Erik Karlsson shoots

NHL.com ranks the top 50 fantasy hockey defensemen in standard leagues for the rest of the 2025-26 season. For more coverage, visit NHL.com/Fantasy.

Fantasy categories taken into account for these rankings include goals, assists, power-play points, shots on goal, hits and blocked shots for skaters. Value has been quantified based on factors including but not limited to past production in the regular season and Stanley Cup Playoffs, defense pairs, power-play usage, injury history or concern, age, contract status and overall upside for the 2025-26 season.

1. Cale Makar, D, COL (INJ.)
2. Zach Werenski, D, CBJ
3. Quinn Hughes, D, MIN
4. Evan Bouchard, D, EDM
5. Lane Hutson, D, MTL
6. Darren Raddysh, D, TBL
7. Rasmus Dahlin, D, BUF
8. Jakob Chychrun, D, WSH
9. Matthew Schaefer, D, NYI (rookie)
10. Erik Karlsson, D, PIT
11. Miro Heiskanen, D, DAL
12. Roman Josi, D, NSH
13. Jake Sanderson, D, OTT
14. Moritz Seider, D, DET
15. John Carlson, D, ANA 
16. Charlie McAvoy, D, BOS
17. Josh Morrissey, D, WPG
18. Mikhail Sergachev, D, UTA
19. Dougie Hamilton, D, NJD
20. Shayne Gostisbehere, D, CAR 
21. Adam Fox, D, NYR 
22. Jackson LaCombe, D, ANA
23. Brock Faber, D, MIN
24. Noah Dobson, D, MTL
25. MacKenzie Weegar, D, UTA
26. Brandt Clarke, D, LAK
27. Mattias Samuelsson, D, BUF
28. Luke Hughes, D, NJD
29. Vince Dunn, D, SEA
30. Brandon Montour, D, SEA 
31. Thomas Harley, D, DAL 
32. Shea Theodore, D, VGK
33. Cole Hutson, D, WSH (rookie)
34. Sam Malinski, D, COL
35. Jacob Trouba, D, ANA
36. Sean Walker, D, CAR
37. Jordan Spence, D, OTT
38. Rasmus Andersson, D, VGK
39. Philip Broberg, D, STL
40. K'Andre Miller, D, CAR
41. Seth Jones, D, FLA
42. Alexander Nikishin, D, CAR (rookie)
43. Zayne Parekh, D, CGY (rookie)
44. Darnell Nurse, D, EDM
45. Mike Matheson, D, MTL
46. Mattias Ekholm, D, EDM
47. Bowen Byram, D, BUF
48. Filip Hronek, D, VAN
49. Dmitry Orlov, D, SJS
50. Noah Hanifin, D, VGK

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Leave of absence:

Victor Hedman, D, TBL

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Key injuries:

Thomas Chabot, D, OTT

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Just missed:

Colton Parayko, D, STL 
Kris Letang, D, PIT
Parker Wotherspoon, D, PIT
Logan Mailloux, D, STL (rookie)
Nikita Zadorov, D, BOS

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