There were plenty of conversations surrounding the top fantasy defensemen in the NHL this offseason with question marks based largely on one trade in particular that had the potential to shake things up. P.K. Subban was traded from the Montreal Canadiens to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Shea Weber and while at the time it seemed like Montreal was sacrificing offensive production for better defensive play that certainly hasn’t been the case so far. Meanwhile, our early look at the most productive fantasy defensemen has revealed that staples like Dustin Byfuglien, Kris Letang and Drew Doughty have underachieved at their position. Here is a look at the top five fantasy defensemen so far this NHL season.
Shea Weber, Montreal Canadiens
The fact that Weber is the top-ranked fantasy defensemen in the NHL and Subban isn’t in the top-10 at this point speaks volumes about their early season production. Weber leads all defensemen with five goals and he has 11 points, 32 shots on goal, five powerplay points and a plus-15 rating to go with it. Time will tell if Weber can continue to produce at an elite level at the offensive end for the Canadiens but so far this season there has been nobody better from a fantasy perspective at the position.
Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks
Burns leads all NHL defensemen with 12 points and his five goals are tied with Weber for the most at the position so far this season. His value is even higher in leagues that count shot totals as he has 71 shots on goal through just 13 games. The difference between he and Weber right now is fewer penalty minutes, powerplay points and a 15-point difference in plus-minus so far this season. However, Burns is still very capable of being the top-ranked fantasy player at his position and it will be very interesting to see how these rankings play out this season.
Kevin Shattenkirk, St. Louis Blues
Shattenkrik is among the biggest surprises early on this year with 10 points through 14 games. His fantasy stock gets a tremendous boost from the fact that he already has 21 penalty minutes and six powerplay points, which are better numbers in those two categories than what Weber and Burns have produced so far. Shattenkirk isn’t expected to be a top-five fantasy defensemen this season but he is off to an excellent start and his owners have to be pleased with the early season production.
Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators
The top-ranked fantasy defensemen heading in to this season is right there among the league leaders through his first 13 games with 10 points and a plus-five rating. The powerplay production hasn’t been at the level we have seen in previous years as he is stuck on three PPP but the potential is there for Karlsson and the Senators as a team to really pick up the production with the man advantage and that could lead to him heating up. Karlsson has been the most consistent offensive defensemen in the NHL over the last few years so even though he isn’t off to his best start the potential is there for him to finish at the top of his position this season.
Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks
Keith is off to an excellent start with Chicago with 11 assists through 14 games. His 35 shots on goal indicate that the goals are coming and his plus-seven mark is another positive. The Blackhawks have paired Keith and Brent Seabrook on the back end for their top powerplay and as long as Keith continues to get those prime minutes he should be a consistent fantasy producer. It will be difficult for him to finish among the top-10 defensemen, but Keith is off to an excellent start and his potential can’t be overlooked based on the fact that he is in a great situation in Chicago.
The Blackhawks have had an excellent start to the season so far as they’ve picked up 21 points in 14 games. They’ve only lost three times in regulation and currently sit at the top of the Western Conference. Only one other team in the NHL has more points than them.
