Updated September 17, 2026
A great No. 1 defenseman can shape an entire NHL team. But the difference between having Cale Makar and having Cale Makar with Devon Toews behind him is significant.
The same applies across the league. Some teams have an unquestioned 1D, another high-end defenseman and four players they can comfortably use in major minutes. Others have depth without a true centerpiece, or young players still trying to establish who actually owns the top job.
Here is how all 32 NHL defensive situations stack up entering 2026–27.
Rank | Team | No. 1 D / Top Option | Next Defenseman | Other Key Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Colorado Avalanche | Cale Makar | Devon Toews | Brett Kulak, Brent Burns |
2 | Minnesota Wild | Quinn Hughes | Brock Faber | Jonas Brodin, Jared Spurgeon |
3 | Dallas Stars | Miro Heiskanen | Thomas Harley | Esa Lindell, Lian Bichsel |
4 | Montreal Canadiens | Lane Hutson | Noah Dobson | Mike Matheson, Kaiden Guhle |
5 | Buffalo Sabres | Rasmus Dahlin | Owen Power | Mattias Samuelsson, Olen Zellweger |
6 | Florida Panthers | Gustav Forsling | Aaron Ekblad | Seth Jones, Niko Mikkola |
7 | Carolina Hurricanes | Jaccob Slavin | K'Andre Miller | Shayne Gostisbehere, Sean Walker |
8 | Detroit Red Wings | Moritz Seider | Simon Edvinsson | Justin Faulk, Axel Sandin-Pellikka |
9 | Ottawa Senators | Jake Sanderson | Thomas Chabot | Artem Zub, Jordan Spence |
10 | New York Rangers | Adam Fox | Vladislav Gavrikov | Sean Durzi, Marcus Pettersson |
11 | Columbus Blue Jackets | Zach Werenski | Denton Mateychuk | Ivan Provorov, Damon Severson |
12 | New York Islanders | Matthew Schaefer | Ryan Pulock | Adam Pelech, Alexander Romanov |
13 | New Jersey Devils | Luke Hughes / Dougie Hamilton | Brett Pesce | Jonas Siegenthaler |
14 | Edmonton Oilers | Evan Bouchard | Mattias Ekholm | Jake Walman, Connor Murphy |
15 | Utah Mammoth | Mikhail Sergachev | MacKenzie Weegar | John Marino, Nate Schmidt |
16 | Vegas Golden Knights | Shea Theodore | Rasmus Andersson | Noah Hanifin, Brayden McNabb |
17 | Boston Bruins | Charlie McAvoy | Hampus Lindholm | Will Borgen, Nikita Zadorov |
18 | Tampa Bay Lightning | Victor Hedman | John Carlson | Ryan McDonagh, Erik Cernak |
19 | Nashville Predators | Roman Josi | Brady Skjei | Nicolas Hague, Justin Barron |
20 | Winnipeg Jets | Josh Morrissey | Dylan Samberg | Neal Pionk, Mario Ferraro |
21 | Seattle Kraken | Vince Dunn / Brandon Montour | Adam Larsson | Ryker Evans |
22 | Washington Capitals | Jakob Chychrun | Cole Hutson | Matt Roy, Martin Fehervary |
23 | Toronto Maple Leafs | Morgan Rielly / Darren Raddysh | Jake McCabe | Chris Tanev |
24 | St. Louis Blues | Philip Broberg / Colton Parayko | Brandon Carlo | Cam Fowler |
25 | Los Angeles Kings | Drew Doughty | Brandt Clarke | Mikey Anderson, Joel Edmundson |
26 | Anaheim Ducks | Jackson LaCombe | Pavel Mintyukov | Drew Helleson, Nick Jensen |
27 | Vancouver Canucks | Filip Hronek | Zeev Buium | Jamie Oleksiak, Tom Willander |
28 | Pittsburgh Penguins | Erik Karlsson | Samuel Girard | Kris Letang, Trevor van Riemsdyk |
29 | Philadelphia Flyers | Travis Sanheim | Cam York | Jamie Drysdale, Oliver Bonk |
30 | Chicago Blackhawks | Bowen Byram / Alex Vlasic | Artyom Levshunov | Sam Rinzel |
31 | San Jose Sharks | Sam Dickinson / Jacob Trouba | Darnell Nurse | Dmitry Orlov |
32 | Calgary Flames | Simon Nemec / Zayne Parekh | Jake Middleton | Kevin Bahl |
Where there is no clearly established No. 1 defenseman, we have listed the leading candidates together rather than forcing a hierarchy that may not exist yet.
This is not simply a ranking of the NHL’s 32 highest-scoring defensemen.
