<p>A week ago, we looked at <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/top-5-goaltenders-thriving-with-new-teams-in-2024-25">five goaltenders thriving in their new homes</a>. So how about we look to their buddies they love to hate – defensemen?</p>



<p>It was an interesting offseason for teams around the league looking to upgrade their bluelines. Many of the NHL’s top free agents this year were blueliners –&nbsp;Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei and Brandon Montour were near the top of most lists. Beyond that, though, teams were mostly chasing depth pieces or players who specialized in certain aspects of the game as opposed to being real difference-makers at the top. Some teams haven’t seen big returns just yet –&nbsp;Skjei has had his struggles, while the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/boston-bruins/line-combinations">Boston Bruins</a> have needed more from Nikita Zadorov.</p>



<p>But these five players have looked great swapping teams over the offseason. One player who didn’t make it but deserves a special shoutout is Philip Broberg. He was a massive part of the St. Louis Blues early in the season before suffering an upper-body injury earlier this month. Hopefully, he’ll be back firing on all cylinders once he returns because he made them a more dangerous outfit every night.</p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="187"></div>



<p>So, here’s a look at five defenders looking strong with new clubs:</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Shayne Gostisbehere, <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/carolina-hurricanes/line-combinations">Carolina Hurricanes</a></h2>



<p>Nobody will confuse Gostisbehere with being a standout defender. But he knows a thing or two about putting points on the board, and with 13 points in 17 games, he’s on pace to crack 60 for the second time in his career. Playing with a steady force on the third pairing, like Sean Walker, allows Gostisbehere to move freely and play his own game. The pairing is working, too – they’re fourth in expected goal percentage in the NHL among defensive pairings with <a href="https://moneypuck.com/lines.htm">at least 100 minutes played together this year.</a> Gostisbehere might be flawed in his own zone, but his ability to act as a fourth forward out there makes the Hurricanes a heck of a lot more dangerous with the puck.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="135"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Brandon Montour,<a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/seattle-kraken/line-combinations"> Seattle Kraken</a></h2>



<p>After six years of struggling to become an impact NHLer, Montour saw his game explode with 73 points in 2022-23. He saw his output fall by 40 last year (albeit he missed 16 games due to injury), but he was still a big reason why the Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup. It would have been understandable if he saw his offense drop on a weaker Kraken team, but he’s actually on pace to register 50 points for the second time in his NHL career. The well-rounded offensive defenseman is averaging 23:48 in ice time, two more minutes than in his four years with the Panthers. As long as he continues to perform as well as he is, the Kraken will continue to give him opportunities to excel in a leading role.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="2" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="132"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Jakob Chychrun, <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/washington-capitals/line-combinations">Washington Capitals</a></h2>



<p>An upper-body injury took Chychrun out for five games earlier this year, but he still has looked damn good for the Caps. He had four points in his first four games back in November and is on pace to break 50 points for the first time in his career. Chychrun is in a contract year and will want a pay raise from his $4.6 million cap hit – and, honestly, he’s looking worth it given how much he has helped rejuvenate the team’s back end. He’s been great with John Carlson on the top pairing, helping to make one of the more dangerous offensive duos on any team’s blueline.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mikhail Sergachev, <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/utah-hockey-club/line-combinations">Utah Hockey Club</a></h2>



<p>Sergachev was given a chance to play a leading role now that he’s out of Victor Hedman’s shadow, and he looks good. He’s averaging more than 25 minutes a night while sitting second on the team in blocked shots. He’s not landing big hits, but he’s on pace for nearly 60 points for the second time in his NHL career while getting the team’s toughest matchups. A traumatic leg injury from last season hasn’t slowed Sergachev down in his new home, and it’s so good to see him playing great hockey and staying healthy.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="3" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="203"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Johnathan Kovacevic, <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/new-jersey-devils/line-combinations">New Jersey Devils</a></h2>



<p>Kovacevic is on a one-year deal worth $767K, but he’s having a significantly bigger impact than his cap hit would suggest. Kovacevic has been one of the more underrated young defensemen over the past two years, and it’s good to see him thriving in New Jersey.&nbsp;Among all defense pairings with at least 100 minutes played, Kovacevic’s partnership with Jonas Siegenthaler has an expected goals percentage of 61.7 – good for eighth in the NHL. He’s on a bit of a scoring slump as of late with nothing to show for since Oct. 27, but he’s still playing solid hockey – some of the best of his NHL career. Kovacevic is getting difficult assignments and is thriving with them –&nbsp;including on the penalty kill. For a team that struggled in their own zone last year, having Kovacevic play as well as he has must feel good.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="4" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="145"></div>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity">



