After looking at the best offenses from the past week, let’s take a look at the top five defenses from last season and whether they can maintain success this season.
With all the turnover that comes with the American Hockey League, it’s hard to maintain success. It’s harder to have a top-five defense from one season to the next when a great goaltender or a shutdown defenseman on a team one year is in the NHL the next.
The best defenses in 2025-26 were the Grand Rapids Griffins, Providence Bruins, Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins, Ontario Reign, and Charlotte Checkers. It’s unlikely those defenses are dominant this season but a few have the pieces in place to remain great.
Grand Rapids Griffins (2.20 Goals Per Game)
There’s a world where the Griffins have a lights-out defense again. It starts with Michal Postava building off a strong second half in the net while Trey Augustine emerges as a viable backup goaltender. With strong goaltending, a well-coached team, and veteran defensemen, the Griffins' defense can pick up where it left off.
It’s unlikely the Griffins replicate the success from the past season. They lost a lot of talent in the offseason, including changes to the defense. More importantly, with Sebastian Cossa traded to the Utah Mammoth, the Griffins are hoping their two young goaltenders can replace a workhorse in the net.
The common theme with the Griffins is that they are expected to take a step back. This applies to their offense, defense, and team as a whole. That said, they’ll remain one of the best teams with a strong defense leading the way.
Providence Bruins (2.25 goals per game)
The Providence Bruins hired Trent Whitfield this week with the hopes that he picks up where Ryan Mougenel left off while tweaking his systems for the better. The problem Whitfield faces is an overhauled roster from the past season.
The Bruins will be without Michael DiPietro this season, the back-to-back AHL Goaltender of the Year winner. Likewise, the veterans who set the tone and led the team to the league’s best record in 2025-26 are gone. It’s a rebuilding team that hopes to lean on the prospect more than they have in the past.
All this points to a drop-off on the defensive end. The Bruins might struggle defensively and have one of the worst units in the league. It comes with all the turnover, and it’s something the Bruins are willing to handle.
Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins (2.58 Goals Per Game)
Sergei Murashov was one of the best goaltenders in the AHL last season and is slated to split starts with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was the AHL team’s best player and often stole games with dominant play in the net.
Without Murashov, the defense won’t be the same. A drop is not only expected, but it’s also inevitable. Throw in the loss of a few vets, and the defense might fall into the bottom half of the league.
That’s also an unlikely scenario. The Penguins still have Joel Blomqvist, who put together a strong season as the backup, to lean on as the starter. Plus, a few prospects will stick around for most of the season, whether it’s Owen Pickering or Harrison Brunicke. It will leave the Penguins with a top-10 defense that can possibly end the season in the top five.
Ontario Reign (2.59 Goals Per Game)
The one Pacific Division team with a top-five defense was the Ontario Reign. They shut teams down and did so without the elite goaltending that some of the other teams had. Yes, Erik Portillo had a great season but the defensemen were what kept the unit dominant all season.
That’s the first reason to believe they’ll remain great on the defensive end next season. It also helps that a lot of the core is returning next season, from the shutdown defensemen to the power forwards who can defend.
Throw in a strong offseason where the Reign added talent to all three units, and they’ll not only remain one of the best teams in the league but also have a great defense leading the way. The only obstacle for Andrew Lord is whether the Los Angeles Kings choose to rebuild and call up some of the players on their AHL team, which will change the dynamics.
Charlotte Checkers (2.59 Goals Per Game)
The Checkers having a top-five defense might come as a surprise. They play a fast-paced style, generating 40 or more shots on net. Usually, that brand of hockey leads to defensive struggles. However, it’s the way Geordie Kinnear wants the Checkers to play, and it wears teams down. It’s why this team had a top-five defense in each of the past two seasons.
Is it sustainable? The talent drain from the offseason will force the Checkers to adapt and stumble out of the gate. They’ll struggle to start the season and, over time, will buy into Kinnear's system with hopes of it improving the defense.
The plus for the Checkers is that Cooper Black is returning and will be the starting goaltender. Black found his footing last season and is slowly becoming one of the best goaltenders in the AHL. It’s why the Checkers should have a top-10 and maybe top-five defense again.
