Sure, everyone likes to see their forward sink a clean goal from an impossible angle during an NHL game. But you know what fans like to see less? A speedy forward sinking a clean goal from an impossible angle against their favorite team.
That’s where the defense come in. Without solid goaltending and a pair of imposing defensemen, a team might as well be playing with an empty net for all three periods. Defense wins championships, they say, after all.
But which teams currently have the absolute best defensive presence in the NHL this season? Let’s take a look. No surprise: Most of them are near the top of the league standings.
You can watch all of these top-notch defenses go to work on the ice during NHL games every day, all season long, on DIRECTV.
Top 10 NHL Defenses
Here’s our breakdown of the ten best defenses in the NFL right now, plus a full ranking of all of 32 teams, based on a variety of defensive statistics.
1. Dallas Stars
Defensive Lines:
- Miro Heiskanen – Matt Dumba
- Thomas Harley – Ilya Lyubushkin
- Esa Lindell – Nils Lundkvist
Goaltenders: Jake Oettinger, Casey DeSmith
Key stats: 26.8 average shots against, 2.35 average goals against, 86% penalty kill
Dallas has been a perennial contender in the Stanley Cup playoffs, making the postseason in five of the last seven seasons, including one Stanley Cup Final appearances and two Conference Finals appearance. The Stars are known for their aggressive, high-scoring offense, but their defense had a lot to do with their success, too.
You can almost map the Stars’ recent repeat playoffs runs to the arrival of Jake Oettinger, Dallas’ dynamic goaltender and 2017 first-round pick, and Miro Heiskanen, one of the best defensemen on ice right now. Dallas’ defensive roster has only gotten stronger in recent years, especially with the addition of Matt Dumba and Ilya Lyubushkin.
2. Minnesota Wild
Defensive Lines:
- Jacob Middleton – Brock Faber
- Jonas Brodin – Jared Spurgeon
- Declan Chisolm – Jon Merrill – Zach Bogosian
Goaltenders: Filip Gustavsson, Marc-Andre Fleury
Key stats: 28.5 average shots against, 2.35 average goals against, 80% penalty kill
True to their name, the Minnesota Wild have been a force of nature this season and their defense ranks near the top of the league by most measures. They’ve got a pair of veteran goalies in Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury, the former of which has one of the league’s best save percentages.
Outside the pipes, the Wild’s Brock Faber, Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon, the team captain, are a reliable presence on the blue line. Jake Middleton also extended his contract, turning the Wild’s top two lines into a fortress – and it’s showing this season.
3. New York Rangers
Defensive Lines:
- K’Andre Miller – Adam Fox
- Ryan Lindgren – Jacob Trouba
- Zac Jones – Braden Schneider – Chad Ruhwedel
Goaltenders: Igor Shesterkin, Jonathan Quick
Key stats: 29.52 average shots against, 2.38 average goals against, 68.2% penalty kill
Igor Shesterkin seems to be almost impenetrable at times, and his presence in net has been a major factor in the New York Rangers’ deep playoffs runs in recent seasons, which included two trips to the Eastern Conference Final.
On the blue line, K’Endre Miller is one of the league’s premier two-way defensemen. Paired with Adam Fox, who put up a whopping 73 points last season as the sixth-highest scorer among defensemen, the Rangers’ top line is a serious scoring threat. Jacob Trouba and Ryan Lindgren have been a tough and reliable defensively focused pairing, adding plenty of depth to New York’s defense.
4. Winnipeg Jets
Defensive Pairings:
- Josh Morrissey – Dylan DeMelo
- Dylan Samberg – Neal Pionk
- Haydn Fleury – Ville Heinola – Logan Stanley
Goaltenders: Connor Hellebuyck, Eric Comrie
Key stats: 28.95 average shots against, 2.43 average goals against, 77.8% penalty kill
Going undefeated in their first eight games of the season, the Winnipeg Jets have been nothing short of dominant this year. The Jets have been defensively adept for a while, but they’ve taken a big step forward this season.
Goalie Connor Hellebuyck, last season’s Vienza Trophy winner, heads up the net, while the top defensive line is manned by Josh Morrissey, who is currently third in points among defensemen behind just Colorado’s Cale Makar and the Canucks’ Quinn Hughes, and Dylan DeMelo. He’s about as tough and reliable of a defensive presence on the ice as they come.
5. Carolina Hurricanes
Defensive Lines:
- Jaccob Slavin – Brent Burns
- Dmitry Orlov – Jalen Chatfield
- Shayne Gostisbhere – Sean Walker
Goaltenders: Frederik Andersen (injured), Pyotr Kochetkov, Spencer Martin
Key stats: 25.4 average shots against, 2.41 average goals against, 87% penalty kill
Since former star center and team captain Rod Brind’amour took the reigns as head coach in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes been a perennial contender for the Stanley Cup in the Eastern Conference.
