Fantasy Hockey Staff, Stanley Cup Final | Avalanche vs. 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). All Rights Reserved. Seth Jones, CHI43. He can improve on defense, though his speed can help make up for some of his lower ratings. Team: Washington CapitalsAge: 21Position: Left DefenseType: Defensive DefensemanShoots: LeftContract: $0.790M, 2 Years Left, Two-WayBest Attributes: 87 Balance, 87 Wrist Shot Power, 87 Strength. Adam Fox New York Rangers. Sometimes a duo that works well together can be split up to address weaknesses elsewhere on the blue line. Hedman, 30, has played every season with the Lightning since coming into the NHL as a 19-year-old in 2009-10. He controls play in his own zone as a defensive stopper. The second version of this perk will reduce the player's Def. Expect him to be reunited with Cale Makar and for the duo pick up where they left off last season as one of the NHL's best defensive pairings. A strong skater who logs big minutes for the Maple Leafs, the 27-year-old Rielly reached or exceeded 27 points in each of his eight NHL campaigns. Miro Heiskanen is only 21-years-old but has already made a big impact in the NHL as an integral defenseman for the Dallas Stars Stanley Cup Final run in 2020. For the Preds, this is a nice bit of business. Erik Karlsson, SJS2. Signed in July by the Oilers to athree-year contract, Barrie's production should remain among the league's best. Team: Carolina HurricanesAge: 18Position: Right Defense/Left DefenseType: Defensive DefensemanShoots: RightContract: $0.750M, 0 Years Left, Two-WayBest Attributes: 82 Slap Shot Power, 81 Wrist Shot Power, 80 Durability. Covers does not provide any advice or guidance as to the legality of online sports betting or other online gambling activities within your jurisdiction and you are responsible for complying with laws that are applicable to you in your relevant locality. The 31-year-old's point-per-game production (0.56) declined over the past two seasons to 29th among all rearguards as the Kings rebuilt with younger talent. After ranking the wingers last week, here are the positional rankings for defensemen for the 2020-21 season, according to those in the NHL we surveyed. 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. Last season for the Binghamton Devils, Okhotyuk had four assists and two goals in 28 games. He's fifth in total points (94) over the, and has yet to reach his playing prime. His puck-moving abilities and offensive instincts make him among the league's top rearguards. 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. Not bad. CS Media Limited All Rights Reserved. His production from the blue line during the 2018 playoffs played a crucial role in their march to the 2018 Stanley Cup,netting 20 pointsin 24 games. This perk will increase the player's Shot Blocking, Stick Checking, and Def. Stretch passes are long passes from the defensive zone into the neutral zone. 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This perk will increase the player's Slap Shot Accuracy and Slap Shot Power by 4 and 2 points. 4 platypus_bear CGY - NHL 2 yr. ago I've made the case that the Lightning defenseman could be the best all-around hockey player in the world. A skilled, young defenseman with considerable offensive ability, Quinn Hughes' 53-point performance in 2019-20 made him a finalist for theCalder Memorial Trophy. The 23-year-old McAvoy rose in just four seasons to become the Bruins' top defenseman. They get fatigued. His puck skills and senses are even lower, but focus on one area at a time. They turned around and signed him to a four-year, $25 million extension in October 2021. Fehervary is already a solid all-around player. Nevertheless, Hughes finished thirdamong Canucks scorerswith 41 points in 56 games. Predators retain four percent of Ekholm remaining cap hit/salary, Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) February 28, 2023. Samuel Girard, COL28. His production from the blue line during the 2018 playoffs played a crucial role in their march to the 2018 Stanley Cup, A model of consistency, the 6'3", 215-pound Carlson has reached or exceeded 32 points in 10 of his 12 NHL seasons. Esa Lindell and John Klingberg were the Dallas Stars' best defense pairing prior to this season. Only 22, Makar possesses the speed and offensive skills of a more seasoned NHL veteran. He has good senses with a 94 in offensive awareness, 91 in defensive awareness, and 90 in poise. The linchpin of the Washington Capitals defense corps, John Carlson's smooth skating and offensive skills make him an invaluable part of their scoring attack too. WebWho are the top defensemen in NHL 21. If you enjoy his writing, feel free to follow him on Twitter: @ShawnDoherty1, NHL 21, 10 Prospects To Draft In Franchise Mode, NHL 21, 10 Under The Radar Players To Acquire In Franchise Mode, NHL 21, 10 Tips To Win The Stanley Cup In Franchise Mode, Minecraft: The Best Level for Diamonds in 2023, Where To Find (& Catch) Thestrals In Hogwarts Legacy, Hogwarts Legacy: 10 Best Cloaks You Need To Find ASAP. The question, as always, is whether each end of the deal justifies its reason for being. With Binghamton in 27 games, he had four assists and one goal. But the poke check is back and actually useful/pretty balanced. That said, hes certainly worse than Ekholm and only a year younger, and the Oilers needed to send out money to make the deal work. Still, his point-per-game percentage over the. It will also decrease the player's Agility by 3 points. Hes able to score from the dots and around the net. Awareness and Durability by 6, 3, and 4 points. