NHL Network’s latest top-20 defensemen list has Rangers star Adam Fox sitting at No. 13, and that slot is drawing plenty of eye-rolls.
Fox did move up from last year’s ranking, but it still doesn’t come close to matching the level he showed this past season. In 55 games, he scored nine goals and added 44 assists for 53 points, which ranked 20th in the league even with the missed time. For comparison, Brock Faber finished 21st with 51 points in 80 games, Moritz Seider was 13th with 60 points in 82 games, and Miro Heiskanen was 9th with 63 points in 77 games.
The underlying numbers were strong, too. Fox posted a 56.75 GF%, a 55.47 CF%, and a 58.2 xGF%, a trio that points to elite overall impact. Over the last three seasons, he’s also piled up 36 goals, 151 assists, and 187 points, good for fifth in assists, sixth in points, and fifth in points per game at 0.93.
That’s why the group of defensemen placed ahead of him feels so aggressive: Jaccob Slavin, Charlie McAvoy, Evan Bouchard, Moritz Seider, Jake Sanderson, Matthew Schaeffer, Lane Hutson, Miro Heiskanen, Rasmus Dahlin, Zach Werenski, Quinn Hughes, and Cale Makar.
Slavin’s No. 12 spot is easier to justify than most. He just won an Olympic gold medal and a Stanley Cup, and his defensive reputation is as strong as anyone’s in the league. Still, the gap between him and Fox doesn’t look obvious if you weigh Fox’s all-around game.
McAvoy at No. 11 is tougher to sell. This season he had a 49.29 CF%, a 48.27 xGF%, and a 56.44 GF% per Evolving-Hockey.
The year before, he posted a 49.92 CF%, a 50.77 xGF%, and a 52.78 GF%. In that same stretch, Fox’s numbers were better: a 57.6 GF%, a 55.74 CF%, and a 56.61 xGF%.
Bouchard brings real offense for Edmonton, but the defensive side of his game has holes. That kind of profile can absolutely earn a spot on a list like this, but it still doesn’t feel stronger than Fox overall.
Seider is more understandable. He’s a young defenseman with obvious upside, and he was much better for Detroit this season. The underlying numbers were some of the best of his career, but the consistency still has to come before he gets pushed above Fox.
Sanderson also got a boost from Team USA’s Olympic gold, and he backed it up with a 56.76 GF%, a 56.27 CF%, and a 56.7 xGF%. Even so, putting him ahead of Fox is a stretch.
Then there’s Schaefer, whose rookie season was very good and who clearly has a huge future. But a 49.48 CF% and a 50.7 xGF% don’t scream seventh-best defenseman in the league after one year.
Hutson, ranked just behind him, had a sensational season for Montreal, finishing with a 62.08 GF%, a 52.88 CF%, and a 54.62 xGF%. The trajectory is exciting.
The ranking is still bold.
Heiskanen’s spot can be explained by the fact that he’s often underappreciated in Dallas, though he has had stronger seasons than this one. Dahlin, meanwhile, is getting more recognition now that Buffalo is playing better. He finished with a 60.34 GF%, a 52.51 CF%, and a 54.27 xGF%, and there’s still room for him to climb.
At the top, the list goes Zach Werenski, Quinn Hughes, and Cale Makar, with Werenski the reigning Norris Trophy winner. Fox belongs in that conversation more than his No. 13 ranking suggests, especially when you compare his production and impact to the names ahead of him.
A ranking in the top 10 would have made a lot more sense. And if you want to argue that Makar, Hughes, Werenski, and Dahlin sit in a separate tier based on recent Norris voting, that’s one thing. But placing Heiskanen, Hutson, Schaefer, Sanderson, Seider, and Bouchard above Fox is a hard sell.
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