The best part of the NHL's opening round is that there isn't a single series that appears to be a walk in the park. Whether you are using the eye test or digging deep into the numbers, you can make a case for nearly every club to advance. One way to figure out which team might have a deep postseason run in them is by looking at their strengths and weaknesses by position.
After ranking every team's forwards, now it's time for the defensemen. Who has the true No. 1 D-man who will carry his team? Who has a strong third pairing that could come in handy? Which players will make the biggest difference? We rank them 1-16 here.
All pairing stats are for 5-on-5, and via Corsica Hockey.
1. Nashville Predators
Top pairing: P.K. Subban, Mattias Ekholm
Key stats: 526 minutes, 55.8 Corsi for percentage, plus-3 goal differential
If you were to rank the best pairs in the NHL, Nashville's first and second pair would both belong in the top 10. The Preds' Subban-Ekholm and Roman Josi-Ryan Ellis combos are both dominant. Subban's outstanding skating and offensive skill combined with Ekholm's length, smarts and sound defensive play create huge challenges for opponents, while Josi and Ellis are both mobile and offensively gifted. The Josi-Ellis pair has a 54.7 Corsi for percentage and plus-14 5-on-5 goal differential in 563 minutes together.
Nashville's defense played a huge role in its run to the Stanley Cup Final last year, and the Preds have improved their depth. With former Shark Matt Irwin and the addition of veteran Alexei Emelin, coach Peter Laviolette now has the flexibility to spread his talented defenders throughout his three pairs.
2. Tampa Bay Lightning
Top pairing: Victor Hedman, Anton Stralman
Key stats: 367 minutes, 56.6 Corsi for percentage, plus-10 goal differential
Someday Hedman will win a Norris Trophy -- and quite possibly that day will come this summer. Tampa Bay's No. 1 defenseman had another spectacular season, scoring 63 points in 77 games. He was on the ice for 77 of the Lightning's even-strength goals, which ranked fourth in the NHL. Hedman is one of only a handful of blueliners who can truly dominate a series in all three zones and on the power play.
As if the Lightning didn't already have an embarrassment of riches after an offseason trade for young defender Mikhail Sergachev, they added Ryan McDonagh from the Rangers at the trade deadline. Sergachev produced 40 points in his rookie season, and McDonagh brings 96 games of playoff experience as a top-pair defenseman in New York.
Coach Jon Cooper will have some interesting decisions to make in the playoffs. Will he play Hedman and Stralman together or use defensive-minded Dan Girardi with Hedman? Will Sergachev be sheltered or let loose in the playoffs? These are good problems to have.
3. Columbus Blue Jackets
Top pairing: Seth Jones, Zach Werenski
Key stats: 1,238 minutes, 55.3 Corsi for percentage, plus-16 goal differential
Columbus doesn't quite have the depth of the Predators or Lightning, but its top pair has an argument for the best in the NHL -- and neither player has reached his 24th birthday yet. Jones posted the second most points on Columbus's roster, with 57, while playing 24:36 per game. Werenski produced 13 even-strength goals, third most in the NHL among blueliners. Both players are tremendous skaters who can step up into the play at any time or shut down the league's best forwards.
There are more holes down the lineup, but the Jackets are not inept beyond Jones and Werenski. Columbus has seen a big jump from 23-year-old Markus Nutivaara in his second season. The Finnish defenseman scored 23 points and managed an excellent 53.2 Corsi for percentage. David Savard has also grown into a solid player and veteran Ian Cole brings some stability to the Blue Jackets' back end. Columbus's strong blue line gives them a shot at being similar to last year's Predators team that surprised the West with a trip to the Cup finals.
4. Anaheim Ducks
Top pairing: Hampus Lindholm, Josh Manson
Key stats: 904 minutes, 53.5 Corsi for percentage, plus-20 goal differential
Other teams may have more household names, but the Ducks' top two pairs are comparable to the league's best. In five NHL seasons, Lindholm has never had a Corsi for percentage or goals for percentage under 50 percent. He's found the perfect partner in Josh Manson, who was on the ice for 69 goals for and only 40 against this season.
In his first full season, Brandon Montour has been an instant difference-maker, scoring 32 points and averaging more than 20 minutes per game, most of which come alongside skilled puck mover Cam Fowler. But Fowler suffered a shoulder injury which could keep him out to start Anaheim's opening round series. That will put pressure on elder statesman Francois Beauchemin to step up and force youngsters Marcus Pettersson and Andy Welinski into action. If Fowler is good to go, the Ducks' top two pairs have the capability to take control of a series.
