NHL Even-Strength Defense Leaders
The NHL leaders in Even-Strength Defense for the 2025-26 season, ranked using Hockey Alchemy's advanced analytics and updated daily.
| # | Player | Team | Pos | EVD GAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jake Sanderson | OTT | LD | 2.4 |
| 2 | Artem Zub | OTT | D | 2.0 |
| 3 | Esa Lindell | DAL | LD | 2.0 |
| 4 | Miro Heiskanen | DAL | RD | 1.9 |
| 5 | Drew Doughty | LAK | RD | 1.9 |
| 6 | Travis Sanheim | PHI | LD | 1.9 |
| 7 | Seth Jarvis | CAR | R | 1.9 |
| 8 | Moritz Seider | DET | RD | 1.9 |
| 9 | Jonas Brodin | MIN | LD | 1.9 |
| 10 | Sam Reinhart | FLA | RW | 1.8 |
| 11 | Noah Hanifin | VGK | LD | 1.8 |
| 12 | Pavel Dorofeyev | NYR | LW | 1.8 |
| 13 | Joel Eriksson Ek | MIN | C | 1.8 |
| 14 | Cam York | PHI | D | 1.7 |
| 15 | J.J. Moser | TBL | D | 1.7 |
| 16 | Brayden McNabb | VGK | LD | 1.7 |
| 17 | Dylan Samberg | WPG | LD | 1.7 |
| 18 | Vladislav Gavrikov | NYR | LD | 1.6 |
| 19 | Alexander Wennberg | SJS | C | 1.6 |
| 20 | Adam Fox | NYR | RD | 1.6 |
| 21 | Cale Makar | COL | RD | 1.6 |
| 22 | Jared Spurgeon | MIN | RD | 1.6 |
| 23 | Chris Tanev | TOR | D | 1.6 |
| 24 | Lawson Crouse | UTA | LW | 1.6 |
| 25 | Devon Toews | COL | LD | 1.6 |
| 26 | Ian Cole | CHI | RD | 1.5 |
| 27 | Josh Manson | COL | LD | 1.5 |
| 28 | Jack Drury | NSH | C | 1.5 |
| 29 | Anthony Cirelli | TBL | C | 1.5 |
| 30 | Mikhail Sergachev | UTA | LD | 1.5 |
| 31 | Ryan Nugent-Hopkins | EDM | LW | 1.5 |
| 32 | Parker Kelly | COL | LW | 1.5 |
| 33 | Mark Jankowski | CAR | C | 1.5 |
| 34 | Erik Cernak | TBL | RD | 1.4 |
| 35 | Jaccob Slavin | CAR | LD | 1.4 |
| 36 | Oskar Bäck | DAL | C | 1.4 |
| 37 | Quinton Byfield | LAK | C | 1.4 |
| 38 | Alex Tuch | WSH | RW | 1.4 |
| 39 | Adam Henrique | EDM | C | 1.4 |
| 40 | Nick Jensen | ANA | RD | 1.4 |
Analysis
Jake Sanderson (OTT) leads the NHL in Even-Strength Defense with 2.4 in the 2025-26 season, ahead of Artem Zub and Esa Lindell.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who leads the NHL in Even-Strength Defense?
Jake Sanderson leads the NHL in Even-Strength Defense with 2.4 in the 2025-26 season.
Who is second in the NHL in Even-Strength Defense?
Artem Zub ranks second in Even-Strength Defense with 2.0 in the 2025-26 season.