Our Defense Rankings are intended to provide a starting point. They may need to be altered slightly depending on your individual league settings and format. We welcome and encourage comments below.
1. Erik Karlsson- Tough to argue that Karlsson was hockey’s best player at the defense position last season, he can skate, shoot and he’s a great playmaker in the offensive zone. We expect Karlsson to pick up where he left off at the end of last season and that’s at the top of the D-Man rankings.
2. Zdeno Chara- Chara is a big,mean, clumsy and consistent player. He’s a mainstay on the B’s powerplay and takes a lot of shots on goal. In a full season Chara can always almost always be counted on for 40+ points. He’s not a scoring machine but he always gets his fair share of points and this season he will be no different.
3. Shea Weber- Weber is already considered a veteran by most and at only 27 is likely the NHL’s best all around defender. The Predators only superstar will be leaned on heavily to lead the team from the back end again this season.
4. Dustin Byfuglien- We look for more of the same from Byfugien this shortened NHL campaign. He logs loads of minutes and is very active at jumping up in the play for a Jets team that lacks team offense. He boasts a very heavy shot and is a major part of the Jets young team that should be on the rise.
5. Alex Pietrangelo- If you are looking for a young star on the rise to lead your fantasy team this season Pietrangelo is a must to target, especially for those in keeper formats. Look for Pietrangelo to lead the Blues this season and the sky is the limit.
6. Kris Letang- Coming off an injury riddled season we expect Letang to be a force. He’s fully healthy and is the go to guy on the Penguins powerplay. Given that he stays healthy all of this season he could very easily be among the best fantasy defenders.
7. Ryan Suter- Out from under Shea Weber in Nashville and into the spotlight for the Wild, look for Suter to post career highs as he is now the go to guy on the point for the Wild.
8. Dan Boyle- Boyle is generally a slow starter, given this lock out shortened season we think Boyle is on top of his game right out of the gates an his way to another strong season for the Sharks who must be considered at least a contender for Lord Stanley’s Cup.
9. P.K. Subban- Subban is the type of player that flat out drives other teams and their fans nuts. That being said, he’s one of the games most untapped talents on the blue line. Expect Subban to mature this season and round into one of fantasy hockey’s best multi category contributiors.
10. Drew Doughty- Here at The Fake Hockey we are strong believers that Doughty is among the elite defensemen in the NHL. He’s shown he can be a bit lazy at times but he’s also shown the abilty to take over games. We think Doughty rights the ship this year and shows everyone that he’s the real deal.
11. Michael Del Zotto- The Rangers are going to score early and often this season and Del Zotto is the young puck moving defender that will benefit from all of the firepower that surrounds him. After the big names are off the board look to Del Zotto.
12. Brian Campbell- Look for Campbell to continue his resurgence this season on a well balanced Florida team with a solid group of forwards who’ll keep Campbell involved from the point. He has blazing speed and a nice nose for the net when called on, furtunately for him, in Florida its pretty often.
13. Mark Streit- After being given the chance to play in the NHL a few year back by the Canadiens and succeeding, Streit has proven that he belongs in a big way. He’s now a leader on a young Isles team and is what you would call a powerplay specialist. Beware of his nasty +/- though if its a stat that is counted in your league.
14. Dion Phaneuf- The Maple Leafs captain showed last season that he can still post some great fantasy numbers. He’s been marred by inconsistency over the past few years and always seems to shoulder most of the blame when the Leafs are struggling. He posts strong stats in many categories for your fantasy team, so grab him if he sticks around too long.
15. Duncan Keith- As one of the NHL’s better skaters, Keith leads by example on the ice. He likes to play a fast transition style game and thrives at it. Look for Keith to post strong numbers this year as the Hawks try to move back into the growing group of cup contenders.
16. Alex Edler- We feel that Edler might take a baby step back this season as the Canucks have beefed up a bit on the blueline. He’s still among the better point producing defenders in hockey, but we feel the Canucks could have an even more balanced attack this year and points are likely to be shared a bit more evenly within the group of Canuck defenders.
17. Keith Yandle- Yandle will be counted on to produce much of the Coyotes offense this season. The Yotes lost their leading scorer to the Dallas Stars and whats left has to be considered the least potent attack in all of hockey. Look for Yandle to step up in an effort to spur more offense.
18. Tobias Enstrom- Enstrom has really turned out to be a nice player for the Jets. He’s half of one of the better defensive pairings in all of hockey. Skating alongside Dustin Byfuglien on the Jets top pairing has propelled Enstrom to strong offensive numbers that we expect to continue this season.
19. Mike Green- Green’s career has really come off the rails due to a couple seasons gone bad due to among other things the dreaded concussion. We think Green puts the pieces back together this year and posts a strong fantasy season under new head coach Adam Oates and the Capitals.
20. Jack Johnson- If the Jackets are to succeed this season it will largely be due to their group of offesive defensemen. Jack Johnson and James Wisniewski are not strong defenders in their own zone and are gong to be counted on to carry the load offennsively for a team that is likely to struggle.
21. Kimmo Timonen- For a guy who doesn’t shoot the puck very much, Timonen can really post points. He is the only healthy defender on the Flyers roster who has strong offensive instincts. We expect Timonen to stay healthy this year on his way to a strong season fueled by big powerplay numbers.
22. Kevin Shattenkirk- Shattenkirk is now an upper echelon defender. Still somewhat under the radar in fantasy hockey, he can be overlooked and forgotten about for far too long. Make sure you keep a close eye on him as he’s the type of player that can help you win your league at a sometimes bargain price if he slips in your draft.
