Analyzing NHL Defensemen by Tier Rankings
We're in an age of offensive defensemen. Since the start of the NHL, there have been just 30 examples of a blueliner finishing a season with at least 90 points. Five of those times have come in the past three years alone. However, when we move past the best of the best, things can start to blur together a bit. This tier list is designed to help you sort through the defensive corps by putting them into different groupings. Below, I'll also help to explain the differences between the tiers while also highlighting some defensemen of particular note, especially those who some might argue deserve to be placed higher than I've done.
Tier 1 – Makar vs. Hughes
While there are other defensemen who have reached the heights of Makar and Hughes in recent years, there aren't any other blueliners who are as close to a sure thing for 70-plus points as these two. Hughes has recorded at least 76 points in each of the past three campaigns, while Makar has exceeded the 85-point mark in three of the last four seasons, with the lone exception being in 2022-23 when injury limited him to 66 points in 60 regular-season outings. Makar and Hughes also rank first (334 points) and second (312), respectively, in terms of total points among defensemen over the past four years. I do recommend taking Makar before Hughes, primarily because Makar helps more in terms of
Analyzing NHL Defensemen by Tier Rankings
We're in an age of offensive defensemen. Since the start of the NHL, there have been just 30 examples of a blueliner finishing a season with at least 90 points. Five of those times have come in the past three years alone. However, when we move past the best of the best, things can start to blur together a bit. This tier list is designed to help you sort through the defensive corps by putting them into different groupings. Below, I'll also help to explain the differences between the tiers while also highlighting some defensemen of particular note, especially those who some might argue deserve to be placed higher than I've done.
Tier 1 – Makar vs. Hughes
While there are other defensemen who have reached the heights of Makar and Hughes in recent years, there aren't any other blueliners who are as close to a sure thing for 70-plus points as these two. Hughes has recorded at least 76 points in each of the past three campaigns, while Makar has exceeded the 85-point mark in three of the last four seasons, with the lone exception being in 2022-23 when injury limited him to 66 points in 60 regular-season outings. Makar and Hughes also rank first (334 points) and second (312), respectively, in terms of total points among defensemen over the past four years. I do recommend taking Makar before Hughes, primarily because Makar helps more in terms of goals -- he scored a career-high 30 in 2024-25 while Hughes has never hit 20 -- but you can't go wrong with either of them.
Tier 2 – The Next Best
Zach Werenski, Adam Fox, Evan Bouchard, Victor Hedman, Rasmus Dahlin, Josh Morrissey
After Makar and Hughes are gone, your best bet is to turn your attention to the handful of defensemen who are reasonable bets to finish with 60-70 points. Some of them might exceed that mark: Werenski did so last year, and Bouchard did it in 2023-24, to give just two examples, but you probably shouldn't count on that happening. While all these blueliners fall more into the offensive defensemen camp, some of them do play with a bit of physicality. Dahlin has recorded over 100 hits and 50 PIM in each of the past four seasons, so you can count versatility among his strengths. Hedman spent just 30 minutes in the sin bin last year, but he had 76 PIM in 2023-24, so he might make a meaningful contribution in that category as well.
Tier 3 – Elite Alternatives
Lane Hutson, Jake Sanderson, Luke Hughes, Mikhail Sergachev, Thomas Harley, Shea Theodore
None of these blueliners are expected to compete for the defensemen scoring title or rank among the top five fantasy defensemen, but they're not far from that level. An argument could be made that Hutson deserves to be in Tier 2 after scoring six goals and 66 points across 82 regular-season appearances as a rookie last year. However, I want to see him prove that he can replicate that level of production before putting him in the same group as established veterans like Hedman, Fox and Bouchard. Still, it would be fair to regard Hutson as the highest reward choice of this class with a touch of risk that partially offsets it. If Hutson is the one with the strongest argument for a promotion to a higher tier, Hughes is the one who is closest to being demoted. His seven goals and 44 points in 71 regular-season appearances in 2024-25 was great, but not quite elite production, and he's not guaranteed to always be on the top power-play unit due to the presence of Dougie Hamilton. Still, Hughes has untapped upside, and after two full NHL campaigns under his belt, it wouldn't be surprising to see him enjoy some growth this season.
Tier 4A – Scoring and Grit
MacKenzie Weegar, Moritz Seider, Brandon Montour, Jakob Chychrun
Most of the time, you're either going to find a defenseman who will help you offensively or benefit you in non-scoring categories like PIM, hits or blocks. Of course, the ideal is to find someone with versatility, and the blueliners here serve that function. They aren't expected to be among the top 10 defensemen when it comes to scoring, but 40-plus points is a reasonable expectation for each of them. On top of that, Weegar and Seider are a fantastic source of hits and blocks, while Montour and Chychrun should be a big help when it comes to PIM.
Tier 4B – The Old Guard
Roman Josi, Erik Karlsson, John Carlson, Drew Doughty
Josi is the biggest question mark of this group. He was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, which caused him to continue to have headaches well into his recovery from a concussion that cost him the final 25 games of the 2024-25 campaign, so there are some lingering questions for his availability for the start of this campaign. Even if he's healthy, it's not clear if he'll decline somewhat in his age-35 season, which is ultimately the x-factor all these defensemen share. This group has aged decently well so far, but some level of offensive decline might still occur this year.
