The pairing usually consists of a skilled puck-mover and a shutdown blueliner. If you want to still be able to bang some bodies, but not sacrifice a ton of speed/athleticism. His aggressiveness is only an 81 and body checking is only an 80, but he does have good endurance (87), durability (85), and strength (84), helping to account for the lower ratings. Since last season, Fox has averaged a team-leading 24:43 of ice time. Eventually, the Oilers will get the injured Evander Kane back probably in about 10 days so their roster up front is probably deep enough, especially since playing 11 forwards and seven defensemen as often as they do just means more ice time for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Those abilities would make him the top defenseman in this year's NHL free-agent market, earning him a seven-year,$63 million contractwith the New Jersey Devils. He leadsall their skaters in time on ice per game (22:52) and total blocked shots(395) over his four-plus seasons. Quinn Hughes 86 OVR (Potential: Elite Med) Team: Vancouver Canucks Age: 21 Position: Left Defense Type: Offensive Defenseman Shoots: Left Contract: $0.915M, 0 Years Left, Two-Way Best Attributes: 93 Speed, 93 Deking, 93 For now, their priority was obvious they needed someone to strengthen their overall defensive play in front of goaltenders Jack Campbell and Stuart Skinner. With a few well-placed trades, you could build yourself the fastest line in NHL 22, zipping by even the speediest of teams. Age: 28Rating: 87Position: Left WingType: PlaymakerTeam: Calgary FlamesShoots: LeftBest Attributes: 95 Deking, 95 Discipline, 93 Speed. He led all blueliners in scoring last season, , Barrie's production should remain among the league's best. His production from the blue line during the 2018 playoffs played a crucial role in their march to the 2018 Stanley Cup,netting 20 pointsin 24 games. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. NHL 2023. He is a ridiculously talented player. He could move up among the elite puck-movers with a strong outing in 2021-22. Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly. The Def. Moritz Seider, DET26. Since last season, he's secondamong Rangers skaters in short-handed ice time per game (2:31) and inhits with 104. NHL 21 player ratings: The best defensemen - Gamepur But Hedman wasnt the only Nevertheless, hetied for thirdamong defensemen last season with 45 points. He has a 77 in shot blocking, which is decent, and better ratings with 85 in awareness and 87 in stick checking. Samuel Bolduc could prove to be a steal for your franchise should you develop him appropriately. K'Andre Miller, D, NYR (suspended)32. In just two seasons, Adam Fox has joined the ranks of the NHL's elite defensemen. During the 2019-20 season, he had 33 assists and 19 goals over 63 games. The second version of this perk reduces the player's Passing and Puck Control accuracy by 3 and 4 points, and defensemen need accurate shots less than they'll need to make plays with the puck on their stick. Owen Power, BUF (rookie)36. Covers does not provide any advice or guidance as to the legality of online sports betting or other online gambling activities within your jurisdiction and you are responsible for complying with laws that are applicable to you in your relevant locality. Now 28, Hamilton faces the challenge of becoming a blue-line leader for the rebuilding Devils. NHL 22: Fastest Players (Forwards and Defensemen), NHL 22 Strategies: Complete Team Strategies Guide, Line Strategies & Best Team Strategies, NHL 22 Franchise Mode: Best Young Players, NHL 22 Franchise Mode Draft: Best Prospects and Top Draft Steals 2022 (First Draft), NHL 22: Best Teams to Rebuild in Franchise Mode, NHL 22 Player Ratings: Best Young Centers. He was also their leading scorer (26 points) in the, A two-time Norris Trophy winner, Karlsson netted at least 62 points six times in his 12 NHL seasons. His deking, puck control, and awareness are at 96 while his hand-eye, passing, poise, and wrist shot accuracy are at 95. One of two New Jersey players on this list, Okhotyuk gains the edge over Kevin Bahl who is rated higher overall thanks to the higher potential of the imposing Russian. Press J to jump to the feed. Mattias Ekholm, EDM (NEW)38. Beyond his speed, the two-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner as MVP boasts incredible puck skills