Who Is The Best Defenceman In The NHL?

We’re looking at the top contenders for the title of best defenceman in the NHL. Who do you think deserves the title?

Duncan Keith

Duncan Keith is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Keith is widely regarded as one of the best defencemen in the NHL. He has won two Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks and has also won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenceman twice.

Career accomplishments

Duncan Keith is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and an alternate captain for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has also played for Team Canada in several international tournaments. Keith is known as a two-way defencieman and has been nominated for the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenceman three times, winning it twice. He is also a two-time Olympian and won a gold medal in 2010.

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Keith grew up in Fort Frances, Ontario. He began playing organized hockey at age five and competed in his first international tournament, the 1999 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament, as a member of the Canadian team. Keith was drafted by the Blackhawks in the second round, 54th overall, of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. After being named to the Western Hockey League (WHL) All-Rookie Team in 2002–03 and leading his Spokane Chiefs team to a Memorial Cup victory in 2004–05, he turned professional with the American Hockey League (AHL)’s Norfolk Admirals affiliate.Keith made his NHL debut early in the 2005–06 season and recorded his first point on October 15, 2005, against Stéphane Robidas of the Dallas Stars.

Why he’s the best

There are a lot of great defencemen in the NHL today, but Duncan Keith is without question the best of the bunch. Here’s why:

-He’s an elite level skater. Keith can skate with the best forwards in the league and still keep up with them.
-He has great vision and is always able to make the right play with the puck.
-He’s an excellent two-way defenceman who can contribute offensively while still being reliable in his own end.
-He’s a shutdown defenceman who can be matched up against the other team’s best players and shut them down.

In short, Duncan Keith is the complete package and the best defenceman in the NHL today.

Brent Burns

Brent Burns is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenseman for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has won numerous awards for his play, including the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defensemen. He is also known for his unique style of play, which combines physicality, skill, and a scoring touch.

Career accomplishments

Brent Burns is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and an alternate captain for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has played in the NHL for parts of 12 seasons, including nine seasons with the Sharks. He was drafted 20th overall by the Minnesota Wild in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft and originally played left wing before switching to defence. He is known as an offensive defenceman and has won both the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s top defenceman and the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the NHL’s leading goal-scorer.

Burns has represented Canada internationally on several occasions, winning a gold medal at the 2010 IIHF World Championship and captaining Canada to a gold medal at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

Why he’s the best

Brent Burns is widely considered to be the best defenceman in the NHL today. He’s an incredible two-way player, with a great mix of size, strength, speed, and skill. He’s an excellent skater and has a rocket of a shot, which makes him dangerous both offensively and defensively. He’s also an extremely tough player, and is not afraid to drop the gloves if necessary. In short, he’s the complete package and there’s really no weakness in his game.

There are a lot of other great defencemen in the NHL today, but Burns is in a class by himself. He’s consistently near the top of the league in scoring (he was 1st among defencemen in 2016-17), and is often among the league leaders in ice time (he averaged over 27 minutes per game last season). He’s also been named to the NHL All-Star team 4 times (including 3 times in the last 4 seasons), and has won 2 Olympic gold medals with Team Canada. In short, he’s one of the best players in the world, and there’s really no argument that he’s the best defenceman in the NHL today.

Erik Karlsson

Erik Karlsson is the best defenceman in the NHL. He is a two-time Norris Trophy winner and is considered to be one of the best players in the league. He is a great offensive defenceman and is very good at creating scoring chances. He is also a great skater and has very good hockey sense.

Career accomplishments

Erik Karlsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted in the first round, 15th overall, by the Ottawa Senators in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. He is a two-time winner of the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s top defenceman, winning it in 2012 and 2015. He was also named to the First All-Star Team in 2012 and 2015. Karlsson has represented Sweden internationally on several occasions, winning a silver medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics and a gold medal at the 2018 World Championships.

Why he’s the best

Erik Karlsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 15th overall by the Senators in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and has since become one of the NHL’s top defencemen, winning the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the best defenceman in the league in 2012 and 2015. He is also a two-time Olympian, winning a silver medal with Sweden at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

So why is Erik Karlsson considered to be the best defenceman in the NHL?

There are a few reasons. First, Karlsson is an incredible skater. He has great speed and agility, which allows him to get to loose pucks quickly and make plays that other defencemen wouldn’t be able to make. Second, Karlsson has superb hockey IQ. He seems to always know where his teammates and opponents are on the ice, and he makes smart decisions with the puck. Third, Karlsson has a rocket of a shot. He can shoot the puck hard and accurately, which makes him a threat to score from anywhere on the ice. And fourth, Karlsson is an excellent passer. He always seems to find his teammates in good scoring position, and he’s also very good at starting or joining rush up the ice.

All of these factors make Erik Karlsson one of the most dangerous defencemen in the NHL today. If you’re a fan of offensive hockey, then Karlsson is definitely a player you should be watching.

Victor Hedman

Victor Hedman is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). Hedman was drafted second overall by the Lightning in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He is a two-time NHL All-Star and has won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s best defenceman.

Career accomplishments

Victor Hedman is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman who serves as captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). Hedman was drafted second overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the Lightning. He is a two-time winner of the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s best defenceman, and he has been named to four NHL All-Star Teams.

Hedman has represented Sweden internationally on several occasions, winning silver medals at both the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, as well as earning gold at the 2012 World Championships.

Why he’s the best

Victor Hedman is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenseman who currently serves as captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). Hedman was a first-round selection, second overall, of the Lightning in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He is regarded as one of the best defensemen in the NHL, winning the James Norris Memorial Trophy in 2018–19 as the league’s top defenseman.

Hedman’s success has been credited to his large frame and skating ability. He has been described as “a giant on skates”, “a superb skater”, and “a smooth-skating defenseman with good mobility and excellent reach”. Hedman uses his size and skating ability to shutdown opponents’ offensive players, and he is often used as a penalty killer. He is also an offensive threat, scoring many goals and points. In 2018–19, Hedman set career highs in goals (17), assists (56), and points (73), leading all NHL defensemen in scoring.

Drew Doughty

Career accomplishments

Drew Doughty is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and an alternate captain for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected second overall by the Kings in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. He helped the Kings win the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014.During the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals, he became the youngest defenceman to score a goal in Stanley Cup Finals history.

Doughty has represented Canada internationally on several occasions. He won a gold medal at the 2008 World Junior Championships. He was named the tournament’s best defenceman and was voted to the media All-Star team. He also won a silver medal at the 2009 World Championships.

Why he’s the best

Drew Doughty is often considered the best defenceman in the NHL. He’s a two-time Stanley Cup champion, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, and a Norris Trophy winner.

Doughty is an exceptional skater, both in terms of speed and agility. He’s also very strong on his feet, which allows him to win battles in the corners and in front of the net. He’s an excellent passer and has great vision on the ice.

Defensively, Doughty is superb. He’s excellent at reading the play and positioning himself to make a play. He’s also very good at using his stick to break up plays and block shots.

Offensively, Doughty is extremely talented. He has a great shot, which he uses to score goals from the point on the power play. He’s also an excellent playmaker, with superb vision and passing ability.

In sum, Drew Doughty is an exceptional all-around defenceman who excels at both ends of the ice. He’s a key player for the Los Angeles Kings, and one of the best players in the NHL today.