Despite Andersen being sidelined for 8-12 weeks due to knee surgery, Pyotr Kochetkov has been excellent between the pipes, and the team acquired Spencer Martin from the Blue Jackets last season to round out the goalie room.
The team may have lost Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce, two of the team’s longtime, lynchpin defensemen, over the off-season, but the Canes’ defense is still top tier.
Veterans Brent Burns and Jaccob Slavin, both equally talented on both sides of the ice and the former with a howitzer of a shot and the latter considered one of the leagues’ best defensemen, bolster their top line. Jalen Chatfield has been a clutch player for the team, netting him a three-year extension, while Shayne Gostisbhere has been offensively exceptional in his second stint with the team.
6. Toronto Maple Leafs
Defensive Lines:
- Morgan Reilly – Chris Tanev
- Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Jake McCabe
- Simon Benoit – Conor Timmins
Goaltenders: Anthony Stolarz, Joseph Woll
Key stats: 28.6 average shots against, 2.63 average goals against, 85% penalty kill
The addition of Chris Tanev to Toronto’s top defensive line to pair with Morgan Reilly provided a much-needed shutdown mechanic for the Leafs’ blue line operations. Toronto has become a much more defensively focused team in recent seasons and their penalty kill is one of the leagues’ most effective.
On the second line, Jake McCabe, paired with Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who came over from Florida, adds top-notch scoring ability. The team has also become significantly more physical over the last few years, and we’re seeing a lot more shot-blocking out of this squad.
Anthony Stolarz also tops the goaltending charts for least goals allowed so far.
7. New Jersey Devils
Defensive Lines:
- Brenden Dillon – Dougie Hamilton
- Jonas Siegenthaler – Johnathan Kovacevic
- Luke Huges – Santeri Hatakka – Brett Pesce – Nick DeSimone
Goaltenders: Jacob Markstrom, Jake Allen
Key stats: 27.6 average shots against, 2.67 average goals against, 90% penalty kill
New Jersey has a new look in 2024. The team added Brett Pesce from the Hurricanes, Brendan Dillon from Winnepeg and Jacob Markstrom from Calgary. All of that remodeling has paid off, with an aggressive 90% penalty kill and a lofty position in this season’s rankings so far.
Veteran Dougie Hamilton joins Dillon on the top line, while younger players like Luke Hughes (brother of Vancouver defensive star Quinn Hughes) and Simon Nemec have shown promise on both sides of the ice.
The Devils’ success is also bolstered by their forwards’ willingness to contribute to the defense on the backcheck and penalty kill.
8. Calgary Flames
Defensive Lines:
- MacKenzie Weegar – Daniil Miromanov
- Kevin Bahl – Rasmus Andersson
- Jake Bean – Tyson Barrie – Joel Hanley – Brayden Pachal
Goaltenders: Dustin Wolf, Dan Vladar
Key stats: 30.6 average shots against, 2.78 average goals against, 76% penalty kill
Calgary is another team with a different look to their defensive lineup this season, and they’ve been hanging out near the top of the Western Conference standings for most of the season so far.
The Flames’ defense has improved markedly since just last season, with the addition of the towering Kevin Bahl (from New Jersey in the Jacob Markstrom trade) as an imposing blue line shutdown presence.
The other half of Bahl’s pairing, Rasmus Andersson, has also made big strides this year, adding a balanced two-way threat to the Flames’ defensive capabilities.
Dustin Wolf is also having a solid season in the crease, and backup Dan Vladar is no pushover, either.
9. Washington Capitals
Defensive Lines:
- Jakob Chychrun – John Carlson
- Martin Fehervary – Matt Roy
- Rasmus Sandin – Trevor van Riemsdyk – Alexander Alexeyev – Dylan McIlrath
Goaltenders: Logan Thompson, Charlie Lindgren
Key stats: 28.3 average shots against, 2.78 average goals against, 91% penalty kill.
The Capitals ended up sneaking into the playoffs last season, and it was mostly on the backs of their defense amid season-long offensive struggles.
The Caps doubled down on that defensive depth this year, signing elite defensemen Jakob Chychrun and Matt Roy over the offseason, a pair of experienced defensemen that add both offensive prowess and an imposing, physical blue line presence to shut down opposing line. They also acquired goalie Logan Thompson from Vegas as their new starter between the pipes.
