He's also the leader in power-play points (106) during that period. A skilled, young defenseman with considerable offensive ability, Quinn Hughes' 53-point performance in 2019-20 made him a finalist for the. He trades a slight bit of speed for a little more agility. 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. Playing a major role in those accomplishments was Victor Hedman, whofinished tied for thirdamong NHL defensemen last season with 45 points. Cale Makar Colorado Avalanche. Given his youth, impressive mobility and play-making abilities, more Norris Trophies could be sitting on his mantel in the near future. Mike Matheson, MTL44. The 29-year-old became the Dallas Stars' highest-scoring blueliner over thepast seven seasonswith 327 career points and is ninth overall amongall NHL rearguardsduring that period. The Preds? As a sophomore, he tallied 44 points in as many games. Fox is a talented all-around defenseman, logging ateam-leading24:42 of ice time per game and 102blocked shotswhile finishing second with 38 takeaways last season. He had a team-leading 4:11 of power-play ice time per game, tied for most takeaways with 32 and finished second in average ice time (24:19) per contest. For defensemen, they'll want their build to have perks that help them break up plays with their stick, make good hits, and make quick breakout passes out of their zone. The following is our ranking of the top-10 offensive defensemen in the NHL today. Samuel Girard, COL28. He can improve on defense, though his speed can help make up for some of his lower ratings. Hes part of the best power play most of us have ever seen, and his overall game has bounced back a bit in 2022-23. Some, such as the Tampa Bay Lightning's Victor Hedman, play a terrific two-way game, contributing to their team's scoring while playing a responsible defensive game. Stats are collected from sites such as Natural Stat Trick, Hockey Reference and Evolving Hockey. Speed, as they say, kills. At the bottom of the page, you will find a list of the fastest players in NHL 22. (Photo: Danny Murphy / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images). This list is a collaborative effort by Pete Jensen and Anna Dua. All rights reserved. The 6'6", 241-pound Hedman is the complete package of size and overall skills. Your email address will not be published. Your email address will not be published. Hes able to score from the dots and around the net. Predators retain four percent of Ekholm remaining cap hit/salary, Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) February 28, 2023. The second version of this perk reduces the player's Passing and Puck Control accuracy by 3 and 4 points, and defensemen need accurate shots less than they'll need to make plays with the puck on their stick. 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 For defensemen, the parameters were dropped to 90 and 85. But there is one stat he scrutinizes: How much they play, and how good they are after playing a ton of minutes. In other words, they didnt sacrifice either Evan Bouchard or Philip Broberg in the deal, two of their better young defensemen. NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. Required fields are marked *. However, his output fell to just 27 points in 56 games last season, the lowest since his 12-point performance in 2007-08. Look at who gets paired with Norris nominees. Nikita Kucherov is the only player with a speed score of 93 that does not have a 93 in all three speed ratings. Mikhail Sergachev, TBL23. 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. This perk will increase the player's Slap Shot Accuracy and Slap Shot Power by 4 and 2 points. Last season proved more difficult for Hughes and the Canucks as theymissed the playoffs,due in part to a slow start and a COVID-19 outbreak. Moritz Seider, DET26. 1 in that span, ahead of Zdeno Chara (+82). Your email address will not be published. During the 2019-20 season, he had 33 assists and 19 goals over 63 games. He might not be posting 70- or 80-point seasons anymore, but Erik However, his output fell to just 27 points in 56 games last season, the lowest since his 12-point performance in 2007-08. Rasmus Dahlin, BUF (INJ.) Ignore the fact that they used one of their three salary retention slots to absorb a whole 4 percent of Ekholms deal; they got out from under most of it, and good as Ekholm still is, he had zero functional value for a franchise that is moving into the next phase of his existence. Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, John Klingberg wasted little time establishing himself among the NHL's scoring defensemen, tallying 40 points in 65 games in 2014-15. His discipline is 75 with poise at 65 and offensive awareness at 63. This perk will apply to poke checks, but not for the ability to intercept passes with their stick. First, goals allowed is the big one. Brodin is especially shut down exclusive, so often gets missed. in total points over the past four seasons with 257. His defensive skills are good with an 85 in both shot blocking and stick checking and an 81 in awareness. Defensively, his awareness is only 69 while his shot blocking and stick checking are 72. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Eight-year veteran Evegeny Kuznetsov still exhibits his fast legs even at 29 years of age, with a 93 in acceleration, agility, and speed. They have the best all-around defenseman in hockey in Victor Hedman, so that is always a big plus in giving your blue line an edge. 1.00 PPG average. Then you've got Karlsson and Burns who, well, no. Awareness by 4 points each. Adam Fox New York Rangers. For forwards, the search parameters were having a minimum of 91 in speed and acceleration with an 87 in agility. K'Andre Miller, D, NYR (suspended)32. Is Evan Bouchard the PP1 guy now, or does Ekholm run the top group? But ask yourself does that matter? The previous season with the Ottawa 67s, he had 25 assists and six goals in 54 games. Try a week on us. Press J to jump to the feed. among defensemen, and he's fifth in total points with 412 over the same period. Those defensemen log the most ice time among their teammates, including in power-play and short-handed situations. Ekholm is who hes always been; exceedingly solid in his own end, and a guy capable of doing the dirty work in the transition game. Mmmm that Yotes Avs series is still too fresh for me to agree there, It's that weird thing teams outside of california do. In NHL 21, players can choose from a varied selection of Traits and Specialties that will boost the attributes of their player loadout for online World of CHEL modes. Over 44 games during the 2020-21 season, Makar had 36 assists and eight goals with only 12 penalty minutes. It feels different but the learning curve is pretty minimal. Using this list, you should be able to find some quality young talent around which to build your defense for years to come. Fox led. 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. Fehervary is already a solid all-around player. Since 2014-15, the Tampa Bay Lightning have been the NHL's top franchise. Dougie Hamilton's offensive skills were apparent early in his NHL career with the Boston Bruins, exceeding 40 points for the first time in 2014-15. They could become a playoff contender if he maintains his usual level of production with his new teammates. His defense is adequate, but still needs improvement. I once asked Hockey Hall of Famer Nicklas Lidstrom how he evaluates other defensemen. Dmitry Orlov, BOS (NEW)30. Hampus Lindholm, BOS18. Copyright 1995 - 2023 It is your sole responsibility to understand your local laws and observe them strictly. Hes just good. He struggled at times with his new club last season, finishing with 32 points. With a minimum of twenty game played, here is a look at the top 10 NHL defenseman based on a PPG %. Owen Power, BUF (rookie)36. You have to be able to defend," he told me. NHL 22: Fastest Players (Forwards and Defensemen), NHL 22 Strategies: Complete Team Strategies Guide, Line Strategies & Best Team Strategies, NHL 22 Franchise Mode: Best Young Players, NHL 22 Franchise Mode Draft: Best Prospects and Top Draft Steals 2022 (First Draft), NHL 22: Best Teams to Rebuild in Franchise Mode, NHL 22 Player Ratings: Best Young Centers. Last season with the Hershey Bears, Fehervary had 14 assists and three goals across 24 games. Lidstrom retired in 2012, so he wasn't a voter in our survey. Roman Josi, NSH8. No defenseman has as many as Karlsson's 468 assists since he entered the league in 2009-10. While Hedman is no doubt the beneficiary of having an incredible assemblage of offensive talent around him, he's also an integral part of that offense with his puck-rushing and passing skills. But who are the best shutdown beasts that come to mind for you? Nevertheless, hetied for thirdamong defensemen last season with 45 points. However, having a constant boost to poke checking ability whenever the defenseman is in their zone will improve the chances of poking the puck, and not the opponent's skates, when the time for a poke check inevitably arises. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Eventually, the Oilers will get the injured Evander Kane back probably in about 10 days so their roster up front is probably deep enough, especially since playing 11 forwards and seven defensemen as often as they do just means more ice time for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Your email address will not be published. Team: New Jersey DevilsAge: 21Position: Left DefenseType: Defensive DefensemanShoots: LeftContract: $0.795M, 2 Years Left, Two-WayBest Attributes: 87 Slap Shot Power, 85 Balance, 85 Durability. After Jamie Oleksiak's offseason departure to the Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft, he also leads them in hits over that period with 134. He has good awareness with offense at 93 and defense at 90, and he is good at stick checking with a 92. He netted 33 points during his 2018-19 NHL debut, 35 points 68 games as a sophomore and 27 points in 55 games last season. His aggressiveness and strength are 72 and body checking 70. among NHL defensemen last season with 45 points. This year is the first year of that extension, which changed the arithmetic as it related to Ekholm as a trade chip this time around.