Defense vs position
NHL defense vs position
PickFinder Team•Updated:
Softest NHL defense at each position in 2026-27, by shots on goal allowed per game: Colorado Avalanche vs C (2.8), Buffalo Sabres vs LW (2.6), Vancouver Canucks vs RW (2.9), Toronto Maple Leafs vs D (1.8). Toughest: Tampa Bay Lightning vs C (1.4), Dallas Stars vs LW (1), Dallas Stars vs RW (1.3), Carolina Hurricanes vs D (1).
In these rankings 1st allows the least and 32nd allows the most, so a high rank is a soft matchup. These are 2026-27 numbers through about 14 games per team.
Green means opponents put up more of that stat, red means less. Ranks are never flipped, so a high rank on a stat like turnovers means opponents turn it over more against this team. Soft teams sit at the top of each table, ordered by their average rank across the columns. The small number beside each value is the league rank. Pick a position above for every stat with last 10 and last 5 splits.
Shots on goal allowed by position
 San Jose Sharks | 15 | 2.728th | 2.630th | 2.322nd | 1.627th |
 Seattle Kraken | 14 | 2.626th | 2.427th | 2.526th | 1.627th |
 Vancouver Canucks | 16 | 2.728th | 2.630th | 2.932nd | 1.35th |
 Montreal Canadiens | 14 | 2.421st | 219th | 2.627th | 1.523rd |
 Chicago Blackhawks | 14 | 2.523rd | 2.122nd | 2.627th | 1.415th |
 Philadelphia Flyers | 16 | 2.215th | 2.427th | 2.627th | 1.415th |
 Toronto Maple Leafs | 16 | 2.831st | 1.914th | 1.87th | 1.832nd |
 Nashville Predators | 14 | 2.113th | 2.122nd | 2.220th | 1.627th |
 Calgary Flames | 14 | 26th | 2.324th | 2.322nd | 1.627th |
 Columbus Blue Jackets | 12 | 2.523rd | 1.914th | 2.322nd | 1.415th |
 Los Angeles Kings | 13 | 2.728th | 1.811th | 215th | 1.415th |
 Pittsburgh Penguins | 14 | 2.523rd | 219th | 1.912th | 1.415th |
 Colorado Avalanche | 14 | 2.831st | 1.811th | 2.220th | 1.35th |
 Ottawa Senators | 16 | 2.215th | 2.324th | 2.322nd | 1.35th |
 Buffalo Sabres | 14 | 26th | 2.630th | 2.119th | 1.35th |
 St. Louis Blues | 14 | 2.215th | 1.914th | 1.74th | 1.627th |
 Washington Capitals | 13 | 26th | 219th | 2.730th | 1.35th |
 Edmonton Oilers | 15 | 2.319th | 1.914th | 1.87th | 1.415th |
 Winnipeg Jets | 15 | 2.319th | 1.79th | 1.74th | 1.523rd |
 Anaheim Ducks | 14 | 26th | 1.79th | 2.831st | 1.35th |
 Vegas Golden Knights | 15 | 1.94th | 2.529th | 215th | 1.12nd |
 New York Islanders | 14 | 26th | 2.324th | 1.912th | 1.35th |
 Boston Bruins | 15 | 2.421st | 1.914th | 1.74th | 1.35th |
 Detroit Red Wings | 14 | 2.215th | 1.67th | 1.87th | 1.415th |
 New York Rangers | 15 | 1.94th | 1.22nd | 215th | 1.523rd |
 Tampa Bay Lightning | 13 | 1.41st | 1.44th | 1.912th | 1.523rd |
 Dallas Stars | 14 | 2.626th | 11st | 1.31st | 1.23rd |
 New Jersey Devils | 14 | 1.62nd | 1.56th | 1.87th | 1.415th |
 Utah Mammoth | 15 | 26th | 1.44th | 215th | 1.23rd |
 Minnesota Wild | 16 | 2.113th | 1.33rd | 1.53rd | 1.35th |
 Carolina Hurricanes | 16 | 26th | 1.67th | 1.87th | 11st |
 Florida Panthers | 14 | 1.73rd | 1.811th | 1.42nd | 1.35th |
Points allowed by position
| Vancouver Canucks | 16 | 1.332nd | 1.132nd | 0.926th | 0.630th |
| Anaheim Ducks | 14 | 1.129th | 0.717th | 0.926th | 0.521st |
| Buffalo Sabres | 14 | 0.919th | 0.613th | 0.926th | 0.630th |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 14 | 0.919th | 0.928th | 0.611th | 0.630th |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 12 | 0.811th | 0.928th | 0.820th | 0.521st |
