Top five defensemen thriving with new teams in 2024-25

Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

A week ago, we looked at five goaltenders thriving in their new homes. So how about we look to their buddies they love to hate – defensemen?

It was an interesting offseason for teams around the league looking to upgrade their bluelines. Many of the NHL’s top free agents this year were blueliners – Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei and Brandon Montour were near the top of most lists. Beyond that, though, teams were mostly chasing depth pieces or players who specialized in certain aspects of the game as opposed to being real difference-makers at the top. Some teams haven’t seen big returns just yet – Skjei has had his struggles, while the Boston Bruins have needed more from Nikita Zadorov.

But these five players have looked great swapping teams over the offseason. One player who didn’t make it but deserves a special shoutout is Philip Broberg. He was a massive part of the St. Louis Blues early in the season before suffering an upper-body injury earlier this month. Hopefully, he’ll be back firing on all cylinders once he returns because he made them a more dangerous outfit every night.

So, here’s a look at five defenders looking strong with new clubs:

Shayne Gostisbehere, Carolina Hurricanes

Nobody will confuse Gostisbehere with being a standout defender. But he knows a thing or two about putting points on the board, and with 13 points in 17 games, he’s on pace to crack 60 for the second time in his career. Playing with a steady force on the third pairing, like Sean Walker, allows Gostisbehere to move freely and play his own game. The pairing is working, too – they’re fourth in expected goal percentage in the NHL among defensive pairings with at least 100 minutes played together this year. Gostisbehere might be flawed in his own zone, but his ability to act as a fourth forward out there makes the Hurricanes a heck of a lot more dangerous with the puck.

Brandon Montour, Seattle Kraken

After six years of struggling to become an impact NHLer, Montour saw his game explode with 73 points in 2022-23. He saw his output fall by 40 last year (albeit he missed 16 games due to injury), but he was still a big reason why the Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup. It would have been understandable if he saw his offense drop on a weaker Kraken team, but he’s actually on pace to register 50 points for the second time in his NHL career. The well-rounded offensive defenseman is averaging 23:48 in ice time, two more minutes than in his four years with the Panthers. As long as he continues to perform as well as he is, the Kraken will continue to give him opportunities to excel in a leading role.

Jakob Chychrun, Washington Capitals

An upper-body injury took Chychrun out for five games earlier this year, but he still has looked damn good for the Caps. He had four points in his first four games back in November and is on pace to break 50 points for the first time in his career. Chychrun is in a contract year and will want a pay raise from his $4.6 million cap hit – and, honestly, he’s looking worth it given how much he has helped rejuvenate the team’s back end. He’s been great with John Carlson on the top pairing, helping to make one of the more dangerous offensive duos on any team’s blueline.

Mikhail Sergachev, Utah Hockey Club

Sergachev was given a chance to play a leading role now that he’s out of Victor Hedman’s shadow, and he looks good. He’s averaging more than 25 minutes a night while sitting second on the team in blocked shots. He’s not landing big hits, but he’s on pace for nearly 60 points for the second time in his NHL career while getting the team’s toughest matchups. A traumatic leg injury from last season hasn’t slowed Sergachev down in his new home, and it’s so good to see him playing great hockey and staying healthy.

Johnathan Kovacevic, New Jersey Devils

Kovacevic is on a one-year deal worth $767K, but he’s having a significantly bigger impact than his cap hit would suggest. Kovacevic has been one of the more underrated young defensemen over the past two years, and it’s good to see him thriving in New Jersey. Among all defense pairings with at least 100 minutes played, Kovacevic’s partnership with Jonas Siegenthaler has an expected goals percentage of 61.7 – good for eighth in the NHL. He’s on a bit of a scoring slump as of late with nothing to show for since Oct. 27, but he’s still playing solid hockey – some of the best of his NHL career. Kovacevic is getting difficult assignments and is thriving with them – including on the penalty kill. For a team that struggled in their own zone last year, having Kovacevic play as well as he has must feel good.

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