He's led. 2021-22 NHL Position Rankings: Top 10 defensemen - RSN His awareness is only a 77, and both shot blocking and stick checking are 80. The physical blueliner is also their leader with 96 blocked shots and 52 takeaways, and he's second in hits with 136. If you're able to handle that ice time and still perform, or even get better as the game goes on, that's very important.". Samuel Girard, COL28. Cale Makar, COL (INJ.)5. Hedman won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP last season, leading the Lightning to their Stanley Cup championship with 22 points in 25 games and 26 minutes, 28 seconds of average ice time. Since last season, the 27-year-old leads all Bruins defensemen in power-play ice time per game (2:30) and sits second to McAvoy in points with 20. Which team has the NHLs best defensemen? - NBC Sports With McDavid and Draisaitl in their respective primes, tomorrow isnt nearly as critical for the Oilers. His skating skills are a little better, but none are more than 76. Given the effectiveness of Pelech and Pulock as a shutdown blue-line tandem, however, don't be surprised if they're reunited at some point this season. Thanks to his powerful shot, he sits fourth among all rearguards with 94 total goals. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Age: 25Rating: 91Position: Right WingType: SniperTeam: Boston BruinsShoots: RightBest Attributes: 95 Passing, 95 Off. Roman Josi, NSH8. He was ranked No. Nashville, who are in rebuild mode now, gets a strong prospect, a first-round pick and capitalized on Ekholm while he has great value, and Edmonton gets a key piece it needs for the next few playoff runs. by Awareness, 91 Passing, 91 Puck Control, 91 Stick Checking. If Smid continues to improve, and young defenseman Justin Schultz makes an impact in his first NHL season, the Oilers' defense will take great strides in 2012-13. Fox led. Awareness, 95 Wrist Shot Accuracy, 96 Deking, 96 Puck Control, 96 Off. Injuries, however, have hampered the 31-year-old since joining the Sharks in 2018-19, dropping his. Predators retain four percent of Ekholm remaining cap hit/salary, Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) February 28, 2023. His 0.67 points-per-game average is second to Erik Karlsson (0.79)during that period. Instead, his speed is lower at 92 while his agility is higher at 94, with acceleration at 93. He was ranked No. It's his offensive prowess, however, that draws the most attention. Scoring goals is the name of the game in hockey, but it's also important to limit an opponent's offensive opportunities. This perk will increase the player's Stick Checking, Def. Winner of the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2014-15, the 6'4", 215-pound Ekblad sits fourth among Panthers scorers in points (241) since his NHL debut. Awareness, 93 Puck Control, 93 Off. When it comes to gameplay, nothing groundbreaking. During the 2019-20 season, he had 33 assists and 19 goals over 63 games. Entering his fourth year, Hughes helped Vancouver with 38 assists and three goals over 56 games during the 2020-21 season. Theyre a better team now than they were a couple hours ago. His offensive awareness is a staggering 98, but he also has a 92 in defensive awareness. The 27-year-old all-around rearguard led the club in time on ice per game (24:46); tied with Makar and Mikko Rantanen for most takeaways with 32; finished second in short-handed ice time per game (3:06) and blocked shots (87); and was third in scoring among Avs defensemen with a career-best 31 points. In just two seasons, Adam Fox has joined the ranks of the NHL's elite defensemen. It is also something that cannot be taught. All in the family: how three generations of Jaquezes have ruled West Coast basketball. Like Kukkonen, Bryce Montgomery will take time and patience to develop for your franchise. Eight-year veteran Evegeny Kuznetsov still exhibits his fast legs even at 29 years of age, with a 93 in acceleration, agility, and speed. The fourth overall pick from the 2017 draft, Makar has great puck skills. Rasmus Andersson, CGY29. Though sidelined by a recent injury, the 30-year-old has four points in his first three games whileaveraging 24:09 minutes per game. He's fifth in total points (94) over the, and has yet to reach his playing prime. Now, speed is not the only necessary skill a team needs, but it certainly helps bridge any gap or widen it for successful teams. Since 2014-15, the Tampa Bay Lightning have been the NHL's top franchise. Since 2013-14, he's come into his own as an offensive blueliner. Carve your path to superstardom in an expanded Be A Pro mode and go down as one of the leagues greatest. Quinn Hughes 86 OVR (Potential: Elite Med) Team: Vancouver Canucks Age: 21 Position: Left Defense Type: Offensive Defenseman Shoots: Left Contract: $0.915M, 0 Years Left, Two-Way Best Attributes: 93 Speed, 93 Deking, 93 The season prior, he had ten assists and four goals in 56 games with Hershey, and one assist in six games with the Washington Capitals. He can improve on defense, though his speed can help make up for some of his lower ratings. Already an ESPN+ subscriber? The 23-year-old New York Rangers star took home the James Norris Memorial Trophy last season, joining Hall of Famer Bobby Orr asthe only sophomoresto accomplish that feat. Age: 28Rating: 87Position: Left WingType: PlaymakerTeam: Calgary FlamesShoots: LeftBest Attributes: 95 Deking, 95 Discipline, 93 Speed. I once asked Hockey Hall of Famer Nicklas Lidstrom how he evaluates other defensemen. Stylistically, Ekholm