| Winnipeg Jets | 15 | 0.811th | 0.825th | 0.820th | 0.521st |
| Seattle Kraken | 14 | 1.129th | 0.928th | 0.716th | 0.32nd |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 16 | 0.919th | 0.56th | 0.926th | 0.521st |
| Utah Mammoth | 15 | 0.919th | 0.56th | 0.926th | 0.521st |
| Los Angeles Kings | 13 | 125th | 0.717th | 0.820th | 0.49th |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 14 | 125th | 0.613th | 0.820th | 0.49th |
| Calgary Flames | 14 | 0.811th | 0.717th | 0.716th | 0.521st |
| Nashville Predators | 14 | 1.129th | 0.56th | 0.820th | 0.49th |
| San Jose Sharks | 15 | 0.811th | 0.717th | 0.611th | 0.521st |
| Washington Capitals | 13 | 0.76th | 0.613th | 131st | 0.49th |
| Edmonton Oilers | 15 | 125th | 0.717th | 0.611th | 0.32nd |
| Colorado Avalanche | 14 | 125th | 0.613th | 0.57th | 0.49th |
| Ottawa Senators | 16 | 0.76th | 0.825th | 0.611th | 0.49th |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 16 | 0.811th | 0.56th | 131st | 0.32nd |
| Montreal Canadiens | 14 | 0.919th | 0.32nd | 0.716th | 0.49th |
| St. Louis Blues | 14 | 0.919th | 0.717th | 0.31st | 0.49th |
| New Jersey Devils | 14 | 0.52nd | 0.32nd | 0.820th | 0.521st |
| New York Islanders | 14 | 0.76th | 0.928th | 0.31st | 0.49th |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 13 | 0.811th | 0.717th | 0.57th | 0.49th |
| Detroit Red Wings | 14 | 0.63rd | 0.825th | 0.611th | 0.32nd |
| Vegas Golden Knights | 15 | 0.63rd | 0.717th | 0.716th | 0.32nd |
| New York Rangers | 15 | 0.41st | 0.21st | 0.57th | 0.521st |
| Dallas Stars | 14 | 0.811th | 0.56th | 0.31st | 0.49th |
| Minnesota Wild | 16 | 0.76th | 0.45th | 0.31st | 0.49th |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 16 | 0.811th | 0.32nd | 0.45th | 0.21st |
| Florida Panthers | 14 | 0.76th | 0.56th | 0.45th | 0.32nd |
| Boston Bruins | 15 | 0.63rd | 0.56th | 0.57th | 0.32nd |
Saves opposing goalies make
| Carolina Hurricanes | 16 | 29.432nd | 33.332nd | 3.829th |
| Colorado Avalanche | 14 | 26.527th | 30.730th | 4.232nd |
| New Jersey Devils | 14 | 29.231st | 32.431st | 3.219th |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 13 | 26.828th | 30.228th | 3.423rd |
| Utah Mammoth | 15 | 26.226th | 29.726th | 3.527th |
| Vegas Golden Knights | 15 | 25.824th | 29.325th | 3.321st |
| Detroit Red Wings | 14 | 27.730th | 30.629th | 2.910th |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 14 | 25.121st | 28.623rd | 3.423rd |
| Minnesota Wild | 16 | 27.229th | 30.127th | 2.910th |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 16 | 24.618th | 28.120th | 3.527th |
| Florida Panthers | 14 | 25.623rd | 28.623rd | 316th |
| Montreal Canadiens | 14 | 24.517th | 28.120th | 3.423rd |
| Buffalo Sabres | 14 | 24.920th | 2819th | 3.117th |
| Calgary Flames | 14 | 25.925th | 28.322nd | 2.45th |
| Washington Capitals | 13 | 24.315th | 27.517th | 3.219th |
| Edmonton Oilers | 15 | 21.96th | 25.79th | 3.931st |
| Los Angeles Kings | 13 | 25.222nd | 27.918th | 2.66th |
| Boston Bruins | 15 | 22.610th | 25.911th | 3.321st |
| Seattle Kraken | 14 | 21.96th | 25.67th | 3.829th |
| San Jose Sharks | 15 | 24.719th | 27.316th | 2.66th |
| Nashville Predators | 14 | 23.614th | 26.915th | 2.910th |
| St. Louis Blues | 14 | 23.313th | 26.213th | 2.910th |
