Makar, Werenski among NHL Network’s top 20 defensemen

Whether it's breaking up a big play, setting up a goal or scoring on the power play, some defensemen can do it all. NHL Network producers and analysts chose the top 20 defensemen in the League right now, which were revealed Sunday in the second of a nine-part series. Here is the list:

20. Devon Toews, Colorado Avalanche

Toews had 24 points (three goals, 21 assists) in 68 regular-season games and was a dependable top-pair partner for Cale Makar. He had a plus-38 even-strength goal differential that was tied for fourth among NHL defensemen while averaging 18:33 of ice time per game at even strength. He was just as good during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, leading Avalanche defensemen with 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 13 games, and leading all Colorado players with an average ice time of 25:39 per game. He was just as good defensively, with a plus-6 even-strength goal differential. Toews also helped Team Canada win the silver medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics with three points (one goal, two assists) in 19:57 of ice time in six games, and led his team with a plus-9 rating in the tournament.

19. Shea Theodore, Vegas Golden Knights

Theodore slid into a bigger role this season following the departure of Alex Pietrangelo, and more than showed he could handle it. The 31-year-old had 39 points (10 goals, 29 assists) in 70 regular-season games, the fourth time in his nine seasons with Vegas that he reached double figures in goals, while leading the Golden Knights at an average of 22:50 of ice time per game. He raised his play during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, leading NHL defensemen with 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) while averaging 25:58 of ice time in 22 games to help Vegas reach the Cup Final for the third time in its nine seasons. He had seven points (two goals, five assists) in six games against the Carolina Hurricanes in the Final, including the double-overtime goal in Game 3. He also won a silver medal with Team Canada at the 2026 Olympics, in which he had two points (one goal, one assist) in 13:18 of ice time in six games.

18. Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning

Hedman played an NHL career-low 33 games last season. A broken elbow sidelined him for 22 games, and then he missed the final 15 games of the regular season along with the Lightning's seven-game Eastern Conference First Round loss to the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Playoffs to focus on improving his mental health. Despite earning just 17 points (one goal, 16 assists), his average of 1.32 points per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time was above his previous NHL career average of 1.26. At 35 years old, Hedman can still be an effective defenseman and a workhorse capable of playing big minutes in all situations. He should be even better with good health on the ice and the mental refresh he got off of it.

17. Jackson LaCombe, Anaheim Ducks

LaCombe continued his ascent into the ranks of the best defensemen in the League with an NHL career-best 58 points (10 goals, 48 assists) while averaging 24:15 of ice time in 82 games. It was the most points by a Ducks defenseman since Lubomir Visnovsky had 68 points in 2010-11, and he was the first Anaheim defenseman since Scott Niedermayer (2008-10) to reach double figures in goals in consecutive seasons after he scored 14 in 2024-25. The 25-year-old had 10 points (one goal, nine assists) in 26:53 of ice time in 12 Stanley Cup Playoff games -- the most playoff points by an Anaheim defenseman since Sami Vatanen (11 points in 16 games) in 2014-15.

16. Josh Morrissey, Winnipeg Jets

Morrissey had 55 points (14 goals, 41 assists) and an NHL career-best 24:43 of ice time in 77 games. It was the fourth straight season the 31-year-old had at least 10 goals and 55 points; he's one of three active defensemen to accomplish that, along with Rasmus Dahlin and Cale Makar. He's also one of five active defensemen with five straight seasons with double-digit goals, along with Dahlin, Makar, Noah Dobson and Erik Karlsson. His overtime goal against the Vancouver Canucks on March 7 gave him 417 points, passing Dustin Byfuglien for the most among defensemen in Jets/Atlanta Thrashers history.

15. Roman Josi, Nashville Predators

Josi had 55 points (13 goals, 42 assists) in 68 games last season. It was his ninth 50-point season, second-most among active NHL defensemen behind Erik Karlsson (10). He led the Predators with an average ice time of 24:53, the 12th straight season he's done that, and the 13th straight season he's averaged at least 24:00 of ice time. He also became the first to play 1,000 games with the Predators on Jan. 22. He did it having missed the final 25 games of 2024-25 after being diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), a condition that causes dizziness, increased heart rate and fatigue. Josi also stood out internationally with four points (two goals, two assists) in five games at the 2026 Winter Olympics to help Team Switzerland finish fifth, its best result since a fifth-place finish in 1952. He was named the most valuable player and best defenseman at the 2026 IIHF World Championship after he led all defensemen with 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 10 games as Switzerland won the silver medal.

