5 Best Defensive Teams in NHL 23
By Jimmy Lynch
EA Sports latest NHL game, NHL 23, accurately depicts every team in the league. With so many great teams to choose from, deciding the top 5 best defensive teams in the game might be tough.
Defense wins championships, so when picking your team to play as in NHL 23, picking a good defense should be a top priority. While scoring great goals and pulling off big dekes is fun, it is the defense that can steal a win online against a tough opponent on any system.
5 Best Defensive Teams in NHL 23
5. Nashville Predators - 92 Overall
The bottom team in the top five would have to be the Predators. Nashville's blue line has a 92 overall rating and features one of the finalists for the Norris Trophy from this past season in Roman Josi.
4. Tampa Bay Lightning - 92 Overall
No one should be surprised that a team who have been to the Stanley Cup Final three times in the past three years, and won two Cups, has a top blue line. With stars like Victor Hedman and Mikhail Sergachev, this is a top blue line in the NHL. The only reason they're not higher is that they had to say goodbye to Ryan McDonagh this offseason.
3. Calgary Flames - 93 Overall
The Calgary Flames have one of the best defenses in the league, and it's a physical one too. Players like Nikita Zadorov and newcomer MacKenzie Weegar are dishing out hits every night. This is a good team to pick if you want physicality from your defense.
2. Boston Bruins - 93 Overall
Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, Hampus Lindholm, and Matt Grzelcyk — a great defensive group that can really be a good pick for a player hoping to win an online versus game.
1. Colorado Avalanche - 97 Overall
I said it at the beginning, defense wins championships. The Colorado Avalanche are fresh off winning the 2022 Stanley Cup and of course are the top rated blue line in NHL 23. This group has stars like Cale Makar, Devon Toews and basically no bad decisions to start in every other position.