Ranking the Top Five Defensive Pairings in the NHL
. Roman Josi, Ryan Ellis. 3. player. 151. .
Apart from a select few individuals, not many players in the league could give Roman Josi a run for his money and despite turning 30-years old this past summer, he has shown zero signs of regression. As a matter of fact, he’s only gotten better as time has moved on. Last season he recorded his fewest games played (69) in 7 years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and he still registered career-highs in goals (16), assists (49), and points (65). On top of this monumental season for the Switzerland native, he was awarded the Norris Trophy – given to the league’s best defenseman during the regular season.
As for his partner, Ryan Ellis, he didn’t have too bad of a season himself in 2019-20, tallying 8 goals and 30 assists for 38 total points, with 9 of those points coming on the power play. Ellis was also able to maintain a solid +16 plus/minus (+ for being on the ice during a goal for / – for being on the ice during a goal against). Obviously, compared to Josi, these numbers aren’t as impressive, but knowing that he did all of this in 49-games played changes that.
This pairing is one that is difficult to decipher solely because of the impact that Roman Josi has on the game. As a result of this, it’s difficult to analyze if Ryan Ellis is suffering from the Patrick Kane effect or not. What that means, essentially, is that when you play with one of the best players in the league, they’re able to make up for your flaws and blemishes by gifting you a plethora of scoring opportunities. While Ellis can get his name on the stat-sheet, you have to stop and ask how much Roman Josi has to do with it.
Regardless of the fact that there is reasonable speculation around Ryan Ellis, this defensive pairing ranks above Hedman and Sergachev due to their ability to create unrelenting pressure on the opposing team with their incredible playmaking abilities, along with the fact that they’ve both made at least one All-Star Game appearance respectively. Their ages may be getting up there, but their production hasn’t slowed down, and the 2020-21 NHL season should be no different as they rank as the number three pair in the league right now with still much to prove.