Three things matter most:
No. 1 defenseman: Can the player drive a top pair, handle difficult minutes and influence the game in multiple situations?
Second option: Does the team have another defenseman capable of taking major minutes, driving another pair or covering for the No. 1?
Top-four depth: How comfortable should the team be once it gets beyond the headline names?
Offensive production matters, but it is not the only factor. A shutdown defenseman like Jaccob Slavin or Gustav Forsling should not be penalized simply because Makar or Quinn Hughes scores more.
No. 1 D: Makar remains the standard. He had 79 points last season and finished as a Norris Trophy finalist for the sixth consecutive season. NHL Network also ranked him No. 1 among current defensemen entering 2026–27.
Behind him: Toews remains the ideal complement. He doesn't need Makar's offensive numbers to have a major impact and continues to handle top-pair responsibilities beside him.
Other depth: Brett Kulak and Brent Burns give Colorado experience lower in the lineup.
The situation: Colorado has the best defenseman in hockey and another legitimate top-pair player beside him. That makes No. 1 difficult to argue with.
No. 1 D: Hughes immediately transformed Minnesota after arriving from Vancouver. He finished last season with 76 points overall and 53 in 48 games after joining the Wild.
Behind him: Faber had a career-high 51 points and emerged as much more than a defensive complement. Minnesota can play Hughes and Faber together or separate them when necessary.
Other depth: Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon make the top four exceptionally difficult to attack.
The situation: Colorado has Makar. Minnesota may have the deeper top four. Hughes/Faber followed by Brodin/Spurgeon is about as strong as it gets.
No. 1 D: Heiskanen remains one of hockey's most complete defensemen. He averaged 25:28 last season while contributing 63 points and major minutes on both special teams.
Behind him: Harley gives Dallas another mobile, offensive defenseman capable of carrying significant responsibility.
Other depth: Esa Lindell continues to provide the defensive stability, while Lian Bichsel gives Dallas size and upside.
The situation: Dallas can build separate pairings around Heiskanen and Harley rather than asking one star defenseman to carry everything. That balance keeps the Stars near the top.
No. 1 D: Hutson's second NHL season confirmed that his Calder year wasn't a fluke. He finished with 78 points while taking on nearly 24 minutes per game and was ranked sixth among NHL defensemen by NHL Network.
Behind him: Dobson gives Montreal another high-end puck-moving defenseman without needing to play on Hutson's pair.
Other depth: Mike Matheson and Kaiden Guhle mean Montreal has four defensemen capable of meaningful top-four minutes.
The situation: The Canadiens have gone from having an interesting young blue line to having one of the league's deepest groups. Their current projection even spreads Hutson and Dobson across different pairings.
No. 1 D: Dahlin is now firmly in the elite group. He finished third in Norris voting after recording 74 points and helping Buffalo finally return to the playoffs.
Behind him: Power gives Buffalo another big, mobile former No. 1 pick capable of playing major minutes.
Other depth: Mattias Samuelsson remains an important defensive complement, while Olen Zellweger was acquired after Bowen Byram moved to Chicago.
The situation: Buffalo lost Byram but remains loaded. Dahlin is the star, Power still has another level available, and the supporting pieces are strong enough to keep this among the NHL's best blue lines.
No. 1 D: Forsling doesn't have the offensive résumé of Makar or Hughes, but there are few defensemen more trusted in difficult situations.
Behind him: Ekblad remains an experienced top-pair caliber defenseman when healthy.
Other depth: Seth Jones gives Florida another player with a long history of handling heavy minutes, while Niko Mikkola adds size and defensive value.
The situation: Florida's strength is versatility. It doesn't rely on one defenseman to do everything, and its projected top four of Forsling, Ekblad, Mikkola and Jones can handle almost any type of matchup.
No. 1 D: Slavin remains the foundation of Carolina's defense and one of hockey's premier shutdown players.
Behind him: Miller gives Carolina size, mobility and another defenseman capable of taking difficult assignments.
Other depth: Shayne Gostisbehere and Sean Walker add different elements. Alexander Nikishin would make the group even stronger, but he remains an unsigned restricted free agent entering camp.
The situation: Carolina won the Stanley Cup with depth throughout the blue line. Even with the Nikishin uncertainty, there are very few obvious weaknesses here.
No. 1 D: Seider took another significant step last season, setting career highs with 60 points and 25:40 of average ice time while playing all 82 games.
Behind him: Edvinsson increasingly looks like a legitimate long-term top-pair defenseman rather than merely a prospect.
Other depth: Justin Faulk brings experience and puck movement, while Axel Sandin-Pellikka remains one of the most interesting young offensive defensemen in the organization.
