Now that a handful of games from the 2024 NHL regular season are in the books, we have enough information to start drawing some serious conclusions. This holds especially true for player rankings, and it's why we're taking this opportunity to discuss the best NHL defensemen in 2023-2024.
Of course, because this season is still so young, we're not only basing our findings off the sub-10-game sample we're working with as of this writing. The beginning of any year is mostly about monitoring the pecking order for any seismic changes from the previous campaign.
To build our list of the NHL's best current defensemen, we'll rely heavily on what we saw from the top NHL defensemen in 2024, including the Stanley Cup playoffs. We will also take into account what we've watched thus far, in addition to how likely players are to hold their current position for the rest of the year.
And in case you're wondering, this snapshot of the NHL's defensive hierarchy does serve a sports-betting purpose. The folks over at Bovada actually provide odds for who will win Defensive Player of the Year. If nothing else, it clues you in on which teams to monitor as you consider any NHL futures.
The NHL Norris Trophy odds were last updated on January 8, 2024:
| NHL Norris Trophy 2023-2024 |  |
|---|---|
| Quinn Hughes | +220 |
| Cale Makar | +300 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | +700 |
| Adam Fox | +1200 |
| Miro Heiskanen | +2000 |
| Charlie McAvoy | +2500 |
| Dougie Hamilton | +2500 |
| Roman Josi | +3000 |
| Evan Bouchard | +3000 |
| Victor Hedman | +3000 |
This Year's Favorites
Here are the top candidates for the Norris Trophy in 2023-2024. See their full odds to win the Norris Trophy above.
- Quinn Hughes (Canucks)
- Cale Makar (Avalanche)
- Evan Bouchard (Oilers)
- Noah Dobson (Islanders)
- Miro Heiskanen (Stars)
- Victor Hedman (Lightning)
- Charlie McAvoy (Bruins)
- Adam Fox (Rangers)
- Josh Morrissey (Jets)
- Rasmus Dahlin (Sabres)
Top 10 Best NHL Defensemen
Here are some of the top defensemen from years past. These are the ones we really love, even if they did not end up winning the Norris Trophy. Each one of these NHL defense players brings their own style, so it is impossible to compare directly. Getting to know these historical figures will help you make decisions going forward!
- Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars
- Dougie Hamilton, Carolina Hurricanes
- Seth Jones, Columbus Blue Jackets
- Alex Pietrangelo, Vegas Golden Knights
- Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
- Charlie McAvoy, Boston Bruins
- Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Roman Josi, Nashville Predators
- John Carlson, Washington Capitals
- Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
Past Winners of the Norris Trophy
Here is a complete list of past winner of the Norris Trophy. Knowing the betting history of the best defensemen in the NHL is key to making the best Norris Trophy bets going forward. Fr example, you will notice that the same player can earn the Norris Trophy several years in a row. While this was a stronger trend in the early years of the award, it nonetheless remains relevant.
- 1953–54 - Red Kelly Detroit Red Wings
- 1954–55 - Doug Harvey Montreal Canadiens
- 1955–56 - Doug Harvey Montreal Canadiens
- 1956–57 - Doug Harvey Montreal Canadiens
- 1957–58 - Doug Harvey Montreal Canadiens
- 1958–59 - Tom Johnson Montreal Canadiens
- 1959–60 - Doug Harvey Montreal Canadiens
- 1960–61 - Doug Harvey Montreal Canadiens
- 1961–62 - Doug Harvey New York Rangers
- 1962–63 - Pierre Pilote Chicago Black Hawks
- 1963–64 - Pierre Pilote Chicago Black Hawks
- 1964–65 - Pierre Pilote Chicago Black Hawks
- 1965–66 - Jacques Laperriere Montreal Canadiens
- 1966–67 - Harry Howell New York Rangers
- 1967–68 - Bobby Orr Boston Bruins
- 1968–69 - Bobby Orr Boston Bruins
- 1969–70 - Bobby Orr Boston Bruins
- 1970–71 - Bobby Orr Boston Bruins
- 1971–72 - Bobby Orr Boston Bruins
- 1972–73 - Bobby Orr Boston Bruins
- 1973–74 - Bobby Orr Boston Bruins
- 1974–75 - Bobby Orr Boston Bruins
- 1975–76 - Denis Potvin New York Islanders
- 1976–77 - Larry Robinson Montreal Canadiens
- 1977–78 - Denis Potvin New York Islanders
- 1978–79 - Denis Potvin New York Islanders
- 1979–80 - Larry Robinson Montreal Canadiens
- 1980–81 - Randy Carlyle Pittsburgh Penguins
- 1981–82 - Doug Wilson Chicago Black Hawks
- 1982–83 - Rod Langway Washington Capitals
- 1983–84 - Rod Langway Washington Capitals
- 1984–85 - Paul Coffey Edmonton Oilers
- 1985–86 - Paul Coffey Edmonton Oilers
- 1986–87 - Ray Bourque Boston Bruins
- 1987–88 - Ray Bourque Boston Bruins
- 1988–89 - Chris Chelios Montreal Canadiens
- 1989–90 - Ray Bourque Boston Bruins
- 1990–91 - Ray Bourque Boston Bruins
- 1991–92 - Brian Leetch New York Rangers
- 1992–93 - Chris Chelios Chicago Blackhawks
- 1993–94 - Ray Bourque Boston Bruins
- 1994–95 - Paul Coffey Detroit Red Wings
- 1995–96 - Chris Chelios Chicago Blackhawks
- 1996–97 - Brian Leetch New York Rangers
- 1997–98 - Rob Blake Los Angeles Kings
- 1998–99 - Al MacInnis St. Louis Blues
- 1999–2000 - Chris Pronger St. Louis Blues
- 2000–01 - Nicklas Lidstrom Detroit Red Wings
- 2001–02 - Nicklas Lidstrom Detroit Red Wings
- 2002–03 - Nicklas Lidstrom Detroit Red Wings
- 2003–04 - Scott Niedermayer New Jersey Devils
- 2004–05 NHL lockout – No winner — —
- 2005–06 - Nicklas Lidstrom Detroit Red Wings
- 2006–07 - Nicklas Lidstrom Detroit Red Wings
- 2007–08 -Nicklas Lidstrom Detroit Red Wings
- 2008–09 - Zdeno Chara Boston Bruins
- 2009–10 - Duncan Keith Chicago Blackhawks
- 2010–11 - Nicklas Lidstrom Detroit Red Wings
- 2011–12 - Erik Karlsson Ottawa Senators
- 2012–13 P- . K. Subban Montreal Canadiens
- 2013–14 - Duncan Keith Chicago Blackhawks
- 2014–15 - Erik Karlsson Ottawa Senators
- 2015–16 - Drew Doughty Los Angeles Kings
- 2016–17 - Brent Burns San Jose Sharks
- 2017–18 - Victor Hedman Tampa Bay Lightning
- 2018–19 - Mark Giordano Calgary Flames
- 2019–20 - Roman Josi Nashville Predators
- 2020–21 - Adam Fox New York Rangers
- 2021–22 - Cale Makar Colorado Avalanche
- 2022-23 - Erik Karlsson Pittsburgh Penguins
Betting on the NHL
Check out the below list of the best online sportsbooks so you can decide which one to use for all your NHL betting:
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