10. Tampa Bay Lightning
Defensive Lines:
- Victor Hedman – Janis Moser
- Ryan McDonagh – Erik Cernak
- Emil Martinsen Lilleberg – Nicklaus Perbix – Darren Raddysh
Goaltenders: Andrei Vasilevsky, Jonas Johansson
Key stats: 28.1 average shots against, 2.81 average goals against, 83% penalty kill
You can’t talk about the Bolts defense without first mentioning Andrei Vasilevsky. Vasilevsky, standing 6’4″, is widely regarded as the best goalie currently on the ice and quite possibly one of the best to ever play the game. He’s a major reason that the Lightning pulled off back-to-back Stanley Cup wins between 2019 and 2021 and nearly took home a third consecutive Cup in 2022.
But Tampa Bay’s defense accolades don’t stop there: They’ve also got Victor Hedman on their top line, also considered one of the best active players at his position in the NHL. The Bolts also have Ryan MacDonagh back in the fold after sending him to Nashville for two seasons.
Honorable Mentions
2024-25 NHL Season Team Defensive Stats
Here are key defensive stats for every NHL team as of Nov. 19, 2024, sorted by average goals against per game.
| Team | Shots Allowed | Goals Allowed | Avg Shots Against | Avg Goals Against | Penalty Kill % |
| Dallas Stars | 507 | 44 | 26.68 | 2.32 | 81.4% |
| New York Rangers | 620 | 50 | 29.52 | 2.38 | 68.2% |
| Minnesota Wild | 571 | 48 | 27.19 | 2.43 | 77.9% |
| Winnipeg Jets | 608 | 51 | 28.95 | 2.43 | 77.8% |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 601 | 52 | 28.62 | 2.48 | 78.6% |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 503 | 50 | 25.15 | 2.50 | 83.2% |
| Calgary Flames | 632 | 56 | 30.1 | 2.67 | 75% |
| New Jersey Devils | 626 | 56 | 29.81 | 2.67 | 82.9% |
| Seattle Kraken | 592 | 57 | 28.19 | 2.71 | 78.6% |
| Washington Capitals | 570 | 55 | 28.5 | 2.75 | 84% |
| New York Islanders | 620 | 59 | 29.52 | 2.81 | 68.2% |
| Anaheim Ducks | 646 | 57 | 30.76 | 3.00 | 70% |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 620 | 63 | 29.52 | 3.00 | 78.7% |
| Los Angeles Kings | 632 | 63 | 30.1 | 3.00 | 81.2% |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 584 | 60 | 27.81 | 3.00 | 70.6% |
| Vegas Golden Knights | 594 | 64 | 28.29 | 3.04 | 75% |
| Buffalo Sabres | 610 | 65 | 29.05 | 3.10 | 77.9% |
| Nashville Predators | 625 | 65 | 29.76 | 3.10 | 78.2% |
| Ottawa Senators | 539 | 65 | 25.67 | 3.10 | 66.6 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 528 | 61 | 25.14 | 3.10 | 78.6 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 637 | 63 | 30.33 | 3.15 | 70.6 |
| Boston Bruins | 631 | 70 | 30.05 | 3.18 | 77.9 |
| Utah Hockey Club | 619 | 67 | 29.48 | 3.19 | 67.3 |
| St. Louis Blues | 643 | 74 | 30.62 | 3.36 | 84 |
| Florida Panthers | 581 | 72 | 27.67 | 3.43 | 80 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 581 | 72 | 27.67 | 3.43 | 86.4 |
| Edmonton Oilers | 570 | 69 | 28.5 | 3.45 | 66.6 |
| Colorado Avalanche | 538 | 75 | 25.62 | 3.57 | 74.5 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 622 | 76 | 29.62 | 3.62 | 86.8 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 602 | 76 | 28.67 | 3.62 | 68.2 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 751 | 91 | 35.76 | 3.96 | 78.6 |
| San Jose Sharks | 765 | 79 | 36.43 | 3.96 | 72.7 |
Watch NHL Hockey on DIRECTV
The 2024-25 NHL season is in full swing, and there are plenty of places on DIRECTV to catch your team’s games from now until the Stanley Cup Playoffs:
- REGIONAL SPORTS LINEUP (only available in some areas)
- TNT – 245
- ESPN – 206
- ABC –Check local listings
- NHL Network
- NHL Center Ice*
*currently available for satellite customers
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which NHL team has the best defense?
As of November 21, 2024, the Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, and New York Rangers have the top 3 defenses in the NHL.
Who are some of the best defenders in the NHL for the 2024-25 season?
Miro Heiskanen, K'Endre Miller, Jacob Middleton, Brock Faber, Josh Morrissey, Cale Makar, Quinn Hughs.
Who are some of the top goalies in the NHL this year?
Jake Oettinger, Filip Gustavsson, Marc-Andre Fleury, Igor Shesterkin, Connor Hellebuyck, Anthony Stolarz, Joseph Woll.
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