At number 6 is Zander Rhys of the Toronto North Stars, dropping only slightly, but still making the top-10 for the fourth time in five seasons. Rhys, while not exactly the most consistent, has been one of the highest scoring defenders in the last half a decade, not stopping in his production despite moving away from Toronto and back again. His -12 wasn't particularly impressive, but with a career high 163 hits and a solid 82 blocked shots, Rhys continues to be able to do it all during his prime years.


At 5 is Panthers defenseman Matthew Leetch, also slightly dropping, but earning his second straight top-10 finish. Leetch scored 11 goals and 49 points in S42, was +15, blocked 80 shots, and even threw 62 hits into the mix. Leetch is one of the most gifted offensive defenders in recent history, and while not exactly a prominent two-way force, still makes up for it with the few things he does exceptionally well.


At number 4 is Alexis Metzler, his first top-10 finish after his S42 campaign which saw him score 12 goals and 52 points. To top it all off he was +16, blocked almost 70 shots, and registered 169 hits on the season. Over the last few seasons he has been able to do almost everything, whether it is scoring goals, disrupting the other team's offensive chances, and bringing the pain when necessary, making him the best defenseman going into S43.