Ranking the Top Five Defensive Pairings in the NHL
There are a plethora of superstars on the rise in the NHL on defense, but which defensive pair is the top duo in the league?
Hearing conversations about the best defensemen in the NHL is always intriguing because there are a plethora of options to choose from as the perfect model on the back-end. One topic that’s often overlooked, however, is the argument of which defensive pairing is the best in the NHL.
It’s important to consider what makes an elite defensive pairing. Is it one that locks down opposing offenses? Is it one that scores more points than most forward lines in the league? Here, you’ll see a little bit of this, and a little bit of that, as we breakdown who the top five duos are heading into the 2020-21 NHL season.
Without further delay, let’s kick it off with number five on the list to get the blood pumping…
Cale Makar, Ryan Graves. 5. player. 103. . .
For most teams in the NHL, the ideal starting pair on defense is comprised of an elite playmaking defenseman who can join the rush accompanied by a larger, more stay-at-home blueliner who can serve as a safety net for his more offensive partner. A perfect representation of this model are the young Colorado Avalanche defensemen, Cale Makar and Ryan Graves.
Makar, as we all know, is absolutely spectacular at generating offense as shown by his 12 goals and 38 assists in 57 games during his rookie season in 2019-20 – where he was awarded Rookie of the Year, otherwise known as the Calder Trophy, in the NHL. To go alongside him in the upcoming season will be Ryan Graves who stands at an imposing size of 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds. While Cale Makar is scoring goals and making highlight-reel plays, Graves is locking down the opposition by every means necessary.
Stepping into a larger role last season, Graves saw his ice time increase to nearly eight more minutes, as he averaged 11:06 time on ice (TOI) in 26-games played during the 2018-19 season, while jumping to 18:57 in 69 games-played last year. On top of the additional playing time, he recorded career highs in every category, from points (26) and plus/minus (40 +/-), to hits (112) and blocked shots (150).
When the new season kicks off in January of 2021, the Colorado Avalanche are going to be even more dangerous, as Ryan Graves and Cale Makar are looking to improve off their incredible performances from last season. Where Makar and Graves stand right now, they’ve established themselves as the No. 5 defensive pairing in the NHL, and if both of them can somehow play better than they did a year ago, they could find themselves squeaking in as a top three defensive pair in the league. The future is so bright for Colorado it’s blinding.