Auston Matthews calls Hurricanes’ Jaccob Slavin the best defensive defenseman in the NHL
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews is used to getting creative to beat Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin.
But for two weeks, they were teammates at the 4 Nations Face-Off in Montreal and Boston with the United States of America. The Americans lost the title game in overtime to Canada, but it still marked a solid overall showing for the nation as it looks to win the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
For many, Slavin’s play opened their eyes to just how good he is, with most pundits considering Slavin to be USA’s best defenseman. And if you ask Matthews, he agrees – but on a much larger scale. The game, funny enough, will see the two former teammates battling it out as Toronto hosts the Hurricanes at Scotiabank Arena at 7:00 PM ET on Saturday evening.
“I always knew how good he was defensively and, but seeing him up close and personal and having him playing on the same team, he is, in my opinion, the best defensive defenseman in the league,” Matthews told reporters Saturday morning.
Slavin led USA with 10 blocks at 5-on-5, while also playing heavy minutes on the penalty kill. While the Americans didn’t win gold, Slavin has essentially solidified a spot for himself on USA’s roster next year.
“I’ve never seen a stick like his. The amount of plays he breaks up, shots that he blocks, and still able to make, you know, great passes, and just the amount of ice that he covers, it was pretty incredible.”
The 30-year-old blueliner was originally drafted 120th overall by the Hurricanes in 2012. At the time, he actually was a decent producer in the USHL, but his bread and butter was always his defensive game. The two-time Lady Byng Trophy winner has 292 points in 721 career games over 10 seasons, including four goals and 20 points in 56 contests this year. Slavin had not played for the United States internationally at the senior level prior to the 4 Nations Face-Off, but did represent the team at the 2011 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, 2012 World Junior A Challenge and 2014 World Juniors.
Slavin’s brother, Josiah Slavin, played for the Toronto Marlies last season, the AHL affiliate of the Maple Leafs.