with a 97 in deking, hand-eye, and puck control with a 96 in passing. His awareness is only a 77, and both shot blocking and stick checking are 80. Awareness, 93 Puck Control, 93 Off. He has good awareness with offense at 93 and defense at 90, and he is good at stick checking with a 92. He maintains that Chrono Trigger is still the best game ever made, though the games hes played the most are Ogre Battle 64 and MLB The Show. Since his debut in 2017-18, the 23-year-old McAvoy has steadily developed as the Bruins' top defenseman. Thats 19th highest among NHL defensemen. Bruce holds a Ph.D. in Education and formerly taught undergraduates as an adjunct instructor. Value has been quantified based on factors including but not limited to past production in the regular season and Stanley Cup Playoffs, defense pairs, power-play usage, injury history or concern, age, contract status and overall upside for the rest of this season. The 5'11", 187-pounder collected 50 points in 57 games as a rookie to finish secondamong Avalanche scorers. Hes a fan of the San Francisco Giants and 49ers, and the Philadelphia 76ers. remains among the top 10, sitting fourth overall. Awareness and Balance by 3 and 5. However, his output fell to just 27 points in 56 games last season, the lowest since his 12-point performance in 2007-08. Best Canadian Casinos. 1. among Canucks regular-season scorers and third with 16 points in postseason scoring. On offense, Kuznetsov is a dangerous foe. Brent Burns, CAR10. among defensemen with 600 points since his NHL debut in 2006-07. For the Preds, this is a nice bit of business. It is also something that cannot be taught. His puck skills need a lot of work, too, but that can be saved for later. This list is a collaborative effort by Pete Jensen and Anna Dua. The 31-year-old's point-per-game production (0.56) declined over the past two seasons to 29th among all rearguards as the Kings rebuilt with younger talent. That shouldve already been clear. A big, skillful all-around defender, the 27-year-old Lindell has led the NHL since 2018-19 in short-handed ice time (718:12) among players with 100-plus games played, averaging 3:21 minutes per contest. His performance earned him an eight-year contract extension worth an annual average value of $9.5 million. Hes part of the best power play most of us have ever seen, and his overall game has bounced back a bit in 2022-23. If he can stay healthy, he should remain a perennial Norris Trophy candidate. The linchpin of the Washington Capitals defense corps, John Carlson's smooth skating and offensive skills make him an invaluable part of their scoring attack too. For more coverage, visit NHL.com/Fantasy and subscribe for free to the "NHL Fantasy on Ice"podcast. The fastest line to play in NHL 22 is as follows, with each player selected on their speed score and preferred position: Johnny Gaudreau (93) Connor McDavid (96) Nikita Kucherov (93) Quinn Hughes (93) Cale Makar (93.33). Cale Makar Colorado Avalanche. Playing a major role in those accomplishments was Victor Hedman, who. 2021-22 NHL Position Rankings: Top 10 defensemen - RSN Ranking the NHL's top 20 defensemen for the 2022-23 His puck-moving abilities and offensive instincts make him among the league's top rearguards. If you want to inject more speed and quickness to your team for more goal scoring opportunities, acquire some of these players for your franchise in NHL 22. 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But I just got back to dv1 and the elite badge players are playing the same l2 game and there's nothing wrong with that adding l2 into your game is a really useful skill. Ryan Graves, NJD48. It will be interesting seeing who runs the Oilers two power play units now with Barrie out. His aggressiveness and strength are 72 and body checking 70. Best 3s Defensive Build This perk will increase the player's Shot Blocking, Stick Checking, and Def. Aseason-ending injurylimited him to 20 points in 35 games last season. After ranking the wingers last week, here are the positional rankings for defensemen for the 2020-21 season, according to those in the NHL we surveyed. Team: Carolina HurricanesAge: 18Position: Right Defense/Left DefenseType: Defensive DefensemanShoots: RightContract: $0.750M, 0 Years Left, Two-WayBest Attributes: 82 Slap Shot Power, 81 Wrist Shot Power, 80 Durability. He also netted at least 40 points