The Best Defense Players in NHL 23

Preventing opponents from getting the puck to the goal should be a priority for NHL 23 players, for which they will require the best defensive athlete.

Violently gliding along the ice to prevent goals from fast-paced athletes forms the crux of defensive play. NHL 23. Despite the number of new features NHL 23‘s continuation of EA Sports published annual series, defense continues to play a massively important role in this hockey simulation game. Players will want to find the most hardened athletes possible to build a stalwart defensive front against some of the most talented athletes present from this last year of play in the NHL.

SCREENERANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

There are two positions that occupy defense in hockey’s usual six-player team stacks, the Left Defenseman, and the Right Defenseman. As their titles would suggest, each Defenseman occupies a position on the ice, either the right or left side. The main responsibility of either revolves around breaking up the puck when it gets to their side of the cold arena and retrieving it from either corner once disrupted enough. Although the Crowd Atmosphere mode may be a forgettable change to NHL 23there’s no denying the audible impact Defensemen leave when a massive shoulder check on their side shatters offensive strategy to trigger this mode.

Related: NHL 22: How To Build The Perfect Defender In CHEL

While players may not be able to access some stronger athletes coming to NHL 23 before its eventual release in October 2022, EA Sports has revealed some overall Ratings before that date. Every athlete in NHL 23 has an overall rating calculated by several subdivision scores pertaining to their strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, an entire category exists for Defense Ratings alone, so players who desire to find the best defenders should look into these stats from NHL 22 even when preparing for their teams or comparing them to the newly unveiled Ratings NHL 23‘s cover athletes.

Preparing for the Best Defense Players in NHL 23

The most impressive Defensemen for NHL 23‘s upcoming release is the Right Defensemen Cale Makar and the Left Defenseman Roman Jose. Hailing from the Colorado Avalanche, Cale Makar jumps up from an 88 overall ranking NHL 22 to a whopping 94 in NHL 23. A master of puck control, Makar’s 93 Decking allows him to feint his movements while skating, being unpredictable to those trying to overcome his defense. As for the defensive side of things, Makar boasts a high Stick Checking stat that no doubt has gotten even higher going into NHL 23 on top of NHL 22’s improved mechanics, making it highly difficult for other athletes to stay composed against his assault on their balance.

The Nashville Predator’s Left Defenseman Roman Josi sees an improvement from an already impressive Rating from 90 to 93. Josi excels in many aspects of his hockey game, from a 90 Poise to a 93 Endurance conveying a stable and consistent athletic prowess. When it comes to defense, though, Josi is by no means a slouch in his own right. By far the most impressive stat he has, Josi’s 93 Defensive Awareness means that players can utilize this to their advantage and make quick adjustments to hockey’s chaotic, moment-to-moment frenetic nature. In addition to the new puck movements introduced NHL 22athletes like Roman Josi prove that NHL 23 might showcase the best defensive players yet in the series.