Ranked: Here are the NHL’s 20 best defensemen for 2026-27
There's plenty of offensive firepower on NHL blue lines
Quinn Hughes
Quinn Hughes is an American defenceman for the Minnesota Wild, who acquired him from Vancouver in December 2025 in one of the largest trades in recent NHL history. Hughes won the Norris Trophy in 2024 as Vancouver’s captain and was named best defenceman at the 2026 Olympics, where the United States took gold. Hughes enters the last year of his contract in 2026-27.
| Position | Defence |
|---|---|
| Team | Minnesota Wild, traded there 13 December 2025 |
| Born | 14 October 1999, Orlando, Florida |
| Drafted | 7th overall, 2018, by Vancouver |
| Contract | $7.85M AAV through 2026-27 |
| NHL career | 507 GP, 66 G, 485 P |
| Honours | Norris 2024 · best defenceman at the 2026 Olympics |
