The names of Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes and Adam Fox, to name a few, are frequently mentioned when trying to identify the best defenseman in the National Hockey League (NHL), but some shadow workers deserve more of love.
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Whether because of their offensive production or their defensive reliability, several guards are particularly surprising this year. Here are eight that deserve to be talked about more.
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Jake Walman – Sharks de San Jose
It was predictable: the young Sharks are still in the bottom of the standings. They even have the worst goals scored/allowed differential, at -28, and only one regular defender on the team is in the positive.
Walman is possibly the biggest surprise of the season on defense. Who could have predicted that the Torontonian would already have 24 points on his record when his personal best was 21? The 28-year-old veteran hasn’t been perfect, being left out once, but staying at +6 with the Sharks is worth a look!
Also need we remember that the Detroit Red Wings sent him to San Jose with a second-round pick for future considerations?
Photo Martin Chevalier
Lane Hutson – Montreal Canadiens
Piloting the first wave of the power play, being a player targeted by opposing teams and scoring 22 points in 31 games are just some of the feats already accomplished by Lane Hutson in his inaugural season.
It’s been a long time since a first-year defender had such a big impact with the CH. The 20-year-old American is worth the price of admission alone and as the campaign progresses, his chances of winning the Calder Trophy appear to improve.
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Brandt Clarke – Kings de Los Angeles
Replacing Drew Doughty on the blue line – the veteran still hasn’t played due to injury – wasn’t going to be easy, but everyone pitched in. Vladislav Gavrikov (13 points, +16), Mikey Anderson (10 points, +10) and Joel Edmundson (9 points, +14) were very solid.
At just 21 years old, however, Brandt Clarke is the one who has established himself as the Kings’ quarterback. The Ontarian, eighth overall pick in the 2021 draft, produced offensively wherever he went. It was only a matter of time before he made it to the NHL.
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Ryker Evans – Kraken de Seattle
Here’s another who benefited from the absence of his team’s best defender. With Vince Dunn on the sidelines, Evans had the opportunity to stand out for a club that remains struggling. He has 16 points on his record in 31 duels.
The Albertan is quietly setting the table for a lucrative contract extension next summer. His offensive awakening was expected, but it remains surprising. In 2022-2023, in his first professional season, he had obtained 26 points in as many playoff games in the American League.
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Alex Vlasic – Blackhawks de Chicago
The Blackhawks hit the nail on the head when they offered him a six-year, $27.6 million contract extension last spring. On a team where Connor Bedard seems alone to create offense, Vlasic is a breath of fresh air on the blue line.
His 16 points already equal his total from last season and he spends 23:45 on the ice on average. Imagine what this 6’6″ giant would do with a more competitive group!
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Nick Jensen – Ottawa Senators
With the turnaround in fortunes made by the Senators in recent weeks, several defensemen from the team could have found themselves on this list. Finally healthy, Thomas Chabot is providing proud service to his long-time team, but so is Nick Jensen.
Thanks to the good performances of the discreet 34-year-old defender, the “Sens” must regret a little less having acquired him in return for Jakob Chychrun. He leads the team with a +15 rating and his 13 points in 31 games represent abnormally high production by his usual standards.
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Jake Middleton – Wild du Minnesota
Middleton will be out for several weeks after blocking a shot with his hand, which is a real blow for the Wild. If Minnesota surprises so much this season, it is partly thanks to the defensive work. As of this writing, only the Dallas Stars (75) have allowed fewer goals than the Wild (80).
No defender has a better differential than Middleton (+22) so far. It’s quite a turnaround for this 210th overall pick in the 2014 draft!
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Johnathan Kovacevic – New Jersey Devils
Much has already been said about Johnathan Kovacevic’s good start to the season, especially since he wore the Canadian uniform during the two previous campaigns. The 27-year-old Ontario native stays the course and is nothing more and nothing less than one of the best defensive defenders in the league.
With 10 points in 34 games and a differential of +14, he will easily eclipse his personal bests. Is it a question of system, maturity or simply the way he is surrounded by the Devils?