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. His deking, puck control, and awareness are at 96 while his hand-eye, passing, poise, and wrist shot accuracy are at 95. Here, you will find the fastest forwards and defensemen to add to your team. among defensemen last season with 45 points. His skating skills are a little better, but none are more than 76. Generally people take points into a large consideration when looking at defensemen, as its fairly easy to track. The play of top-pairing defensemen Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock has been a significant contributing factor in the club's early success. Awareness boost also helps the user pick up loose pucks after a blocked shot. Josh Morrissey, WPG6. Today is all that matters. 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. XFL Week 3 preview: Can AJ McCarron, Battlehawks continue their fourth-quarter heroics? He was ranked No. Truth be told: The two guys in the top spots are really in a 1A 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. Brodin is especially shut down exclusive, so often gets missed. He was second among Isles skaters in short-handed ice time per game (2:14) and takeaways (25), third in ice time per contest (21:03) and fourth with 73 blocked shots. The second version of this perk will reduce the player's Endurance and Strength by 2 and 3 points, and defensemen will need their cardio and strength more than their agility. All of which is a long preamble into why when Ekholm was finally traded after 719 career games in a Nashville uniform it was just another in a long line of complicated financial transactions that required some jockeying on the part of both clubs to make the dollars work. As a sophomore, he tallied 44 points in as many games. The Oilers can stick him on the left side of their second pair, where he can help eat some tough minutes and lighten the load on Darnell Nurse, and forget about him. 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. 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. His physical and skating skills are better, but not by much. The 5'11", 187-pounder collected 50 points in 57 games as a rookie to finish second. This perk will apply to poke checks, but not for the ability to intercept passes with their stick. His physical ratings are good with an 83 in aggressiveness, body checking, and strength. I once asked Hockey Hall of Famer Nicklas Lidstrom how he evaluates other defensemen. . For forwards, the search parameters were having a minimum of 91 in speed and acceleration with an 87 in agility. Jeff Petry, PIT49. Some are established veterans, while others are young blueliners rising quickly among the ranks of the game's elite puck-moving rearguards. , Hughes will be a significant contributor to the Canucks' offensive punch. Already an ESPN+ subscriber? His awareness is only a 77, and both shot blocking and stick checking are 80. Age: 29Rating: 86Position: CenterType: PlaymakerTeam: Washington CapitalsShoots: LeftBest Attributes: 93 Acceleration, 93 Agility, 93 Speed. Look at who gets paired with Norris nominees. Since 2013-14, he's come into his own as an offensive blueliner. A. limited him to 20 points in 35 games last season. Age: 25Rating: 91Position: Right WingType: SniperTeam: Boston BruinsShoots: RightBest Attributes: 95 Passing, 95 Off. Rasmus Dahlin, BUF (INJ.)4. But who are the best shutdown beasts that come to mind for you? Someone every team would love to have. The more offensive-minded of the two, Pulock enjoyed three consecutive 32-plus point seasons from 2017-18 to 2019-20. While Kukkonen does have good durability (85) and shot power (82 for both), he is a prospect in every sense of the word in that he needs plenty of time to develop. A Norris Trophy winner in 2015-16, Doughty had exceeded the 40-point plateau seven times in his 13 NHL seasons. In those eight seasons, he's, behind Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson in total points among defensemen with 429. Bruce holds a Ph.D. in Education and formerly taught undergraduates as an adjunct instructor. His puck skills range from 66-69. 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. Though sidelined by a recent injury, the 30-year-old has four points in his first three games whileaveraging 24:09 minutes per game. Eight-year veteran Evegeny Kuznetsov still exhibits his fast legs even at 29 years of age, with a 93 in acceleration, agility, and speed. Defensive Minded will allow the user to stick check and intercept passes more effectively and make them less likely to take a penalty when attempting a defensive play. That's the first time he was below 40 points in a season since 2014-15. As a sophomore, he tallied 44 points in as many games,leading the clubin power-play ice time per game (4:11) while finishing second with an average ice time per game of 24:19. Predators get: Defenseman Tyson While his durability of 85 is fine, his other physical skills need improvement if he is going to make an impact. Dmitry Orlov, BOS (NEW)30. Mikhail Sergachev, TBL23. In other words, they didnt sacrifice either Evan Bouchard or Philip Broberg in the deal, two of their better young defensemen. Awareness by 4 and 3 points. He also netted at least 40 points six times in the past seven seasons with the Bruins, Calgary Flames and Carolina Hurricanes. His awareness and stick checking are 78 with a 76 in shot blocking, and unlike others on this list, his senses are good with an 80 in discipline and 78 in offensive awareness though the 70 in poise is concerning. 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.

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