14. Brock Faber, Minnesota Wild

Faber set NHL career highs in goals (15), points (51), plus/minus (plus-18) and shots on goal (173) in 80 games last season. He tied Brent Burns (2007-08) for the second-most goals by a Wild defenseman in a season, and his 51 points matched Ryan Suter (2015-16, 2017-18) for the second-most in a season by a Minnesota defenseman, behind the 53 points Quinn Hughes had in 48 games last season with the Wild. The 23-year-old also had 10 points (four goals, six assists) and averaged 29:44 of ice time in 11 playoff games as Minnesota reached the Western Conference Second Round for the first time since 2015. Faber had two points (one goal, one assist) and a plus-7 rating in six games to help Team USA win the gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

13. Adam Fox, New York Rangers

Fox had 53 points (nine goals, 44 assists) in 55 games, his fifth straight 50-point season, joining Dahlin, Hughes and Makar as the only active defensemen to accomplish that. The 28-year-old tied forward Taylor Raddysh with a Rangers-best plus-5 rating while averaging 23:38 of ice time on a team that had a minus-14 goal differential. His average of 0.96 points per game was the second-most of his seven NHL seasons (1.01 in 2023-24), and he received at least one point in voting for the Norris Trophy as the best defenseman in the NHL for the sixth straight season.

12. Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes

Slavin had eight points (one goal, seven assists) in 39 regular-season games, but what makes him valuable are the things that might not show up on the score sheet. According to NHL Stats & Information, the Hurricanes were 28-7-4 and allowed 23.3 shots on goal and 2.79 goals per game with Slavin in the lineup last season, and were 25-15-3 while allowing 24.5 shots on goal and 2.95 goals per game in the 43 games the 32-year-old missed. Slavin was also a major reason why the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup, notching five assists in 19 games while providing the defensive backbone to a team that allowed 2.05 goals and 23.3 shots on goal per game during the postseason. He also had one assist in 16:14 of ice time in six games to help the U.S. win the gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics, joining Ken Morrow (1980) as the only United States-born player to win the Cup and Olympic gold in the same season.

11. Charlie McAvoy, Boston Bruins

McAvoy had an NHL career-best 61 points (11 goals, 50 assists) in 69 games last season, the most points by a Bruins defenseman since Ray Bourque had 82 points in 1995-96. He scored five high-danger goals, tied for third among NHL defensemen according to NHL EDGE stats, and the 28-year-old also set a personal best with 23 power-play points, the most by a Boston defenseman since Torey Krug had 28 in 2019-20. McAvoy missed 11 games after getting hit in the face with a puck during a game Nov. 15, but that didn't stop him from blocking 129 shots, second on the Bruins. He also won a gold medal with the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics, averaging 19:30 in ice time in six games, second among U.S. defensemen.

10. Evan Bouchard, Edmonton Oilers

Bouchard led NHL defensemen in assists (74) and points (95), and he was fifth in goals (21) in 82 games last season. He was the third defenseman since 2000 with at least 95 points in a season (Erik Karlsson, 101, 2022-23; Roman Josi, 96, 2021-22), and it was the most points in a season by an Edmonton defenseman since Paul Coffey had 138 in 1985-86. However, he didn't ignore the defensive side of the game with a plus-29 even-strength goal differential that was the second best of his seven NHL seasons (plus-37 in 2023-24). He finished fourth in voting for the Norris Trophy as the League's top defenseman.

9. Moritz Seider, Detroit Red Wings

Seider set NHL career bests in goals (10), assists (50), points (60), power-play points (28) and average time on ice (25:40) while playing all 82 games for the fifth straight season. His streak of 410 consecutive games played is second among active NHL defensemen (Brent Burns, 1,007) and tied for fifth among all skaters. The 25-year-old was the first Detroit defenseman to have a 60-point season since Nicklas Lidstrom had 62 in 2010-11. He also led Red Wings defensemen with 180 blocked shots and was second with 128 hits, and finished fifth in voting for the Norris Trophy as the League's top defenseman. The Red Wings were a different team with Seider on the ice-- he had a 53.2 shot-attempts percentage at 5-on-5, compared to Detroit's overall 49.2 percent.

8. Jake Sanderson, Ottawa Senators

Sanderson scored an NHL career-best 14 goals in 67 games, and led Senators defensemen with 54 points. He also had a plus-16 rating while leading Ottawa with an average ice time of 24:50 per game. He was a standout for the Senators during their four-game loss to the Carolina Hurricanes during the Eastern Conference First Round, with two assists and a plus-2 even-strength goal differential in three games for a Senators team that was outscored 7-3 at even strength during the series. The 24-year-old also had two assists in six games to help the United States win the gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

7. Matthew Schaefer, New York Islanders

Schaefer had a transformative effect on the New York Islanders as an 18-year-old rookie, exceeding all the expectations that came with him being the first pick of the 2025 NHL Draft. He scored 23 goals, tying Brian Leetch's NHL record for rookie defensemen (1988-89), and his goals and points (59) were the most ever by an 18-year-old NHL defenseman, surpassing the marks set by Phil Housley in 1982-83 (17 goals, 57 points). He led NHL rookies and the Islanders with an average ice time of 24:41 in 82 games, and was the unanimous winner of the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year, receiving all 198 first-place votes from the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. He was the first unanimous winner since Teemu Selanne in 1992-93, and at age 18 years, 223 days old on the final day of the regular season, he was the youngest ever to win it, one day younger than Nathan MacKinnon on the final day of the 2013-14 season.