six times in the past seven seasons with the Bruins, Calgary Flames and Carolina Hurricanes. However, it's not unusual for there to be two swift-skating defenders who can also generate offense or two defensive-minded rearguards who can neutralize an opponent's top scorers. Awareness and Durability by 6, 3, and 4 points. He exceeded the 40-point plateau again in 2018-19 and 2019-20. RELATED:10 Best Badges For Centers In NBA 2K21. Over 44 games during the 2020-21 season, Makar had 36 assists and eight goals with only 12 penalty minutes. Awareness by 4 points each. Signed to a new. This perk will increase the player's passing power and accuracy for stretch passes. And they did this by giving up a decent prospect in Reid Schafer plus a first- and a fourth-round draft choice. Maybe Klingberg is in their future if they can navigate the cap complications. Two more had him second. For defensemen, they'll want their build to have perks that help them break up plays with their stick, make good hits, and make quick breakout passes out of their zone. Instead of being a contractual bargain, he was now pricey and any contender looking to add him needed to consider his salary, his age, now 32, and decide if he was the same effective hard-nosed defender he was in his minute-munching prime. He has a 93 in deking, passing, and puck control, though his hand-eye is lacking a bit (but still good) at 86. . NEXT:NHL 21, 10 Tips To Win The Stanley Cup In Franchise Mode, Shawn is a Canadian writer for ScreenRant who studied Communications and Philosophy at The University of Ottawa. Since 2013-14, he's come into his own as an offensive blueliner. Awareness and Def. Ekholm is who hes always been; exceedingly solid in his own end, and a guy capable of doing the dirty work in the transition game. Miska Kukkonen is rare for this list in that he has played all of his career for Finnish teams and the Finland national team. Aaron Ekblad, FLA47. McDavid rates as the fastest player in the game with a 96 speed score, having a 96 in all three speed categories. 10 Best Perks For Defensemen In NHL 21 - ScreenRant In 20 I used a 59 186 Sniper so I could still pose a threat offensively and be big enough to knock most builds off the puck, this year it doesnt stand a chance Im curious to find a versatile build appreciate anyone who responds. Sometimes, it can be that simple. This year is the first year of that extension, which changed the arithmetic as it related to Ekholm as a trade chip this time around. . Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. The season prior for the Ottawa 67s, he had 16 assists and three goals in 39 games. production (0.59) over the past two seasons slid to 24th among NHL blueliners. It feels different but the learning curve is pretty minimal. He needs vast improvement in his senses and puck skills, and a bit more focus on his skating. Senators land Jakob Chychrun as Coyotes continue to unload Awareness by 4 and 3 points. The 27-year-old all-around rearguard led the club in time on ice per game (24:46); tied with Makar and Mikko Rantanen for most takeaways with 32; finished second in short-handed ice time per game (3:06) and blocked shots (87); and was third in scoring among Avs defensemen with a career-best 31 points. But the poke check is back and actually useful/pretty balanced. Esa Lindell and John Klingberg were the Dallas Stars' best defense pairing prior to this season. His puck skills and senses are even lower, but focus on one area at a time. He became a key cog in their offensive attack last season, especially on. Charlie McAvoy, BOS9. He struggled at times with his new club last season, finishing with 32 points. Sometimes a duo that works well together can be split up to address weaknesses elsewhere on the blue line. This Specialty is a great choice for defensemen, as stretch passes can be vulnerable to interception by the opposing team. On behalf of the entire organization, I would like to thank Jakob for With a minimum of twenty game played, here is a look at the top 10 NHL defenseman based on a PPG %. The 29-year-old became the Dallas Stars' highest-scoring blueliner over thepast seven seasonswith 327 career points and is ninth overall amongall NHL rearguardsduring that period. Try a week on us. Martin Fehervary just turned 26 on 6 October, but in NHL 22, he is still listed as 21, so he makes an appearance here.