As we are reaching the mid-point of September, the World Cup holds over us hockey hungry fans. As pre-season approaches quickly there is still much preparation in order for me to feel fully prepared for another glorified fantasy season. There is just something special about fantasy hockey that I can’t explain why I enjoy it so much. Maybe each game, goal and even penalty can mean so much at any given time, it really does make the games that much more exciting.

There are always trades talks circulating between friends, friendly chirping about players on each other’s teams and of course bringing up past trades and players dropped that never should have been. Each year brings something different and sometimes the intensity of sitting up on Sunday night, cheering on some third liner you scooped up off the free agency list can make or break your week. I love it.

Be sure to check over my list, and make up a list for yourself that reflects the categories of your hockey pool. My fantasy hockey defensemen list is based upon these categories: goals, assists, points, plus/minus, power play points, shorthanded points, penalty minutes and game winning goals. So if your setup includes hitting, blocked shots, or shots, be sure to keep those stats in mind when making your list.

Top 50 Defensemen:

1. Erik Karlsson
2. Brent Burns
3. P.K. Subban
4. Kris Letang
5. Dustin Byfuglien
6. Oliver Ekman-Larsson
7. John Klingberg
8. Shea Weber
9. John Carlson
10. Victor Hedman
11. Shayne Gostisbehere
12. Mark Giordano
13. Drew Doughty
14. Roman Josi
15. Keith Yandle
16. Kevin Shattenkirk
17. Duncan Keith
18. Aaron Ekblad
19. Torey Krug
20. Justin Faulk
21. Tyson Barrie
22. Brent Seabrook
23. Sami Vatanen
24. Alex Pietrangelo
25. Rasmus Ristolainen
26. Jake Muzzin
27. Colton Parayko
28. Hampus Lindholm
29. Ryan Suter
30. TJ Brodie
31. Morgan Rielly
32. Dougie Hamilton
33. Marc –Edward Vlasic
34. Seth Jones
35. Anton Stralman
36. Brian Campbell
37. Mike Green
38. Jacob Trouba
39. Ryan McDonagh
40. Dion Phaneuf
41. Andrei Markov
42. Zdeno Chara
43. Michael Stone
44. Matt Dumba
45. Adam Larsson
46. Alec Martinez
47. Trevor Daley
48. Mattias Ekholm
49. Johnny Boychuk
50. Noah Hanifin

If I missed anyone or you feel one of my rankings were off, please chime in. Any input is good input, as I will be updating my list of my top 100 forwards, top 50 defensemen and top 30 goaltenders about a week before the season starts. This should give most people time to adjust before their drafts take place.

Thanks for reading, I hope my last two lists have you thinking about NHL fantasy and of course joining the HBSL (HockeyBuzz Super League). Keep an eye open for when the HBSL starts up!

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