6. Lane Hutson, Montreal Canadiens

Hutson, the Calder Trophy winner in 2024-25, was even better in his second season. The 22-year-old was third on the Canadiens with 78 points (12 goals, 66 assists) in 82 games. It was the third-most points ever in a season by a Montreal defenseman, behind Larry Robinson's 85 points in 1976-77 and 82 points in 1985-86. Hutson also had 58 even-strength points, third among all NHL defensemen. But Hutson was more than just a one-way player with a plus-36 rating in 23:46 of ice time, as he also led Montreal defensemen with 43 takeaways and was fourth with 137 blocked shots. He tied for the Canadiens' lead during the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) in 19 games as Montreal reached the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 2021.

5. Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars

Heiskanen was ninth among NHL defensemen with 63 points (nine goals, 54 assists) and was fourth among all players with an average ice time of 25:28 in 77 games last season. He had an NHL career-best 132 blocked shots, and was the only player in the NHL to average more than 3:00 per game on the power play (3:27) and the penalty kill (3:06). He had six points (two goals, four assists) in six games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and helped Team Finland win the bronze medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics with five points (two goals, three assists) in six games, including two assists in a 6-1 win against Team Slovakia in the third-place game. It was a big rebound for the 27-year-old, who was limited to 50 games in 2024-25.

4. Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres

Dahlin had his best NHL season while dealing with incredibly difficult off-ice issues. He was sixth among NHL defensemen with 74 points (19 goals, 55 assists) in 77 games, the most points by a Buffalo defenseman since Phil Housley had 81 in 1989-90, and his 52 even-strength points were the most ever by a Sabres defenseman. He was an offensive driver for Buffalo, which controlled 52.0 percent of the 5-on-5 shot attempts when he was on the ice, and the puck was in the offensive zone 45.5 percent of the time he was on the ice, which ranked in the 94th percentile among all players according to NHL EDGE stats. Dahlin was third in Norris Trophy voting, his best finish in his eight NHL seasons, and helped the Sabres end a 14-season playoff drought and win a playoff series for the first time since 2007. He was a difference maker during the postseason, finishing second on the Sabres with 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 13 games. He accomplished all of this while caring for his fiancée, Carolina Matovac, who was recovering from a heart transplant. His level of dedication and passion for the game made him a finalist for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

3. Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets

Werenski was voted the Norris Trophy winner as the best defenseman in the League last season, after he led the Blue Jackets and was second among NHL defensemen, with 81 points (22 goals, 59 assists) in 75 games. That was one off of the NHL career-best 82 points he had in 2024-25, making him the ninth defenseman in NHL history to have consecutive 80-point seasons. His 59 assists matched the single-season Blue Jackets record, set by Artemi Panarin in 2018-19 and equaled by Werenski in 2024-25, and his 22 goals were one off the mark for a Blue Jackets defenseman, which he had set with 23 goals in 2024-25. The 29-year-old had a plus-9 even-strength goal differential while finishing third in the NHL with an average even-strength ice time of 22:21. Werenski also helped Team USA win the gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics. He had six points (one goal, five assists) in six games, including the primary assist on Jack Hughes' overtime goal in the 2-1 win against Team Canada in the championship game.

2. Quinn Hughes, Minnesota Wild

Hughes was fifth among NHL defensemen last season with 76 points (seven goals, 69 assists) while averaging an NHL-best 27:44 in 74 games for the Vancouver Canucks and the Minnesota Wild. It was his fourth straight season of at least 75 points; the only other defensemen to accomplish that are Ray Bourque (1983-88, 1989-94), Paul Coffey (1981-86), Phil Housley (1989-93), Bobby Orr (1969-75) and Denis Potvin (1974-79). His trade from Vancouver to Minnesota on Dec. 12 changed the course of both teams: the Wild went 29-15-7 after the trade and was fifth in scoring in the NHL at 3.55 goals per game, while Vancouver went 14-32-5 en route to finishing with the fewest points in the League (33). Hughes was third among NHL defensemen after the trade with 53 points (five goals, 48 assists) in 48 games. He had 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) while averaging 30:57 in ice time in 11 playoff games to help the Wild reach the Western Conference Second Round for the first time since 2015. At the 2026 Winter Olympics, he helped the United States win the gold medal with a team-leading eight points (one goal, seven assists) in six games and was voted the tournament's best defenseman.

1. Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche

Makar was third among NHL defensemen with 79 points (20 goals, 59 assists) in 75 games, and had a plus-40 even-strength goal differential that was third among defensemen behind Avalanche teammates Sam Malinski (plus-44) and Josh Manson (plus-41). The 27-year-old finished second in voting for the Norris Trophy, the sixth straight season he's been a finalist, including wins in 2022 and 2025; he joined Bobby Orr (seven times) as the only players to be a Norris finalist at least six times in his first seven seasons. Makar also became the 11th defenseman in NHL history to score 20 goals in three straight seasons, the first to do it since Phil Housley (six straight) and Al MacInnis in 1992. Makar had a secondary assist on March 28 against the Winnipeg Jets to become the 12th active defenseman with 500 points. It was his 467th game, the fourth-fewest in NHL history for a defenseman to reach 500 points, after Bobby Orr (396), Paul Coffey (422) and Denis Potvin (465).