The situation: Detroit still needs the group behind Seider to mature, but the top-end talent is becoming difficult to ignore.
Sanderson has become Ottawa's clear No. 1. He produced 54 points last season, averaged 24:50 and has developed into one of the league's better all-around young defensemen.
Chabot gives Ottawa another established puck mover, while Artem Zub and Jordan Spence provide useful depth.
The Senators don't quite have Minnesota or Dallas-level depth, but there is no longer much doubt about who drives the group.
Fox remains the centerpiece. Despite playing only 55 games last season, he still reached 53 points and continues to drive offense from the back end.
Gavrikov provides a more defensively focused complement, while Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson give the Rangers considerably more flexibility behind the first pair.
The overall group may not be as dominant as it once looked on paper, but Fox keeps the ceiling high.
Werenski won the Norris Trophy after recording 81 points and remains one of the strongest individual 1Ds in the league.
Mateychuk is the reason the group becomes more interesting. He had 31 points in 75 games last season and gives Columbus another young defenseman capable of growing into a major role.
Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson provide experienced depth. The Blue Jackets aren't ranked higher because the group behind Werenski isn't yet as imposing as the teams above them.
Schaefer had 59 points as an 18-year-old rookie, won the Calder Trophy unanimously and averaged 24:41 per game. He isn't merely the future anymore; he's already the centerpiece.
Pulock, Pelech and Romanov give the Islanders experienced support around him.
The question is simply how quickly Schaefer goes from extraordinary teenager to genuine Norris-level No. 1 defenseman.
The Devils still hope that Luke Hughes is the long-term direction of the defense, but Hamilton remains a major offensive weapon and proven top-pair player. The jury is still out if Hughes becomes the superstar D-man, and earn his wages, but there isn't enough reason yet to pretend one has completely displaced the other just yet.
Brett Pesce and Jonas Siegenthaler give New Jersey more defensive stability behind them.
It's a deep group. The intrigue is determining who truly becomes the Devils' No. 1.
Bouchard's offensive production has reached elite levels. He led NHL defensemen with 95 points last season and finished fourth in Norris voting.
Ekholm remains the experienced stabilizer alongside him, while Jake Walman and Connor Murphy form a credible second pair.
The concern is that Edmonton was still among the NHL's weaker teams defensively last season. The talent is there; the group now has to turn it into better results without Darnell Nurse.
Utah has quietly assembled a very strong veteran top four.
Sergachev remains the primary two-way driver, while Weegar gives the Mammoth another defenseman with extensive experience taking major minutes. John Marino and Nate Schmidt sit behind them.
There may not be a top-five individual defenseman here, but Utah has very little need to hide anyone in its top four.
Theodore took on a larger role last season and then led NHL defensemen with 18 playoff points during Vegas' run to the Stanley Cup Final.
Andersson gives Vegas another right-shot defenseman capable of heavy minutes and power-play work. Noah Hanifin and Brayden McNabb complete an experienced group.
This may be one of the deepest top fours outside the top 10; it simply lacks the true superstar 1D possessed by the teams above it.
McAvoy remains a genuine No. 1 defenseman and is coming off a career-best 61-point season.
Lindholm gives Boston another experienced two-way option, while Will Borgen and Nikita Zadorov add size and defensive depth.
The Bruins still have a strong group when healthy. The biggest difference from the teams above is that the depth increasingly depends on older players staying available.
There may not be a more experienced top two.
Hedman remains Tampa Bay's defensive centerpiece, although injuries limited him to 33 games last season. The Lightning then added John Carlson, who had 60 points between Washington and Anaheim.
Ryan McDonagh and Erik Cernak give Tampa even more veteran defensive experience.
The résumé is exceptional. The question is age, health and how much elite hockey remains.
Josi remains the obvious 1D. He had 55 points last season and again led Nashville in ice time.
Skjei provides another experienced puck-moving option, while Nicolas Hague and Justin Barron add depth.
The concern isn't Josi's ability. It's that Nashville's group has become increasingly dependent on veterans, and Josi is now entering the later stage of his career.
Morrissey remains the driver and produced another 55-point season while averaging a career-high 24:43.
Samberg has developed into an important defensive piece, while Neal Pionk and newly added Mario Ferraro give Winnipeg reasonable depth.
The Jets have a clear 1D and competent pieces behind him. They simply don't have the second high-end defenseman that pushes the better groups higher.
Seattle doesn't really have a clean 1D hierarchy.
Dunn and Montour both drive offense and each scored 11 goals last season. Seattle currently projects them on separate pairings, which may be the best way to maximize both.
Adam Larsson remains the stabilizer, with Ryker Evans continuing to develop.
There is good NHL talent here. The question is whether either Dunn or Montour can truly anchor the defense of a contender.
