Most Dominant NHL Defense Pairings To Start The 2026-27 Season

A top defense pairing in the NHL can dominate games and win their team the contest single-handedly.

Some of the best defensive duos this season were expected to perform at this standard, some are exceeding expectations, and a few have hit it off after an injury sparked some significant change.

In this one-month-old 2026-27 NHL season, here are some of the top defense pairs according to the underlying numbers and advanced stats at 5-on-5. It shouldn't be a surprise that these teams hang around the top of the league in the standings.

(All stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick)

Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley have been a dominant defense pair for the Dallas Stars. However, it was just a temporary duo in the absence of Esa Lindell. Lindell and Heiskanen were reunited on Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Regardless if Heiskanen and Harley are ever paired for the rest of the season or not, the point is they were outstanding together, and that should surprise no one given their talents.

Among D-pairs to play at least 100 minutes together, Heiskanen and Harley lead the league in expected goals share at 5-on-5 with a whopping 76.71 percent. With that, they've logged the lowest expected goals against by the same criteria, earning 1.83. They're the only pair to achieve an expected goals against rate lower than two.

With the long-term loss of defensemen Brock Faber, the Minnesota Wild's D-corps have fared and held up pretty well. Specifically, the defense pairing of superstar Quinn Hughes and Jonas Brodin has been stellar.

This duo is second in the NHL in Corsi share at 62.75 percent among pairs to play at least 100 minutes together. They also stand tall in the expected goals category, ranking seventh with an 11.24, and an expected goals share of 67.44 percent (second in the league).

These two are great together, with Brodin more of a shutdown blueliner playing on his off side, and Hughes is second among D-men in points with 21 this season.

The Edmonton Oilers' partnership of Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard doesn't lead the way in any Corsi categories, but they can score like no other in the NHL.

Part of that could be related to Connor McDavid's otherworldly offensive production, but Bouchard has been excellent in his own right by leading all defensemen with 26 points. If it weren't for his two Oiler teammates, he'd be leading the league in scoring.

However, it's not all offense for these two. While they've been on the ice for 17 goals for Edmonton, they've only given up three, equalling a whopping 85 percent goal share, the best in the NHL.

Sometimes offense is the best defense, and Ekholm and Bouchard's ability to supply the team's top superstars has been effective, and certainly plays a part in the Oilers' impressive start to the year.

For a team that is known for shutting down its opponents, and a pairing of Jaccob Slavin and Jalen Chatfield resembling that, these two are the best in the league in the expected goals-for department at 15.24 among pairings to play 100 minutes together.

It's no surprise that the Carolina Hurricanes, defending Stanley Cup champions and the current league leaders, have one of the best D-corps in the league, and blueliners who are able to be effective on both sides of the puck.

They've also been on the ice for 128 scoring chances — second-most in the league among pairings to play 100 minutes together — and second in Corsi at 265.

Almost just as impressive as the previous pairing, K'Andre Miller and Sean Walker have also been very efficient for the Hurricanes.

In addition to Miller being one of the fastest players in the NHL, he and Walker also contribute offensively like the previously mentioned D-pairing in Carolina.

They lead the league in Corsi at 273 and are second in the league in Corsi share among pairs to play at least 200 minutes together at 58.46 percent. They're also fourth in 100-minute defense pairs in expected goals at 11.74.

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