5. Los Angeles Kings
Top pairing: Drew Doughty, Jake Muzzin
Key stats: 443 minutes, 56.4 Corsi for percentage, plus-7 goal differential
The Kings' ranking on this list is dependent on whether Muzzin returns from an upper-body injury. He isn't expected to play in Game 1, but could return as the series goes along. If he's back and playing with the NHL's best all-around blueliner in Drew Doughty, the Kings could contend that their top pair is every bit as good as Nashville, Tampa Bay or Columbus. Doughty has a strong case for the Norris Trophy this season, with 60 points in 82 games while playing 26:50 per game. The 2016-17 Norris winner has 51 points in 82 career postseason games.
Adding Dion Phaneuf to the mix provides more depth than the Kings have had in the past, but an injury to Derek Forbort will force Christian Folin into a bigger role than L.A. would like. If Muzzin and Forbort don't return in the first round, Doughty will need to put on a show in order for the Kings to advance.
6. Minnesota Wild
Top pairing: Matt Dumba, Jonas Brodin
Key stats: 800 minutes, 46.8 Corsi for percentage, plus-12 goal differential
The Wild's top pair of Jared Spurgeon and Ryan Suter was one of the most impressive in the NHL for most of the regular season. Minnesota produced 200 high-danger chances (per Natural Stat Trick) with the Spurgeon-Suter pair on ice, to only 119 against. But the Wild will have to go forth without Suter because of a season-ending ankle injury. Now Dumba and Brodin must take over against the top opponents. Luckily for Wild coach Bruce Boudreau, Dumba has taken the next step that the team had been hoping for during the past few years. He was on the ice for 75 goals for compared to only 56 against at even strength and cut down significantly on untimely turnovers.
In practice, Spurgeon worked with rookie Carson Soucy. The only good news for the Wild is that their 5-foot-9 defenseman is so proficient with the puck, he can raise the play of everyone around him.
7. San Jose Sharks
Top pairing: Brent Burns, Joakim Ryan
Key stats: 769 minutes, 53.7 Corsi for percentage, plus-4 goal differential
After some struggles and even a trip to the AHL, Paul Martin returned to his rightful position alongside Brent Burns when rookie Ryan went out with an upper-body injury. In just 14 total games, Martin has a 55.5 Corsi for percentage. We could see Ryan back in the lineup during the postseason, but it appears coach Pete DeBoer will roll with Marc-Edouard Vlasic, one of the league's best all-around defenders, and Justin Braun on the second pair, with Brenden Dillon and Dylan Demelo rounding it out on the third pair.
While Burns didn't match the goal-scoring totals of his past two seasons, he still led the team in points with 67, and produced a 54.3 Corsi for percentage. With a mediocre forward group, the Sharks will need Burns to produce at a torrid pace in order to go deep in the playoffs.
8. Boston Bruins
Top pairing: Zdeno Chara, Charlie McAvoy
Key stats: 862 minutes, 55.3 Corsi for percentage, plus-14 goal differential
The rise of McAvoy from college and World Juniors standout to NHL star has been remarkable. In 63 games as a rookie, the 20-year-old defenseman scored 32 points and dominated possession to the tune of a 55.7 Corsi for percentage. With McAvoy on the ice with Chara, the B's had a 60.0 goals for percentage. Without McAvoy, Chara's goals for percentage sunk to 43.7.
Boston might be higher on the list if not for an injury to Brandon Carlo, who will be out for the duration. His injury will force Kevan Miller to step up into a top-four role alongside Torey Krug. Boston can survive Carlo's loss if they get a strong performance from undersized third-pair defender Matt Grzelcyk, who scored 15 points in 61 games.
9. Winnipeg Jets
Top pairing: Jacob Trouba, Josh Morrissey
Key stats: 774 minutes, 51.5 Corsi for percentage, plus-5 goal differential
The Jets have two solid pairs with Trouba and Morrissey both establishing themselves as quality NHLers, and some depth on defense with Tyler Myers recently playing on the third pair. However, Winnipeg lacks the superstar blueliner that the top teams have on their rosters. Veteran Dustin Byfuglien did have a terrific campaign at age 32, scoring 45 points in 69 games and posting a 56.3 goals for percentage. He will be looking to make amends for a poor playoff performance (one assist in four games) in the Jets' previous postseason appearance in 2014-15.
If the Jets get Dmitry Kulikov and Tobias Enstrom back from injuries, they will have one of the deepest blue lines in the postseason. For now, they will have to hope someone rises to the challenge.
10. Philadelphia Flyers
Top pairing: Ivan Provorov, Shayne Gostisbehere
Key stats: 753 minutes, 53.4 Corsi for percentage, plus-9 goal differential
The Flyers landed an absolute gem when they drafted Provorov No. 7 overall in 2015. The 21-year-old Russian took a huge leap forward in Year 2, scoring 17 goals and playing more than 24 minutes per game. His partner Gostisbehere is no slouch, either. After a down 2016-17, the offensively gifted defenseman bounced back with a terrific 65-point season.