23. Joni Pitkanen- Coming off of an inlury plagued season many drafting owners will forget about Pitkanen. The Hurricanes are re-vamped up front and figure to be a high scoring team this season. Pitkanen will benefit both on the powerplay and even strength.
24. Mark Giordano- Giordano is solid across the board as far as fantasy production goes. We see him still leading the Flames Powerplay this season even after the acquisition of Dennis Wideman.
25. James Wisniewski- If Wiz stays healthy he should be rated higher than this, if he gets hurt yet again he should be rated lower. Typical risk/reward type player who if healthy can really give a fantasty team a nice boost. Keep your eye on him but make sure its not too early.
26. Dmitry Kulikov- It wont be long now and Kulikov will be a household name among those involved in fantasy hockey. He’s an elite talent and this season may be your last to get him this late in a draft. Those in keeper leagues need to take special note of the name as you will be hearing it for years to come.
27. Justin Schultz- Not very often does a NHL rookie defender get this much attention, but Schultz warrants it. He was signed by an ideal team for him to have impact immediately. Look For Schultz and Ryan Whitney to run the back end of the Oilers high octane offense and look for Schultz to be involved in the rookie of the year picture.
28. Matt Carle- Now in Tampa Bay we expect Carle to thrive with only one player in his way of playing top minutes on the PP this season. Victor Hedman is on the rise and is his main competition for PP minutes, so check on how things play out in camp before declaring Carle #1 in Tampa.
29. Zach Bogosian- Bogosian is an emerging star, albeit one who’s coming off of an injury. Once he’s healthy look for him to take another step forward in his multi category fantasy game. Love his potential and he could reach it as soon as this season.
30. Alex Goligoski- With the added depth and veteran presence on the Stars this season we think Goligoski ups his production. He’s never really lived up to the hype when he broke into the league but we think he has a nice season with the improved surroundings.
31. Oliver Ekman-Larsson
32. Brent Burns
33. Andrei Markov
34. Christian Ehrhoff
35. Viktor Hedman
36. John Carlson
37. Dwnnis Wideman
38. Sergei Gonchar
39. Tyler Myers
40. Cam Fowler
41. Jake Gardiner
42. Ryan Whitney
43. Lubomir Visnovsky
44. Dan Hamhuis
45. Niklas Kronwall
46. Ryan McDonagh
47. Brent Seabrook
48. Kevin Bieksa
49. Nikita Nikitin
50. Nick Leddy
51. Joe Corvo
52. Brendan Smith
53. Ryan Ellis
54. Ian White
55. Tomas Kaberle
56. Jay Bouwmeester
57. Jamie Mcbain
58. Marek Zidlicky
59. Kyle Quincey
60. John Michael Liles
61. Marc-Andre Bergeron
62. Dan Girardi
63. Jason Garrison
64. Filip Kuba
65. Paul Martin
66. Philip Larsen
67. Travis Hamonic
68. Roman Josi
69. Adam Larsson
70. Erik Johnson
71. Justin Faulk
72. Sheldon Souray
73. Fedor Tyutin
74. Jared Spurgeon
75. Ryan Wilson
76. Dmitry Orlov
77. David Rundblad
78. Slava Voynov
79. Carlo Colaiacovo
80. Andrej Meszaros
81. David Savard
82. Ian Cole
83. Anton Stralman
84. Dougie Hamilton
85. Stephane Robidas
86. Trevor Daley
87. Jeff Petry
88. Kevin Klein
89. Sami Salo
90. Luca Sbisa
91. Tom Gilbert
92. Marc-Edouard Vlasic
93. Braydon Coburn
94. Chris Phillips
95. Dennis Seidenberg
96. Stefan Elliott
97. Francois Beauchemin
98. Luke Schenn
99. Torey Krug
100. Simon Despres
Mark Coldwell leads our rankings team.
Hedman – Love his upside, the potential is there for a 15-20 point season.
Myers – Feel like he is a better real player, than fantasy guy. He wont hurt you in the later rounds.
Ekman-Larsson – Don’t be afraid to reach for him. He was off to a fast start in the AHL.
Larsson – Think he is still a few years away – deep formats only, but monitor him on the waiver wire for sure.
Voynov – He is a suitable low end starting Dman, with upside to be a mid tier option.
Josi – I’m not going to bluff here, I don’t know enough about him, and I’m unsure if he’ll be much of an impact.
Klein – He should not be owned unless you’re in a 20 team league or have a deep bench.
Gardiner – Great upside, but monitor his injury status closely.
Schenn – I don’t know what the future will bring for Schenn – his offensive game was hindered by the rush to the NHL. He isn’t worth a roster spot at this point.
Thanks a lot !!
I like the honesty. In a 14 week sprint like this, hot starts are key and it looks like you kept that in mind. Very good job! Will have some debate on it later I promise.
Thanks a lot for stopping by Chris, I really enjoy all the work from The Hockey Writers, and am pleased you checked in on our site. Please feel free to comment, and participate in our Readers Leagues, or anything else we’ve got going on. I appreciate the kind words, and I look forward to your upcoming work.
6:29:51 pm
I’d be interested on your thoughts on the following players: Victor Hedman, Tyler Myers, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Adam Larsson, Slava Voynov, Roman Josi, Kevin Klein, Jake Gardiner and Luke Schenn.
What kind of year do you think they’ll have? I’m expecting breakouts from Hedman, and the Larssons. Hopefully Myers will rebound. Josi/Klein – can they replace Suter? And Schenn at 98?