<h2 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-left" id="h-win-one-of-98-exclusive-gatorade-bottles-signed-by-connor-bedard"><strong>Article presented by Fountain Tire</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2099/07/FT_LogoTagOnBlue_RGB1752.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="183" src="https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2099/07/FT_LogoTagOnBlue_RGB1752-1024x183.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-175274" srcset="https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2099/07/FT_LogoTagOnBlue_RGB1752-1024x183.jpg 1024w, https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2099/07/FT_LogoTagOnBlue_RGB1752-300x54.jpg 300w, https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2099/07/FT_LogoTagOnBlue_RGB1752-768x137.jpg 768w, https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2099/07/FT_LogoTagOnBlue_RGB1752-1536x274.jpg 1536w, https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2099/07/FT_LogoTagOnBlue_RGB1752-2048x365.jpg 2048w, https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2099/07/FT_LogoTagOnBlue_RGB1752-150x27.jpg 150w, https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2099/07/FT_LogoTagOnBlue_RGB1752-600x107.jpg 600w, https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2099/07/FT_LogoTagOnBlue_RGB1752-696x124.jpg 696w, https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2099/07/FT_LogoTagOnBlue_RGB1752-1392x248.jpg 1392w, https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2099/07/FT_LogoTagOnBlue_RGB1752-1068x190.jpg 1068w, https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2099/07/FT_LogoTagOnBlue_RGB1752-1920x342.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></a></figure>



<p>At Fountain Tire, you don’t have to choose between a good deal or excellent service—they offer both. They treat your vehicle like their own, providing detailed inspections, photos, and updates on what’s fine, what needs attention, and what can wait. Offering top-quality tires and products from brands like Goodyear, safety is their top priority. Every visit ensures you’re as safe as possible on the road. If you need new tires, or your vehicle’s making a funny noise, stop by Fountain Tire. They’ll take care of it, or you can book an appointment online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fountaintire.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">www.fountaintire.com</a></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Recently by Steven Ellis</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://dailyfaceoff.com/nhl-prospect-roundup-blackhawks-nick-lardis-is-a-scoring-machine/">NHL Prospect Roundup: Blackhawks’ Nick Lardis is a scoring machine</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/projecting-canada-and-usas-rosters-for-the-2025-world-junior-championship">Projecting Canada and USA’s rosters for the 2025 World Junior Championship</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/five-nhlers-who-are-cooling-off-after-hot-starts">Top five NHLers cooling off after hot starts</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/top-5-goaltenders-thriving-with-new-teams-in-2024-25">Top five goaltenders thriving with new teams in 2024-25</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/2025-nhl-drafts-blake-fiddler-is-following-in-his-fathers-footsteps">2025 NHL Draft’s Blake Fiddler is following in his father’s footsteps</a></li>



<li><a href="https://dailyfaceoff.com/nhl-prospect-roundup-its-almost-jonathan-lekkerimaki-time-for-the-canucks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NHL Prospect Roundup: It’s Jonathan Lekkerimaki time, Canucks fans</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/2025-nhl-draft-prospect-roundup-need-a-winner-caleb-desnoyers-is-your-guy">2025 NHL Draft Prospect Roundup: Need a winner? Caleb Desnoyers is your guy</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/kings-brandt-clarke-is-the-nhls-next-top-star-defenseman">Is Kings’ Brandt Clarke the NHL’s next top star defenseman?</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/you-need-to-pay-attention-to-2027-nhl-draft-wonder-kid-landon-duponts-exceptional-season">You need to pay attention to 2027 NHL Draft wonder kid Landon DuPont’s exceptional season</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/top-five-nhlers-who-arent-living-up-to-their-big-contracts-in-2024-25">Top five NHLers who aren’t living up to their big contracts in 2024-25</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/nhl-prospect-roundup-maple-leafs-easton-cowan-is-making-magic-again">NHL Prospect Roundup: Maple Leafs’ Easton Cowan is making magic – again</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/2025-nhl-draft-prospect-roundup-could-michael-misa-end-up-becoming-the-best-player-in-the-draft">2025 NHL Draft Prospect Roundup: Michael Misa is having a season for the ages</a></li>
</ul>
