Ranking the top-10 defensemen in the Metro Division

Adam Fox remains the top dog but there was plenty of movement beyond him, including a pair of rising New Jersey Devils.

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Every summer I rank the best Metro Division players by position and see how the New Jersey Devils stack up in each grouping.

I started the series last week by looking at the best goaltenders, and best centers, the Metro has to offer.

Up next are the defensemen. Let’s get right to it.

1. Adam Fox (Last Year: 1)

Fox comes in at No. 1 for the third year in a row. Although his GAR actually dipped a little bit last season, he still led all defensemen to play in the Metro Division (+14.8 GAR) while producing 70+ points for the second straight year.

Fox is the perfect modern-day defenseman. He isn’t overly physical but he uses his smarts, positioning, and stick work to help kill possessions and get the puck back. With it on his stick, he’s one of the most dangerous players in the sport.

His in-zone passing is remarkably good and he has the perfect knack for getting lost in the fray and jumping up to pounce on scoring chances himself.

Last season Fox recorded more 5v5 points than forwards like Alex DeBrincat, Tomas Hertl, Matt Boldy, and Pierre-Luc Dubois while serving as one of the league’s most dangerous distributors on the power play.

Fox is also a fantastic play driver who simply gets results. He finished with a +22 rating at 5v5 – and a 54 xGF% – on a team that was not exactly great in that gamestate.

The Rangers were only +5, and controlled ~46% of the expected goal share, without their top defenseman on the ice.

2. Erik Karlsson (LY: N/A)

The way some people talk about Karlsson and the Penguins’ acquisition of him is absolutely ridiculous. He is not some washed up veteran who can’t play and he is not a crazy liability who is as likely to hurt his team as help on any given shift. That’s so far from the truth it’s hard to fathom anyone believing it.

Last season Karlsson scored as many 5v5 goals as snipers like Mika Zibanejad, Steven Stamkos, John Tavares and Jake Guentzel while recording more points than all but *checks notes* Nathan MacKinnon.

He also drove play – his xGF was higher than 53% – and helped the Sharks play opponents level.

That may not sound overly impressive but it certainly is given a) the amount of minutes Karlsson played; b) the lack of supporting talent and; c) how bad the Sharks were without 65 on the ice.

An even goal differential is pretty damn good when you consider the Sharks were a whopping -52 without Karlsson. Yes, -52.

Let me provide you with a little more perspective here.

The Minnesota Wild posted a 50.88% goal share at 5v5. Erik Karlsson posted a 50% goal share at 5v5.

The San Jose Sharks posted a 37.5% goal share at 5v5 without Karlsson. The 32nd ranked Anaheim Ducks posted a 38.97% goal share at 5v5.

That’s right; the Sharks garnered nearly the same results as the Wild with Karlsson on the ice and fared worse than a 23 win Ducks team without him. But tell me again how Karlsson doesn’t make the Penguins better.

Is Karlsson perfect defensively? No. Is he even good defensively? Probably not. But his offensive game is so, so, so, so, so, so, advanced that his overall net impact is a huge positive anyways.