No matter how dominant Philly's first pair can be, the rest of the defense corps is suspect. Radko Gudas, who led the team in Corsi for percentage, is more skilled than his suspension history would have you believe, but players like Brandon Manning and Andrew McDonald may struggle in a seven-game series. The Flyers will have to hope 2014 first-rounder Travis Sanheim is up to the challenge.
11. Pittsburgh Penguins
Top pairing: Kris Letang, Brian Dumoulin
Key stats: 1.068 minutes, 54.7 Corsi for percentage, minus-12 goal differential
The Penguins were able to overcome the loss of Letang last year to win the Stanley Cup. This time around, they will have their No. 1 defenseman back in the lineup. Despite a poor goals for percentage -- caused in large part by struggling goaltenders -- Letang owned possession when on the ice. He led the Pens with a 55.1 Corsi for percentage, and played over 25 minutes per game.
Throughout the season, Justin Schultz and Olli Maatta gained solid chemistry, outscoring opponents 23-16 when on ice together. Pittsburgh might not have the most trustworthy third pair, but Matt Hunwick and Jamie Oleksiak are proven NHLers.
12. Toronto Maple Leafs
Top pairing: Morgan Rielly, Ron Hainsey
Key stats: 1,012 minutes, 49.3 Corsi for percentage, minus-1 goal differential
It came as a surprise that the Leafs didn't make a move for a defenseman at the trade deadline. They are taking a big risk asking 37-year-old Ron Hainsey to handle top-pair minutes alongside Rielly. The team's leader in minutes, Jake Gardiner, was also its No. 1 player in goals for percentage and high-danger shot percentage.
Since it's unlikely the Leafs will win by playing 1-0 games, Mike Babcock will need Gardiner to produce offensively in order to win track meets.
13. Washington Capitals
Top pairing: Dmitry Orlov, Matt Niskanen
Key stats: 1,147 minutes, 53.2 Corsi for percentage, plus-7 goal differential
While John Carlson had an absolutely brilliant offensive season with 68 points (a career high) and his first positive rating in relative Corsi percentage since 2010-11, the Capitals should look to Orlov and Niskanen to match up with the toughest competition in the postseason. The smooth-skating Orlov showed Barry Trotz this season that he can handle a bigger workload. He played over 20 minutes per game for the first time in his career, and came away with the highest Corsi for percentage of the Caps' four 1,000-plus minute blueliners.
It's hard to make sense of the Caps' commitment to playing Brooks Orpik, who was on the ice for 51 goals against and just 36 for. If Carlson plays with Michal Kempny, they have a better shot at receiving strong play from the blue line.
14. Vegas Golden Knights
Top pairing: Nate Schmidt, Brayden McNabb
Key stats: 731 minutes, 51.8 Corsi for percentage, plus-11 goal differential
The Golden Knights have been one of hockey's best stories this season and are a truly excellent team, from their division title to their goal differential to their overall Corsi for percentage and beyond.
But one thing that makes us cautious about predicting a deep run is their blue line. Like many Golden Knights, Schmidt has proved that he was underrated with his previous team. Still, it remains a huge question whether he can play the No. 1 role in the playoffs. Young Shea Theodore is an exciting offensive player, but the Golden Knights play him with bruiser Deryk Engelland, who is better fit for a depth role. If Vegas is going deep, it will be on the backs of its forwards and goalie.
15. Colorado Avalanche
Top pairing: Nikita Zadorov, Tyson Barrie
Key stats: 362 minutes, 47.4 Corsi for percentage, plus-2 goal differential
The Avs were already a long shot to reach the Cup finals. Losing Erik Johnson makes them an extreme long shot. While Johnson has never quite lived up to his billing as a top pick, he was averaging more than 25 minutes per game, and was not hurting Colorado's shot differentials.
Now, they will have to ride on the back of Barrie, who is a gifted offensive defenseman, but is not a shutdown defender. The rest of the group -- Patrik Nemeth, Samuel Girard, Mark Barberio and Mark Alt -- could have a very tough time when playing extended minutes against the Predators' deep lineup in Round 1.
16. New Jersey Devils
Top pairing: Andy Greene, Sami Vatanen
Key stats: 589 minutes, 46.6 Corsi percentage, minus-4 goal differential
New Jersey's run to the playoffs -- especially in a tough division -- has been admirable, as has its attempt to bolster the blue line by dealing for Vatanen and signing Will Butcher last offseason.
With that said, they do not have a player resembling a No. 1 defenseman, and veteran Ben Lovejoy is the only blueliner with a Corsi for percentage over 50 percent. At 34, Greene isn't quite the shutdown blueliner he once was, and Damon Severson has been a healthy scratch in favor of Mirco Mueller. The Devils will be in the mix for years to come, but they have to rebuild on defense to be a legitimate contender.