Happy Monday y'all! Man, has it been fun watching Olympic hockey with the world’s best playing. I know some of the games get lopsided because of the talent difference, but honestly, that has led to some beautiful scoring opportunities and pretty passing plays. 

Last week we covered some of the forwards playing in this tournament so today we will be ranking the top 10 defensemen for fantasy purposes. 

Top 10 defensemen 

1. Cale Makar – Makar and Quinn Hughes are neck and neck, but for fantasy purposes, I'm picking the Colorado defenseman because of his goal scoring abilities. Goal scoring is a premium for the back end and he is on pace for another 20+ goal season. With all those goals comes shots on goal so pile that stat on too please! And if your league counts peripherals like blocks, he is on his way to another 100+ block campaign as well.

2. Quinn Hughes– Hughes would probably be my number one real life option if this weren't a fantasy article because he has shown his elite talents with two teams this season. He has been nothing short of spectacular since joining the Minnesota Wild, setting all sorts of franchise records and having 34 points in 26 games thus far. His goal scoring has taken a dip from the previous two seasons (in that time his shooting percentage was abnormally high given the rest of his career), but he makes so many other things happen on the ice that he still racks up the points.

3. Roman Josi – The captain for Team Switzerland, Josi has revitalized his career this season. After a bonkers 96-point campaign in 2020 that netted him the Norris, expectations were sky high. Only finishing with 38 points last season and fighting various injuries, he has already put up 39 points with a quarter of the year left. He doesn't shoot the puck as much as he used to, but he still blocks a good amount of rubber if your league counts that.

4. Miro Heiskanen – Next is the young Finnish defender. Heiskanen is having a career year, already securing over 100 blocks, averaging his highest time on ice per game, and just five goals from his personal best. As long as he stays healthy, he is the main QB on the Stars' top powerplay unit.

5. Josh Morrissey – Morrissey has to be one of the more underrated defensemen in the league. He is on pace for his fourth straight 60-point season, which only six other defensemen in NHL history have accomplished. Hopefully the injury he suffered at the Olympics is not serious and he can finish this year on a strong note. 

6. Thomas Harley – After a shaky start to his pro career, Harley came back with two seasons of 15 or more goals with 47 and 50 points, respectively. His shooting percentage is down, he started the year with on-going contract talks, and suffered an injury that kept him out 12 games, but this ride at the Olympics should instill some confidence that looks like he was missing.

7. Shea Theodore – Theodore could be a lot higher on this list if he could stay healthy. The Canadian has only played more than 70 games three times in his 11-year career thus far and not once has he hit the 80-game plateau. 

8. Brock Faber – After the addition of Hughes, Faber has recorded 20 points in 26 contests. He is currently in his third full season (hard to believe, I feel like he's been around for years) and he has already bested his previous high in goals and created a new high for shots on goal. Hughes might have unlocked Faber's true potential and if Quinn does not re-sign in Minnesota, Faber may have the keys to even more offense on their top extra man unit.

9. Jackson LaCombe – The American defender sneaks onto this list because he was added as an injury replacement for Seth Jones. Nonetheless, he is one of the bright up and coming defensemen in the league. Another player who is on pace to set new career highs this season, LaCombe should continue to see new heights under coach Quenneville and grow as the other young skaters in the Ducks organization develop.

10. Rasmus Andersson – I think once Andersson gets settled in with the Golden Knights and his contract situation with the organization gets resolved (much like the Harley situation), he'll be one of the best defensemen in the league. With the talent that surrounds him in Las Vegas he'll be a monster at even strength and Shea Theodore always misses games so that will open some time up on the first powerplay unit. 

What are your thoughts? Please share your rankings with me on Twitter @LAM1926 and if you have any questions or just want to talk shop, reach out! Have a great week!