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NHL.com ranks the top 50 fantasy hockey defensemen in standard leagues for the rest of the 2025-26 season. For more coverage, visit NHL.com/Fantasy.

Fantasy categories taken into account for these rankings include goals, assists, power-play points, shots on goal, hits and blocked shots for skaters. 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 2025-26 season.

1. Cale Makar, D, COL
2. Quinn Hughes, D, MIN
3. Zach Werenski, D, CBJ
4. Evan Bouchard, D, EDM
5. Jakob Chychrun, D, WSH
6. Lane Hutson, D, MTL
7. Darren Raddysh, D, TBL
8. Jake Sanderson, D, OTT
9. Rasmus Dahlin, D, BUF
10. Roman Josi, D, NSH
11. Moritz Seider, D, DET
12. Miro Heiskanen, D, DAL
13. Josh Morrissey, D, WPG (INJ.)
14. John Carlson, D, WSH (INJ.)
15. Matthew Schaefer, D, NYI (rookie)
16. Victor Hedman, D, TBL 
17. Brock Faber, D, MIN
18. Shayne Gostisbehere, D, CAR 
19. Charlie McAvoy, D, BOS
20. Mikhail Sergachev, D, UTA
21. Dougie Hamilton, D, NJD
22. Jackson LaCombe, D, ANA
23. Brandon Montour, D, SEA 
24. Noah Dobson, D, MTL
25. Vince Dunn, D, SEA
26. Erik Karlsson, D, PIT
27. MacKenzie Weegar, D, CGY
28. Thomas Harley, D, DAL 
29. Mattias Samuelsson, D, BUF
30. Shea Theodore, D, VGK
31. Rasmus Andersson, D, VGK
32. Brandt Clarke, D, LAK
33. Thomas Chabot, D, OTT
34. Jacob Trouba, D, ANA
35. Darnell Nurse, D, EDM
36. Sam Rinzel, D, CHI (rookie)
37. Kris Letang, D, PIT
38. Mike Matheson, D, MTL
39. Mattias Ekholm, D, EDM
40. Alexander Nikishin, D, CAR (rookie)
41. Uvis Balinskis, D, FLA
42. Justin Faulk, D, STL
43. Bowen Byram, D, BUF
44. Jake Walman, D, EDM
45. Sean Durzi, D, UTA
46. Aaron Ekblad, D, FLA
47. Noah Hanifin, D, VGK
48. Filip Hronek, D, VAN
49. Colton Parayko, D, STL
50. Vladislav Gavrikov, D, NYR

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Key injuries:

Adam Fox, D, NYR
Luke Hughes, D, NJD
Seth Jones, D, FLA
Alex Pietrangelo, D, VGK (likely out for season)

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Just missed:

Radko Gudas, D, ANA
Owen Power, D, BUF
Travis Sanheim, D, PHI
J.J. Moser, D, TBL
Simon Nemec, D, NJD

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Other rookie to watch:

Zayne Parekh, D, CGY

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