing is posting much better results. Emelin-Petry boasts a 60.7 Corsi percentage, and the duo gives Montreal a substantial pairing to place behind Subban-Markov.

The Overview: The Canadiens are legitimate contenders for the Stanley Cup, and solving the second-pairing issue was a big item. Emelin may or may not be the long-term solution, but Petry appears to have settled in as an anchor for Montreal in a vital spot.

3. Drew Doughty and Brayden McNabb, Los Angeles Kings

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The Situation Last Year: The Los Angeles Kings were scrambling all year due to the unexpected loss of Slava Voynov. Drew Doughty paired with Jake Muzzin to form a very effective top pairing, posting a 58.6 Corsi percentage.

The Situation This Year: The Kings have split their top duo from a year ago, with young Brayden McNabb stepping in to play with Doughty. Early results have them flourishing (61.8 Corsi percentage) and looking like a strong new pairing despite a slow start by the team.

The Overview: Despite the strong possession numbers, Los Angeles is struggling and the pairing doesn't have much to brag about in terms of offensive output. If Doughty and McNabb can keep the puck in the other end of the ice and control over 60 percent of on-ice shot attempts, the team will turn around eventually. This looks like a solid pairing.

2. Barret Jackman and Seth Jones, Nashville Predators

Mark Zaleski/Associated Press

The Situation Last Year: The Nashville Predators had an effective depth pairing in veteran Anton Volchenkov and emerging young talent Seth Jones. They posted a 54.3 Corsi percentage at even strength in 2014-15.

The Situation This Year: Nashville brought in another veteran in Barret Jackman over the summer. Paired with Jones, the duo has a 63.2 Corsi percentage in the season's early days. The pairing's quality of teammates and competition as well as reasonably favorable zone starts put them in a good position to succeed.

The Overview: The Predators have one of the best defensive depth charts in the NHL, led by Shea Weber and Roman Josi. Having such a substantial pairing in addition gives Nashville a huge advantage over most opponents.

1. Jake Muzzin and Alec Martinez, Los Angeles Kings

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The Situation Last Year: The Los Angeles Kings had a solid No. 1 pairing in 2014-15, with the combination of impact defender Drew Doughty and the emerging Jake Muzzin. Holes elsewhere forced the Kings to split up the tandem entering this season.

The Situation This Year: Muzzin has been money with all partners this year, but he has been paired most often with Alec Martinez and Christian Ehrhoff. It's early days, but the Muzzin-Martinez partnership has a 75.4 Corsi percentage.

The Overview: The Kings are substantial contenders despite some early struggles. The importance of a quality pairing anchored by Muzzin can't be overstated. If he can handle the load over an entire season, that's a vital inside addition for Los Angeles.

Advanced statistics courtesy of Stats.HockeyAnalysis.com and Behind the Net.