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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
14. John Carlson, D, WSH
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. Shea Theodore, D, VGK
30. Mattias Samuelsson, D, BUF
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. Mike Matheson, D, MTL
38. Mattias Ekholm, D, EDM
39. Alexander Nikishin, D, CAR (rookie)
40. Vladislav Gavrikov, D, NYR
41. Justin Faulk, D, STL
42. Bowen Byram, D, BUF
43. Jake Walman, D, EDM
44. Sean Durzi, D, UTA
45. Aaron Ekblad, D, FLA
46. Noah Hanifin, D, VGK
47. Filip Hronek, D, VAN
48. Colton Parayko, D, STL
49. Uvis Balinskis, D, FLA
50. Zayne Parekh, D, CGY (rookie)

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Key injuries:

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

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Just missed:

Radko Gudas, D, ANA
Travis Sanheim, D, PHI
Ryan Shea, D, PIT
Dmitry Orlov, D, SJS
Simon Nemec, D, NJD

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