The three finalists for the NHL’s Norris Trophy are more than capable in their own end.
The Colorado Avalanche’s Cale Makar, Vancouver Canucks’ Quinn Hughes and Columbus Blue Jackets’ Zach Werenski have developed into fantastic all-around defenseman. But their recognition as the NHL’s top defensemen of the year are are centered around their ability to produce offense from the back end.
Makar, Werenski and Hughes finished the regular season as the top three scorers among defensemen in the NHL. The Avalanche, Blue Jackets and Canucks also all heavily outscored their opponents with their star defenseman on the ice at 5-on-5, according to naturalstatrick.com.
Despite that, the NHL’s best defensemen at keeping the puck out of their net sometimes get overlooked and do not receive the praise they deserve.
Here are five of the NHL’s best defensive defensemen this season. Advanced stats are according to Natural Stat Trick unless otherwise noted.
Gustav Forsling, Florida Panthers
Forsling has become more of a household name after winning the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers, but his ability to shut down his opponent’s top players is evident each night.
In 80 games this season, the 28-year-old scored 11 goals and 31 points, averaging 22:57 of ice time. While his offence from the back end was appreciated, his 89 blocked shots and just 16 penalty minutes are the true indicators of where his value lies for the Panthers.
Taking a deeper look at his game, it shows how much better the Panthers were with him on the ice. They had a 56.32-percent share of shot attempts, outscored their opponents 66-48 and dominated the high-danger chance share and scoring chance share at 5-on-5 with Forsling on the ice.
Jonas Brodin, Minnesota Wild
When Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek sustained long-term injuries, the Minnesota Wild went through a difficult stretch of games. What kept them afloat was their ability to keep the puck out of their net, highlighted by Brodin’s play.
The 31-year-old Swede played just 50 games this season due to multiple injury absences but blocked 104 shots while averaging 22:57 of ice time. His return to the lineup in late March came at an important time, helping Brock Faber regain his footing and propelling the Wild to the playoffs despite a late push from the Calgary Flames.
At 5-on-5, the Wild outscored and outshot their opponents with Brodin on the ice. Brodin has not received the same appreciation as Kaprizov and Eriksson-Ek, but if you ask the players on the Wild roster, they will tell you how vital he is to their success.
Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes
Slavin has been known for his defensive game for quite some time now, but it became undisputed when he put his game on full notice at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
His skating and tremendous stick work make him so difficult to beat in 1-on-1 situations. He reads the game extremely well, and it’s why the Hurricanes held 56.44 percent of the expected goals with Slavin on the ice at 5-on-5.
In 80 games, Slavin blocked 136 shots and took just eight penalty minutes, while also adding six goals and 27 points offensively.
The Hurricanes have an identity of limiting chances against them that they stay true to no matter what, and Slavin personifies it. With Slavin at 5-on-5, the Hurricanes held 57.87 of the Corsi-for share, 56.83 percent of the high-danger chances and 57.38 percent of the scoring chances.
Chris Tanev, Toronto Maple Leafs
Tanev is by far the oldest player on this list, but at 35 years old, he still managed to block 189 shots in 75 games, ranking sixth in the NHL. Pairing with Jake McCabe, the pair routinely served as the shut-down defenders for Craig Berube, and the Toronto Maple Leafs reaped the benefits.
The Maple Leafs outscored their opponents 55-34 for a goals-for share of 61.80 percent at 5-on-5 when Tanev was on the ice, the fourth-highest among defensemen to play at least 250 minutes. Tanev also limited opponents to 170 high-danger chances despite starting 279 of his shifts in the defensive zone.
The Maple Leafs put a lot of faith into Tanev that he could continue to play at this level, signing him to a six-year contract. After one season, he showed that he was worth every penny.
Dylan Samberg, Winnipeg Jets
When Samberg was out with a broken foot, the Winnipeg Jets went through their worst stretch of the season. When he returned, they immediately went back to their winning ways, in large part due to how calming a presence the 26-year-old is on the blueline.
Samberg played in 60 games this season, blocking 120 shots and adding six goals and 20 points. His work on the penalty kill was greatly appreciated by the Jets, but his 5-on-5 dominance may have been the more important factor to the Jets’ success.
Listed at 6-foot-4, Samberg moves very well for a player of his size and uses his reach to break up transition and cycle opportunities. The Jets outscored their opponents 57-36 and had the advantage in Corsi, Fenwick, high-danger chances, shots on goal and scoring chances with Samberg on the ice.
He ranked fourth on the Jets in ice time, averaging 21:08, in large part because of the lack of power-play time. He’s developed into a true shutdown defenseman at just 26 years of age.
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