The Capitals' blue line is in transition.
Chychrun is now the established veteran at the top, while Cole Hutson may eventually become the more interesting name. Hutson had 10 points in his first 14 NHL games and enters the season with a chance to take over Washington's top power play.
Matt Roy and Martin Fehervary provide more defensively oriented support.
This group could climb rapidly if Hutson's NHL transition is as smooth as expected.
Toronto is difficult because there isn't an obvious elite 1D anymore.
Rielly still carries the résumé and offensive role, while McCabe has become one of Toronto's more dependable all-around defensemen. Darren Raddysh joins the group after a strong run in Tampa Bay, and Chris Tanev remains an important defensive presence.
There is decent depth. What Toronto lacks is the obvious Makar/Hughes/Fox-type player at the top.
This is another changing-of-the-guard situation.
Broberg increasingly represents the future of the Blues' defense, while Parayko remains the experienced shutdown presence. Brandon Carlo adds another big defensive option, with Cam Fowler providing puck movement.
There are four legitimate NHL defensemen here. The reason St. Louis sits in the middle is that none currently profiles as an unquestioned elite 1D.
Doughty has now been named Kings captain and remains the established leader of the defense.
But this is increasingly about Clarke. He had 40 points last season and is expected to take over the first power play, giving Los Angeles a potential successor to Doughty as the offensive driver.
Mikey Anderson remains useful defensively.
The Kings have talent, but they're caught between the old No. 1 and the player who may eventually replace him.
LaCombe has quietly become Anaheim's top defenseman after producing a career-high 58 points while averaging more than 24 minutes per game.
Mintyukov provides another young puck mover, while Drew Helleson and Nick Jensen round out the likely top four.
Anaheim's direction is encouraging. The group simply needs more evidence before it belongs with the NHL's better defensive units.
The Quinn Hughes trade completely changed Vancouver's blue line.
Hronek is now the established veteran at the top, while Buium becomes one of the most important young players in the organization. Jamie Oleksiak adds size and experience, with Tom Willander another young option.
The long-term potential is interesting. The immediate problem is replacing the enormous workload and puck-moving impact Hughes left behind.
Karlsson has clearly taken over as Pittsburgh's No. 1 defenseman. He had 66 points last season and NHL.com now explicitly describes the role as having shifted from Kris Letang to Karlsson.
Girard adds another mobile puck mover, while Letang remains part of the picture at age 39.
There is still skill here. The issue is age, defensive consistency and how much the Penguins can ask of an increasingly veteran group.
Sanheim remains the safest choice as Philadelphia's No. 1 defenseman, but the overall hierarchy isn't especially intimidating.
York and Jamie Drysdale give the Flyers younger puck-moving options, while Oliver Bonk is another player they hope can grow into a larger role.
Drysdale is coming off the best season of his career, which provides some optimism. Philadelphia still needs someone beyond Sanheim to make a major jump.
Chicago has options, but no proven long-term No. 1 yet.
Byram arrives after producing 42 points for Buffalo and immediately becomes one of the most established defensemen on the roster. Vlasic is the more defensively trusted option, while Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel represent the upside.
This ranking could look very conservative in two years. Entering 2026–27, however, Chicago is still waiting for the hierarchy to establish itself.
San Jose may have the strangest blue line on this list.
Dickinson is projected alongside Trouba on the top pair despite still being at the beginning of his NHL career. Behind them are Darnell Nurse and Dmitry Orlov, giving San Jose plenty of veteran experience but no obvious elite current 1D.
If Dickinson becomes that player quickly, the ranking changes dramatically. For now, the Sharks have more names than certainty.
Calgary's blue line is now built around potential.
Nemec arrived from New Jersey and signed a five-year contract, while Parekh remains one of the organization's most important young players. Jake Middleton and Kevin Bahl provide more established defensive support.
What Calgary doesn't have yet is a proven No. 1 defenseman. Nemec and Parekh both have a path to becoming that player, but entering this season it would be premature to say either one already has.
Colorado and Minnesota sit in their own category. Makar/Toews and Hughes/Faber combine elite No. 1 defensemen with unusually strong support immediately behind them.
The next generation has already arrived. Hutson, Schaefer, Sanderson, Seider and Dahlin are no longer simply promising young defensemen. They are already carrying major NHL defensive groups.
Some teams have depth without a true No. 1. Toronto, St. Louis and Seattle have several useful defensemen, but identifying the player who clearly drives the entire group is much harder.
The most interesting situations may be near the bottom. Chicago, San Jose and Calgary all have young defensemen who could completely change this ranking over the next few seasons. The low ranking reflects what they have proven today, not what they might eventually become.
