Defensemen don’t get the gaudy statistics or glory that the top centers or wingers in the NHL often do, but they are the backbone of any championship team. In NHL 23, skilled offensive-minded defensemen will help players with great long-range passing and huge slap shots from the point. The best defensemen even have elite skating ability that enables them to help join the rush and get involved in the offense deep in the attacking zone.
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NHL 23’s Defensemen Changes
Players who put a lot of time into NHL 22 will likely see at least some changes in the elite defensemen when NHL 23 launches, as a couple of young blueliners emerged as superstars in 2021-22, while some veterans started to show some decline. Thomas Chabot, the seventh-ranked defenseman in NHL 22, finished as only the 36th-highest point getter among the position in 2021-22, moving out of the group of elite players once NHL 23 arrives.
It is important to note that not all defensemen of the same rating are equal, and not all attributes are equally important in a blue liner. Offensive defensemen are far more valuable in NHL 23 Head-to-Head and Ultimate Team and attributes like skating, shooting, passing, and offensive awareness attributes will carry a lot more weight than others when determining the best defenders in the game.
John Carlson, Washington Capitals, 89 Overall
John Carlson is a perfect example of a steady, quality defenseman who excels at everything and can be on the ice in any situation for his team. Of his 71 points last season, 25 of them came on the power play, largely due to Carlson’s elite possession and puck-moving abilities, on top of good vision and a shot that can create rebounds close to the net for his teammates. Feeding Alex Ovechkin in NHL 23 on the power play also helps pad the stats a bit, but John Carlson still has the skills to generate plenty of offense on his own.
Carlson’s skill set might not translate to NHL23’s Ultimate Team or Head-to-Head as well as some other defensemen’s abilities do, but he can still be a reliable and steady option for players that want to focus their attack on their forwards. Later in the game cycle, Carlson will likely be a better option on the second or third defensive pairing for many competitive Ultimate Team squads, but early on, he will serve as a solid top-pairing defenseman.
Adam Fox, New York Rangers, 90 Overall
The latest elite defenseman to break into the league, Adam Fox is a dominant offensive player that can handle any situation on the ice and has proven to be one of the Rangers’ best young players. Only the 15th-highest rated defenseman in NHL 22, Fox’s 71 points last season should propel his overall rating toward the top in the game with improved shooting, passing, and vision attributes.
Fox is not an overly physical player, so NHL 23 players will have to leverage his offensive abilities to maximize having him in their lineup. Gamers who tend to play a style that utilizes long, jailbreak-type passes to forwards will enjoy having Adam Fox as part of their roster in NHL 23 Ultimate Team or using the Rangers in Head-to-Head.
Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning, 92 Overall
Victor Hedman scored 85 points in 2021-22 while leading the Tampa Bay Lightning to their third consecutive Stanley Cup Final. Hedman is steady, and his skill is spread out evenly offensively, fitting in very nicely with Tampa’s possession style game that focuses on dominating time of possession and shots on goal. Hedman has been one of the best players in the NHL series in years past, largely due to his elite skating, shot power, and puck handling.
Hedman’s shot makes him one of the best pack pulls you can get in Hockey Ultimate Team, and he will serve as a foundation of a great team to use in Head-to-Head for players that prefer that mode. The Lightning are a possession-based team, so players looking to play with a speedy transition attack should perhaps choose a different team. However, for players that pass a lot and like to control the puck, Hedman and the Lightning will be more than competitive.
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Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche, 93 Overall
Like the Avalanche team he patrols the blue line for, Cale Makar is the embodiment of a highlight reel with his puck handling, speed, vision, and shooting, making him the best defenseman in the game at just 23 years old. Makar is the type of player that qualifies as one of the best for any type of game mode in NHL 23, with his ability to turn on a dime and freeze both the defenders and goaltender while setting up a teammate or burying a goal himself.
Any player who pulls Makar in a pack on day one for Ultimate Team is lucky, as they will have scored an early foundation for their team, with a blueliner that plays like the best forwards NHL 23. His attributes make him a great fit for players who either love a puck possession game, or for those who prefer a quick strike kind of offense that revolves around speed, deking, and great passing.
Roman Josi, Nashville Predators, 93 Overall
Despite leading all defensemen with 96 points in 2021-22, Roman Josi did not win the Norris Trophy for best defenseman last season, as the dynamic Cale Makar captured the award. Unlike Makar, Josi does not play for a team that is loaded with offensive talent, making his point total even more impressive, as he’s forced to carry more of the load for the Nashville Predators.
Josi also isn’t as skilled as Makar in attributes that reward players who are good with the skill sticks in NHL 23 like deking and puck control. He is a more balanced defenseman, and while that plays well in the actual NHL where Josi is a superstar, in NHL 23 a player like Makar will be preferred by many gamers due to his dynamic ability that allows for more creativity. Still, Josi will be a great option for Predators fans and players who are looking for a solid defenseman to have anchoring their first or second pairing on their Ultimate Team roster.
NHL 23 is scheduled to release on October 14th, 2022 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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