is just what the Oilers need a big body that can play hard defensive minutes on the left side of the top pair, and take some of the pressure away from Darnell Nurse, who is currently eating probably too many minutes per night (23:51). But the poke check is back and actually useful/pretty balanced. Top 20 defensemen in the NHL for the 2022-23 season of the last four seasons with the exception being the shortened year in 2020-21. It will also decrease the player's Wrist Shot Accuracy and Off. Eric Duhatschek:It was only two years ago when the Nashville Predators Mattias Ekholm was at or near the top of everybodys trade board heading into the 2021 NHL trade deadline. Fox is the better known of the two. The question, as always, is whether each end of the deal justifies its reason for being. Part of the New York Rangers' recent rebuilding process, Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox have been together since their first full seasons in 2019-20. Nashville also retained 4 percent of the contract, according to Pierre LeBrun. His endurance, at least, is 87, so he can stay on the ice longer. Thats a down-the-road problem for a team currently out of the playoff picture. Webname season tm gp g a p +/-pim ppg ppa shg sha gwg otg s s% toi/gp; tyson barrie: 2022-23 Spurgeon also gets listed as underrated by players, hard player to get by despite being 5'7". Do the elite have to do both well, or can one aspect compensate for the other? 1. Winner of the James Norris Memorial Trophy in 2019-20, Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi is among the NHL's best defensemen. Hedman's strong two-way game earned the James Norris Memorial Trophy in 2017-18 and the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2019-20. The Predators are in transition longtime GM David Poile is calling the shots until the end of June, when his retirement becomes official. He exceeded the 40-point plateau again in 2018-19 and 2019-20. Here's our ranking of the best defensive pairings for the 2021-22 season. NHL Defensemen Scoring Leaders 2022-2023 - QuantHockey Ryan Graves, NJD48. His mobility and puck-handling skills earned him three Stanley Cup rings and placed him among the league's highest-scoring defensemen. The first-round pick is the prize, and Schafer sounds like an interesting piece to have around, too. They turned around and signed him to a four-year, $25 million extension in October 2021. The 6'6", 241-pound Hedman is the complete package of size and overall skills. He had three game-winning goals and four power play goals. Now the Rangers' undisputed top blueliner, Fox will face considerable pressure to follow up last season's impressive performance. RELATED:NHL 21, 10 Prospects To Draft In Franchise Mode. Maybe Klingberg is in their future if they can navigate the cap complications. Ranking the NHL's top 20 defensemen for the 2022-23 In those eight seasons, he's, behind Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson in total points among defensemen with 429. He exceeded the 40-point plateau again in 2018-19 and 2019-20. Johnny Gaudreau is fast with a 93 in acceleration, agility, and speed, but he is more than just a blur. Press J to jump to the feed. The second version of this perk reduces the player's passing by 4 points instead of their Wrist Shot Accuracy, and defensemen will need to make a good outlet pass more often than they'll need to take an accurate wrist shot. He had five game-winning goals and two in overtime. He is a tall, mobile, intelligent defender who provides value at both ends of the ice. The 6'6", 230-pounder isn't a physical blueliner, but he uses his long reach to strip opposing players of the puck and his big strides to move the puck up the ice. With Binghamton in 27 games, he had four assists and one goal. He became a key cog in their offensive attack last season, especially on. The following is our ranking of the top-10 offensive defensemen in the NHL today. His physical skills could improve a little. He recently returned to practice and could make his season debut soon. Welcome to NHL.com, the official site of the National Hockey League, Bienvenue LNH.com , le site officiel de la Ligue nationale de hockey, Tervetuloa NHL:n viralliselle nettisivustolle NHL.comiin, Vlkommen till NHL.com, NHL:s officiella web-sida, Vtejte na NHL.com, oficilnch strnkch National Hockey League, Vitajte na NHL.com, oficilnych strnkach National Hockey League, Willkommen auf NHL.com, der offiziellen Seite der National Hockey League, Bienvenido a NHL.com, el sitio oficial de la National Hockey League. This perk will increase the player's Shot Blocking, Stick Checking, and Def. In modern hockey, it is imperative to have speed on your lines, or your team is doomed to failure. This perk will increase the player's Slap Shot Accuracy and Slap Shot Power by 4 and 2 points. 27 viidenmetrinmolo PHI - NHL 2 yr. ago I mean you can be the worst defensive player in the league but if you dominate possession, you prevent much more goals than a good defensive guy who's stuck in his own zone. among Canucks regular-season scorers and third with 16 points in postseason scoring. Add those to his mediocre scores in senses with a 75 in discipline and a 70 in both offensive awareness and poise and its clear that it will take time, but that he can develop into a solid player. Since his debut in 2017-18, the 23-year-old McAvoy has steadily developed as the Bruins' top defenseman. He has a 90 in deking and passing, a deadly combination when paired with his speed ratings.