The five worst defenses in the American Hockey League last season were the Calgary Wranglers, Belleville Senators, Hartford Wolf Pack, Lehigh Valley Phantoms, and Rockford IceHogs. Which ones will bounce back?
To wrap up this series of looking at the five best and worst from last season, it’s time to look at the five worst defenses from 2025-26. Will they improve? Why will they improve? Presumably they will with an American Hockey League offseason’s worth of changes.
While many of the bottom five offenses went through head coaching changes this summer, only one defense has a new coach. Otherwise, the bet is that moves this summer will help these units improve, along with the rest of the team.
Calgary Wranglers (3.73 Goals Per Game)
It might come as a surprise to find out that the Calgary Wranglers had the worst defense in the AHL last season. It’s surprising considering their prospect pool is known for its defensemen and goaltending. That said, with Dustin Wolf now in the NHL, the goaltending struggled, and in the Pacific Division, which is known for offense, they became the punching bag.
The optimism starts with the defensemen in the pipeline who should be on the Wranglers this season. Zayne Perekh is slated to be on the Calgary Flames this season after another year of development. However, Abram Wiebe, who they acquired in the Rasmus Andersson trade, plus the 21-year-old Hunter Brzustewicz, should be on the AHL team this season to help the defense.
It also helps that the Wranglers brought in Mike Benning, a veteran shutdown option who will be an everyday staple of the blue line. While they still have questions in the net, the Wranglers should have a better defense, one that might be in the top half of the league.
Belleville Senators (3.63 Goals Per Game)
The Belleville Senators were a mess on the defensive end last season, and it didn’t change despite a midseason coaching change. Everything that went wrong for the B-Sens did, with call-ups, injuries, and struggles in the net costing them on the defensive end. It’s why they had the worst record in the North Division despite an above-average offense.
The optimism starts with the bounce back between the pipes. Leevi Merilainen is one of the top prospects in the Ottawa Senators system and if anything, he can make a case to backup Linus Ullmark by midseason. It also helps that Samuel Ersson was brought in as a backup option.
The other plus is the improvements to the blue line. Christian Kyrou was brought in as a puck handler who could add stability, while Carter Yakemchuk will have another season under his belt and be a much-improved defenseman because of it. In all, the Senators should improve on the defensive end at the AHL level, while adding a prospect or two for the NHL team.
Hartford Wolf Pack (3.51 Goals Per Game)
The Hartford Wolf Pack were one of the few teams to have a bottom-five offense and a bottom-five defense, which understandably resulted in the worst record in the AHL. With Jay Leach behind the bench, they’ll play with more stability, which is expected to help the defense.
The Wolf Pack didn’t have an impressive offseason, as they brought in a lot of veteran talent. That said, the few moves they made addressed their issues on defense. William Trudeau was acquired in the Brett Berard trade, while Dennis Cholowski was signed as a veteran who could play in the NHL as a depth player or be a top-four option for the Pack.
The other question is whether the New York Rangers are patient with Alberts Smits, their first-round selection. He looks NHL-ready, but defensemen take time to develop, and both Smits and the Wolf Pack can benefit with him starting in the AHL. Otherwise, expect a rebound from this unit.
Lehigh Valley Phantoms (3.43 Goals Per Game)
It was a surprise to see the Lehigh Valley Phantoms end the season with one of the worst defenses in the AHL. It’s explainable considering the team collapsed in the second half, and their goaltending was among the worst. It also came at the cost of the Philadelphia Flyers making a playoff push and snapping the drought thanks to a youth movement.
This defense can bounce back but the Phantoms face more questions than most bottom-five units. The goaltending, which let them down last season, is the same, so the hope is that Aleksei Kolosov and Carson Bjarnason bounce back. It also doesn’t help that the defense, notably the veterans on the unit from the previous season, left in free agency.
There is a blueprint to a defensive resurgence. It starts with David Jiricek and Oliver Bonk, two prospects who are borderline NHLers, carrying the defense. The Phantoms also need their forwards to step up defensively after struggling to do so last season, and for that, a lot of eyes will be on Jett Luchanko, who will likely center the top line.
Rockford IceHogs (3.40 Goals Per Game)
Like the Phantoms, there’s a path to the Rockford IceHogs defense turning things around. If Kevin Korchinski takes a big step defensively, it will set the tone. Plus, Connor Mackey and Derrick Pouliot, two veterans who were recent additions to the blue line, stepped up as the anchors of the unit.
The other plus is the team finally buying into Jared Nightingale’s system. This is his second season behind the bench and it’s a make or break year for the head coach. This is the season he can get the turnaround from the defense.
The biggest obstacle is the Chicago Blackhawks, who have a long-standing history of calling up prospects before they are ready. With all the pressure on them to make the playoffs, they might do the same this season. It will leave the IceHogs with a depleted roster and weak links on the defensive end.
