Every team craves a rock-solid defensive pairing that can do it all.

Keeping scoring chances away from your net is usually the goal for top
pairings, but being able to contribute offence as well is a completely
different skill. There aren';t many defencemen who are talented at both, never
mind one or the other.Related: 8 Best Lines in the NHL, 2017-18 Edition

Finding that chemistry on a pairing altogether is an even tougher task.
Sometimes, really good defencemen can';t find that partner to gain some
chemistry with. This year in Ottawa, Erik Karlsson couldn';t find chemistry
with Thomas Chabot, Johnny Oduya or Frederik Claesson. Even if he';s one of the
 best defencemen in the world, none of those pairings crack a top-50
league-wide.

This list is about the best pairings in the league in terms of both creating
chances and keeping the biscuit away from their net. It';s also about showing
the ability to do that on a consistent basis.8. Capitals: Matt Niskanen &
Dmitry Orlov

As a pairing at even-strength: 49 Goals For, 39 Goals Against, 55.7% Goals-For,
 49.4% Corsi-For

It might be surprising to see these two crack the list ahead of John Carlson,
but you could make the argument that the Matt Niskanen and Dmitry Orlov pairing
 was one of the most underrated duos in hockey last season.Matt Niskanen
(pictured) and Dmitry Orlov formed one of the most underrated pairings in
hockey last season. (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)

This duo for Washington took on a good chunk of the heavy defensive matchups
and still finished with the fourth-highest goals-for total among all defensive
pairings in hockey. Orlov, in particular, has really evolved into a
well-rounded defenceman after being a flashier offensive guy earlier in his
career.

Niskanen was as consistent as ever, and this pairing further found their groove
 as the team progressed through the playoffs. While Carlson bounced between
partners, Niskanen and Orlov remained a constant for Washington.7. Bruins:
Zdeno Chara & Charlie McAvoy

As a pairing at even-strength: 39 Goals For, 26 Goals Against, 60% Goals-For,
55.3% Corsi-For

These two Boston Bruins have the biggest age gap between them among all
defensive partners in the league. Even though Zdeno Chara is old enough to be
Charlie McAvoy';s dad, the two still formed a rock solid pairing. Their
goals-for stats were aided by the fact that they spent a good chunk of time
with the Bergeron line, but that shouldn';t deter from their effectiveness.

McAvoy was one of the favourites for the Calder Trophy going into the season,
and he didn';t disappoint. Although he was overshadowed in a strong class,
McAvoy consistently produced offence at even strength and found himself on the
right side of the puck possession battle.Charlie McAvoy was a Calder favourite
heading into the season, and he didn';t disappoint. (Photo by Steve
Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

Not only did McAvoy find chemistry with Chara, but McAvoy';s possession stats,
in general, shined, even without Chara. On the other hand, Chara';s Corsi-for
was a shade below 50 percent without McAvoy. Part of that is because his
second-most common partner was Brandon Carlo, who suffered through a sophomore
slump this season.

Still, the fact that Chara is still leading the Bruins in ice time-at 41 years
old -is an impressive feat on its own. Look for McAvoy to surpass him next
season, even if it';s likely that the duo sticks together.6. Lightning: Victor
Hedman & Anton Stralman

As a pairing at even-strength: 20 Goals For, 10 Goals Against, 66.7% Goals-For,
 57.9% Corsi-For

Let';s set one thing straight. This pairing has been one of the best in the NHL
 over the last number of seasons. The only reason why they don';t rank higher
on this list was their lack of playing time together in 2017-18.

Jon Cooper decided to stick Hedman with Jake Dotchin, while Stralman';s most
common partner was rookie Mikhail Sergachev. While both those pairings were
good, they weren';t as dominant as Tampa';s top dogs.Victor Hedman can be
successful with whomever he plays with, but he has an innate chemistry with
Anton Stralman. (Photo by Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images)

No matter who Hedman played with, he was on the ice for two-thirds of his
team';s goals at even-strength. However, when Hedman was with Stralman, the duo
 was decidedly better at getting pucks towards the net.

With Tampa';s depth, they can afford to split up their top guys to mentor the
younger defencemen. When this pairing does play together, they are one of the
most dominant duos in hockey.5. Predators: P.K. Subban & Mattias Ekholm

As a pairing at even-strength: 26 Goals For, 22 Goals Against, 54.2% Goals-For,
 56% Corsi-For

As a testament to how stacked Nashville is on the blue line, Romas Josi and
Mattias Ekholm could have been a candidate for one of the best pairings this
year. Josi was Ekholm';s main partner until Ryan Ellis returned from
injury.P.K. Subban has fit in seamlessly since his trade to the Nashville
Predators. (Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports)

While Ekholm and Josi posted stellar numbers together, P.K. Subban is certainly
 no slouch as a partner either. It sure is a tough life for Ekholm with the
choices of partners he has on defence.

Subban and Ekholm';s goals-for percentage wasn';t stellar, but they improved as
 a pairing as the season went on. That';s really grasping at straws, though,
because this pairing is one of the most effective puck-moving units in hockey.
They also both play with a physical edge, something that';s becoming less
commonplace in today';s NHL.

In the playoffs, it was Subban and Ekholm who formed the definitive top
pairing. They posted more points despite taking more defensive zone faceoffs
than Nashville';s other top pairing (spoiler alert).4. Flames: Dougie Hamilton
& Mark Giordano

As a pairing at even-strength: 53 Goals For, 48 Goals Against, 52.5% Goals-For,
 58.3% Corsi-For

The only pairing on this list that features a player who was traded, Dougie
Hamilton';s departure becomes that much more perplexing when you consider his
effectiveness as a Calgary Flame.

