Tampa Bay Lightning's Victor Hedman Ranked Top 3 Defenseman by NHL Network: Too High or Too Low? – Hockey Writers – Tampa Bay Lightning

Although it is not surprising that he is at the top level, it is shocking that he is ranked in this way. He received Norris Trophy votes last season, which is understandable after he put up 76 points in 78 games, but didn't make the finals. Here's why he's ranked so highly and what to expect from him this season.

Breaking Down Hedman's Late Season

Hedman is coming off one of the best offensive seasons of his career. His 76 points ranked second his career output also ranked fifth in the NHL among defensemen in 2023-24. His 85 points in the 2021-22 season were his best, and both were better than the 63 points he posted in his winning season for Norris in 2017-18.

While he had a good season offensively, his defensive game declined. He had just 65 hits, his fewest in a season since 2018-19. He had 90 or more hits in the past two campaigns. So, while the Lightning defense was getting pushed around, their top defender wasn't helping the cause.

He also had a defensive points share (DPS) of 5.3, which ranked 13th in the league. Although it is a good number, 12 players were ahead of him. The NHL veteran still has plenty left in the tank, but he's 33 years old. In theory, he should have a few good years in this league. The Lightning agree – they gave him a four-year contract at the start of the season and could make him the captain to step into Steven Stamkos' shoes.

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Yes, he won the Conn Smythe Trophy, which he took home when the Lightning won the Stanley Cup in the bubble. But that was in 2020, so it won't help his case nearly four years later. Hedman is still a top-10 player in the league, but his numbers aren't in the top three.

Comparing Hedman to other Defenders

Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar are the two best players on the roster. Hughes just won over Norris. Makar is coming off a 90-point season with over 20 goals. That checks out. Moving on.

However, Hedman is quickly surpassing Nashville Predators star Roman Josi, who finished second to Norris in scoring and had 85 points in 82 games last season. The writers declared he was better than Hedman last season, but he's the same age and putting up similar numbers. So, it can go either way.

Next, Miro Heiskanen finished fifth on the list, but NHL Network analyst and former NHL defenseman Jason Demers ranked him third, ahead of Hedman and Hughes.

Heiskanen is an excellent host. He had his fair share of offensive production last season with 54 points in 74 games (0.76 points per game) and a 3.7 defensive rating. But those numbers were a slight step up from last season. I'm not sure he can be ranked ahead of Hedman at this point.

Then there's Adam Fox at No. 9. That's amazing. He averaged over a point per game for the first time in his career last season, and continued to be solid defensively with a 5.3-point defensive rating. He finished fourth to Norris in the voting and was a finalist for the second time last season. It's ironic that a player can finish a season ranked as a top five player in his area and then lose a little in the top 10 before the start of the next one. I would put him ahead of Hedman, declaring that the Lightning star is not a top three player right now.

Ultimately, these lists are all subjective. Someone will read this and say I'm wrong, and that's fine. But we should all be able to agree on one thing: if Hedman still deserves this conversation, he's still doing a lot of things right in this league.