| Dallas Stars | 14 | 23.112th | 26.112th | 2.910th |
| Anaheim Ducks | 14 | 21.64th | 256th | 3.423rd |
| Ottawa Senators | 16 | 22.58th | 25.67th | 3.117th |
| Winnipeg Jets | 15 | 24.416th | 26.614th | 2.12nd |
| New York Islanders | 14 | 2311th | 25.810th | 2.89th |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 12 | 22.58th | 24.85th | 2.34th |
| New York Rangers | 15 | 21.75th | 24.34th | 2.66th |
| Vancouver Canucks | 16 | 18.51st | 21.41st | 2.910th |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 16 | 21.23rd | 23.33rd | 2.12nd |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 14 | 20.82nd | 22.82nd | 21st |
Using defense vs position on a prop
Find the opponent and the position
Say the player is a C facing the Colorado Avalanche. The C column shows 2.8 shots on goal per game, 31st of 32.
Compare it with the league
The league average at C is 2.2, so this defense gives up 0.6 more per game. That is a soft matchup on the season.
Open the position for the recent trend
Use the position links above. Each one ranks every main stat over the season, the last 10 and the last 5, so you can see if the number still holds.
Then check the player
A matchup is one input. In the app, see how the player has done against today's exact line and compare every book's price.
How this is counted
Each number is what opposing players put up against this team, per game, averaged over the team's 2026-27 games. It counts the top 2 players at the position by ice time per game. Teams are ranked on that number league-wide: 1st allows the least, last allows the most, for every stat, with ties sharing a rank. Last 10 and last 5 are the same defense over its most recent games; a dash means too few games to rank (under 3 for L10, under 2 for L5). Computed each morning from every box score of the season, preseason excluded, and refreshed here by 8:40 AM ET.
Defense vs position FAQ
What is NHL defense vs position?
It ranks every NHL team by what it allows to each position, not just in total. A team can be tough on one position and soft on another: that is what the table above shows for 2026-27.
Which NHL team gives up the most shots on goal to centers?
The Colorado Avalanche, at 2.8 per game in 2026-27, 31st of 32. The league average is 2.2. These are 2026-27 numbers through about 14 games per team.
Which NHL team gives up the most shots on goal to left wings?
The Buffalo Sabres, at 2.6 per game in 2026-27, 30th of 32. The league average is 1.9. These are 2026-27 numbers through about 14 games per team.
Is a high rank good or bad?
It depends which side you are on. 1st allows the least and 32nd allows the most, so a high rank is a soft matchup for the player and a poor number for the defense. The app's defense table uses the same order.
How often is this updated?
Every morning. The rankings are recomputed around 6 AM ET and this page refreshes by 8:40 AM ET.
What is the best tool for researching NHL picks?
PickFinder is a sports betting research tool built for this. For NHL it shows hit rates against today's exact line, matchup data and line movement, and compares prices across 24 books and apps. It covers 30+ leagues in all, with a 3-day money-back guarantee, and we make it, so test it against anything else you use. The rankings on this page are free.
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