It wasn';t like didn';t receive a decent haul back in the trade, but there';s
no doubt that the traded one of the league';s best defencemen. Even though
Calgary';s defence was leakier then it should have been-Hamilton and Giordano
included-the pairing still formed a potent unit.Dougie Hamilton formed one of
the league';s best pairings with Mark Giordano last season, but he will have
some talented players to mesh with in Carolina. (Sergei Belski-USA TODAY
Sports)

The pairing was an offensive force at five-on-five, with almost 100 more
unblocked shot attempts for at even-strength. Their Corsi-for percentage was
pushing towards 60%, and the offensive potency showed. Hamilton finished with
17 goals on the season, more than any other defenceman. Giordano also finished
with 13 goals.

Their on-ice shooting percentage of 6.17 was lower than most of the top
defensive pairings, suggesting that they could have scored even more. Even
though Hamilton was dealt, both the Flames and Hurricanes flash promise of
having some of the best defences in the NHL heading into next season.3.
Predators: Ryan Ellis & Roman Josi

As a pairing at even-strength: 34 Goals For, 19 Goals Against, 64.2% Goals-For,
 55% Corsi-For

Ekholm and Subban might have been the better pairing in the playoffs, but Ellis
 and Josi were absolutely clinical during the regular season.Ryan Ellis, Filip
Forsberg and Roman Josi celebrate a goal together during the 2017 playoffs.
(Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports)

Even though Ryan Ellis didn';t make his season debut until late December, he
came back and didn';t miss a beat in the lineup. If he suited up for a full 82
games, he was on pace for 18 goals and 59 points. That point total would have
tied Subban';s, and his 18 goals would have led the league for defencemen. He
missed his 2016-17 even-strength point total by a single tally, despite suiting
 up in 27 fewer games.

Josi continues to be one of the most complete, and perhaps underrated,
defencemen in the entire league. He continues to put up the points, and manages
 not to be on the ice for many goals against either. As a pairing, Josi and
Ellis had one of the best goals-for totals in the league. For driving the bus
on offence and for defending at an elite level, the stand as one of the
league';s best pairings in 2017-18.2. Ducks: Josh Manson & Hampus Lindholm

As a pairing at even-strength: 46 Goals For, 26 Goals Against, 63.9% Goals-For,
 53.6% Corsi-For

While you could label Niskanen and Orlov as an underrated pairing, the same
could be said for the duo of Josh Manson and Hampus Lindholm in Anaheim.
Neither defenceman is flashy, but they are incredibly efficient
defensively and have quickly risen as one of the league';s top defensive
pairings.

Lindholm has cemented himself as a complete two-way defender, but 2017-18 was
really Manson';s coming out party. Manson played third-pairing minutes and
established himself as a tough and responsible defenceman. The Ducks took
notice of that and banked on him being a stalwart on the blueline. That led to
them parting ways with guys like Shea Theodore and Sami Vatanen.Josh Manson
earned a bit of Norris love in his breakout season, finishing 17th overall in
voting. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Manson didn';t disappoint after the Ducks'; leap of faith. After being pairing
with Lindholm in November when the Swede returned from injury, the duo formed
one of the most effective units in hockey. Despite playing heavy defensive
minutes, both players came out on the right side of possession and goals-for at
 even-strength. Manson and Lindholm both topped the 30-point plateau as well.

There were other duos in the league who are flashier and get more points.
However, none did it while facing such heavy defensive minutes. Shift after
shift, this duo faced the best players in the league, and they still managed to
 be plus-20 in the goals-for category. That';s no easy feat, making them one of
 the best shutdown duos in hockey.1. Blue Jackets: Seth Jones & Zach Werenski

As a pairing at even-strength: 53 Goals For, 36 Goals Against, 59.6% Goals-For,
 55.4% Corsi-For

TSN';s Travis Yost recently wrote about the NHL becoming younger on the blue
line. With Zach Werenski and Seth Jones being the most successful pairing in
2017-18, that';s only going to help fuel the desire to roster young blueliners.

However, not many can match the effectiveness of Jones and Werenski at such a
young age. Werenski followed up his rookie campaign with an incredible
sophomore season. Even though his overall point total dipped, he scored more
and actually put up more points at even strength.At just 23 years old, Seth
Jones has established himself as one of the best defencemen in hockey. (Amy
Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

While Werenski was solid in his own right, it was Jones who cemented himself as
 a Norris contender for years to come. Jones has incredible on-ice vision along
 with amazing speed and mobility for a defenceman. He has the ability to jump
up in the rush because he';s so quick at getting back on defence.

The pairing together had 32 goals, which was best in the league. Their
goals-for total is also one of the league';s best, and they had a big impact on
 that contribution. Even though they started a good chunk of their shifts in
the offensive zone, they still faced a high quality of competition. For them to
 face top players and still put up so many points is a testament to their
strength as a pairing moving forward.

With Werenski only 21 and Jones only 23, Columbus looks to have one of the most
 formidable pairings in the league for years to come.

Honourable Mentions: Keith Yandle & Aaron Ekblad (Florida), John Klingberg &
Esa Lindell (Dallas), Drew Doughty & Derek Forbort (Los Angeles), Jacob Trouba
& Josh Morrissey (Winnipeg), Brett Pesce & Jaccob Slavin (Carolina), Brayden
McNabb and Nate Schmidt (Vegas)

Do you disagree with this list? Who was your top defensive pairing of 2017-18?
Let us know in the comments below.

The post 8 Best Defence Pairings in the NHL: 2017-18 Edition appeared first on
The Hockey Writers.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheHockeyWrite...
--- SBBSecho 3.05-Win32
 * Origin: TequilaMockingbird Online - Toms River, NJ (1:266/404)