Who are the top 5 defensive defensemen in the NHL?

[ES]

Best 5-on-5 save percentages, D-men with at least 41 games played:

Aaron Ekblad 95,4
Matt Grzelcyk 95,0
Dylan Samberg 94,8
Gustav Lindström 94,6
Johnathan Kovacevic 94,3
Vince Dunn 94,2
Gustav Forsling 94,2
Dylan DeMelo 94,1
Josh Morrissey 94,0
Brandon Carlo 93,8

 

[Shareefruck]

I'm surprised Tanev is still getting mentioned. I was under the impression that his play has started to fall off somewhat.

 

[2for1PizzaPastuh]

These sorts of things are why advanced analytics sometimes gets a bad name. The idea that Vincent Desharnais is better defensively than Mattias Ekholm is just a horse laugh. And anyone would know that from literally just watching one game.

wonder if there will ever be a day when advanced stats can tell the whole picture with 100% accuracy

 

[HighLifeManIsHigh]

I'm surprised Tanev is still getting mentioned. I was under the impression that his play has started to fall off somewhat.

I haven’t watched him since his trade to Dallas, but he was still a rock in Calgary

 

[Spirits]

I think you're putting too much into one or two particular metrics from this one season in both situations.

Don't mind him...

 

[byrath]

What????

No the f*** not.

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They look pretty similar to me at ES, Fox seems to get a big bump from PKing more.

 

[super6646]

Slavin “suffers” from having competent teammates. Orlov and Chatfield as 3rd pair is insane depth. I don’t care Chatfield is a household name, he’s good enough to be a #4 D.

Skjei has been incredible this season too.

Skjei has been incredible since October 2016. It’s just that one team is a great organization and the other is run by a fifth rate musician at best.

 

[QJL]

1. Jonas Brodin
2. Adam Fox
3. Jacob Slavin
4. Charlie McAvoy
5. Miro Heiskanen

 

[Rydan]

Best 5-on-5 save percentages, D-men with at least 41 games played:

Aaron Ekblad 95,4
Matt Grzelcyk 95,0
Dylan Samberg 94,8
Gustav Lindström 94,6
Johnathan Kovacevic 94,3
Vince Dunn 94,2
Gustav Forsling 94,2
Dylan DeMelo 94,1
Josh Morrissey 94,0
Brandon Carlo 93,8

Gryz have been terrible in Boston.

 

[MrazeksVengeance]

Skjei has been incredible since October 2016. It’s just that one team is a great organization and the other is run by a fifth rate musician at best.

RAISE HELL, PRAISE SKJEI.

 

[Charlie Conway]

Don’t know if Fox is top 5 since I haven’t watched enough of the games across the league, but he definitely does not get enough credit for his defensive play.

 

[57special]

1. Jonas Brodin
2. Adam Fox
3. Jacob Slavin
4. Charlie McAvoy
5. Miro Heiskanen

I don't watch enough Fox to comment on him, but otherwise it looks like a pretty good list.

The things that Brodin does on a nightly basis just aren't normal. Elite backward, and overall skater. Great stick and puck retrievals. He's close to an automatic win on 1 on 1 puck battles, and often wins 1 v 2. Great judgement on pinches, and in general. Best in the league at defending speed(i.e. McDavid), and is now big and strong enough(6'2" 200+ lbs.) to defend all but the biggest players(when he was younger he had occasional difficulty with physicality).

 

[KrisLetAngry]

Just a list no order between the 5.

Tanev
Ekholm
Lindholm
Brolin
Forsling

Some honorable mentions

Petterson - Homer pick but he makes whatever pair he is on better.
Fox / McAvoy- high end guys do well defensively
Heiskanen - same thing high end guy
Hedman
M Seider
Gudas

 

[Spilot23]

Makar
Josi
Hughes
Heiskanen
Weegar

I'm a huge Makar fan but this year he has been absolutely horrible defensively. Let's just hope it's an outlier season.

 

[CanadianHawks]

Alex Vlasic is the next Nick Hjalmarsson for the Hawks. He’s been incredible. Very much like a young version of his cousin M.E

 

[ello]

Seider hasn't been amazing every time I tune into a Wings game. Does decent with hard minutes for sure but much more mistake prone than I was expecting.

 

[WreckingCrew]

If you don't have Slavin in like your top 2, you're just objectively wrong

 

[Czechboy]

For me .. it's gudas. But I am bias.

From what I've read all year.. sounds like Seider gets absolutely brutal deployment and is handling it very well. So those are in my top 5.

 

[Chelios]

Alex Vlasic is the next Nick Hjalmarsson for the Hawks. He’s been incredible. Very much like a young version of his cousin M.E

Except he is 6’6” and a better skater. I hope the Hawks lock him up for 8 years. He is going to be special.

 

[Jetcetera]

Matthews

 

[Saitama]

Nah, there is plenty to debate.

Is there really any point to debating it with a person who put the guy in his name as his choice for #1 though? I'm thinking you're probably not going to change his mind!

 

[BlueAzN]

Morgan Reilly is definitely top 3.
Cale Makar is probably top 5. That series against McJesus was peak Makar.
Tanev is really underrated and I'd say McAvoy

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Morgan Reilly is definitely top 3.
Cale Makar is probably top 5. That series against McJesus was peak Makar.
Tanev is really underrated and I'd say McAvoy

Reilly? I assume that’s sarcasm.

 

[Bijelo]

Kovacevic
Dunn

Two nice slopes in the league.

 

[Eye of Ra]

its 5 swedes, kind of funny

Ekholm
Brodin
Forsling
Lindholm
Larsson

HM, Marcus Pettersson