Tier 5A – But if they're healthy…
Dougie Hamilton, Miro Heiskanen, Jake Walman, Vince Dunn, Thomas Chabot, Charlie McAvoy
There is elite potential in this group, but being held back by injury is unfortunately a recurring theme here. For example, if everything goes right, then a campaign in the range of 60-70 points is obtainable for Hamilton, which would make his value comparable to a Tier 2 blueliner. That said, can I really justify putting him in that grouping after four of the last six seasons included major absences from him? Heiskanen might also put up offensive numbers similar to a Tier 2 defenseman if he stays healthy, and a healthy McAvoy with his blend of high-end scoring and grit certainly has appeal too. Walman and Chabot don't have quite the same upside, but at least those two enjoyed solid showings in 2024-25.
Tier 5B – Good, probably not great
Noah Dobson, Jackson LaCombe, Morgan Rielly, Shayne Gostisbehere, Devon Toews, Cam Fowler, Sean Durzi
At this point, we're past the safer elite defensemen or risky blueliners who could, if the stars align, be at that level. These defensemen probably won't shock you, but they should provide you with at least 40 points. Durzi is arguably a bit less likely to reach the 40-point mark than the other members of this tier, but no one would be stunned if he manages to eke past that mark, and whatever mild loss in offense you might suffer by taking him over another defenseman in this grouping should be offset by his contributions in PIM and blocks. Meanwhile, Dobson is the most interesting defenseman in this group. He appeared to breakout in the 2023-24 regular season with 70 points, but he dropped to 39 points last year. Could he rebound offensively? Maybe, but he got dealt from the Islanders to Montreal, and the Canadiens already have Hutson, so Dobson won't always appear on the top power-play unit unless the Canadiens opt to consistently use two defensemen. Dobson is still the best option in this tier, but partially due to that situation, I'd caution against expecting a repeat of 2023-24.
Tier 6 – Decent Alternatives
Owen Power, Brock Faber, Bowen Byram, Matt Grzelcyk, Noah Hanifin, Neal Pionk, Darren Raddysh, Colton Parayko, Seth Jones, Aaron Ekblad, Filip Hronek, Simon Edvinsson, Tony DeAngelo
While some of these defensemen might end up surpassing the 40-point mark, penciling the members of this group for 30-40 points is the safer play. DeAngelo is the most interesting option here but also the riskiest. He comes with a lot of baggage, both off the ice and with regards to his defensive play, which is why he's already been bought out twice in his career. However, there's no question that he's capable of making things happen with the puck. DeAngelo is likely to get a spot on the top four as well as the first power-play unit, especially after the Islanders parted ways with Dobson, so DeAngelo will get every opportunity to succeed. Outside of DeAngelo, Power, Faber and Byram are particularly nice grabs because those young defensemen still have untapped upside.
Tier 7 – Completing your roster
Brady Skjei, Mattias Ekholm, Ivan Provorov, Darnell Nurse, Brandt Clarke, Jared Spurgeon, Justin Faulk, Gustav Forsling, Rasmus Andersson, Mike Matheson, Mason Lohrei, Ryan McDonagh, Kris Letang, Hampus Lindholm, Travis Sanheim, Nikita Zadorov
None of these are exciting options, but they are serviceable ones. Some might wonder why Matheson is this low after recording 62 points in 2023-24, but that was an anomaly of a season for him, brought on in part by his 28 power-play points. The rise of Hutson changed his role in 2024-25, leading to Matheson regressing to 31 regular-season points, and as addressed earlier, Montreal also has Dobson this year, so another 30ish points is what you should expect out of Matheson. Rather than grab him and hope for a rebound, Nurse is a better, albeit somewhat boring, option in some formats. The 30-year-old Nurse can provide around 30 points, 70 PIM, 150 blocks and 150 hits, so if you're in a league that uses all or most of those categories, then his versatility will serve you well.
Bonus Tier – The Rookies
Zayne Parekh, Alexander Nikishin, Zeev Buium, Matthew Schaefer, Logan Mailloux
A first overall pick would typically be viewed as the early Calder Trophy frontrunner, but defensemen tend to take longer to develop than forwards, so I recommend tempering your 2025-26 expectations when it comes to Schaefer. That's especially true in this case, because Schaefer logged just 17 OHL games last year due to mononucleosis and a collarbone injury. Look at about 40 points as the best-case scenario for his rookie campaign, and don't be shocked if he finishes below that. The rest of the options in this grouping arguably fall short of Schaefer's upside, but they have more seasoning that might result in some of them outperforming him in the short term. Parekh is a nice option if you want a blend of skill and grit, especially if your league counts PIM. Nikishin might be as close as you get to a "safe" option when you're talking about rookies -- he has recorded at least 46 regular-season points in each of the past three campaigns in the KHL. Buium doesn't have that kind of resume, but he might record 30-plus points this year after scoring 13 goals and 48 points in 41 appearances as a sophomore with the University of Denver in 2024-25. Mailloux is the one member of this group that I wouldn't recommend drafting in a standard league at this time, but the 22-year-old blueliner is worth keeping an eye on during the season, especially if you're looking for someone who will contribute when it comes to the physical side of the game.
