Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, Rasmus Dahlin, Zach Werenski, Matthew Schaefer, and soon, Landon DuPont have the NHL heading into a golden age of defensemen.
The need for a true No. 1 defender in the NHL has grown exponentially in importance. While it remains possible to win by committee, the current style of hockey favors an all-around defenseman who can dictate the game from the backend.
The NHL has a few elite defensemen who are in the prime of their careers right now: Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, Rasmus Dahlin, Zach Werenski, Evan Bouchard, and, although he’s not in his prime, Matthew Schaefer has a serious chance at being the youngest defenseman to win a Norris since Bobby Orr in 1968.
With that said, the NHL has a few more guys not there just yet, but they will be in the Norris conversation for years to come. Montreal’s season ended with a bitter ending against the Carolina Hurricanes, but they can at least smile at the fact that Lane Hutson is making less than eight million dollars per year.
Moritz Seider is getting better every year; Miro Heiskanen is finally going into an off-season that isn’t filled with injuries, so he should be looked at as a top name going into next season; Jackson LaCombe just had a breakout season and went to the Olympics at age 25; Jake Sanderson is looking like a true No. 1 guy at 23 years old, Minnesota should feel lucky because they have two top-pair guys, and Brock Faber happens to be 23 years old.
The next couple of drafts could also produce many high-end defensemen who are truly looking elite. In 2026, the draft features defenders like Carson Carels, Chase Reid, Alberts Smits, Daxon Rudolph, Keaton Verhoeff, and even Xavier Villeneuve, all of whom have high ceilings.
The 2027 draft will not be like 2026, where the consensus best player goes to college and then questions arise about whether they’re truly elite.
Landon Dupont is truly generational.
He’s so much more than an offensive defenseman. When people compare him to Makar, they aren’t overreacting. He impacts the game in every single area, and like Makar, the college game is going to make him remarkably good.
The current and upcoming talent are setting hockey fans up for one of the greatest eras for elite defensemen.
It wouldn’t shock me if 16 out of the 18 names mentioned end up as Hall of Famers.
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