Despite his dominant 2025-26 campaign, Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun is still having a tough time netting any media recognition as one of the NHL’s top defensemen.
After not receiving a single Norris Trophy vote of any kind, Chychrun is also not on NHL Network’s list of top 20 defensemen in the league heading into the 2026-27 season.
The list was put together by the network’s producers and analysts and released on Sunday.
NHL Network’s top 20 defensemen
| Rank | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Cale Makar | Colorado Avalanche |
| 2. | Quinn Hughes | Minnesota Wild |
| 3. | Zach Werenski | Columbus Blue Jackets |
| 4. | Rasmus Dahlin | Buffalo Sabres |
| 5. | Miro Heiskanen | Dallas Stars |
| 6. | Lane Hutson | Montreal Canadiens |
| 7. | Matthew Schaefer | New York Islanders |
| 8. | Jake Sanderson | Ottawa Senators |
| 9. | Moritz Seider | Detroit Red Wings |
| 10. | Evan Bouchard | Edmonton Oilers |
| 11. | Charlie McAvoy | Boston Bruins |
| 12. | Jaccob Slavin | Carolina Hurricanes |
| 13. | Adam Fox | New York Rangers |
| 14. | Brock Faber | Minnesota Wild |
| 15. | Roman Josi | Nashville Predators |
| 16. | Josh Morrissey | Winnipeg Jets |
| 17. | Jackson LaCombe | Anaheim Ducks |
| 18. | Victor Hedman | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| 19. | Shea Theodore | Vegas Golden Knights |
| 20. | Devon Toews | Colorado Avalanche |
Chychrun not only scored more goals (26) last season than all 20 players on the list, but also recorded the same amount (60) or more points than all but eight of the listed defenders.
The 28-year-old blueliner was one of only six defensemen to hit the 20-goal mark, and skated 23:20 of ice time per game, which ranked 27th in the NHL. He is slated to be Washington’s de facto number-one rearguard next season after the team parted ways with alternate captain John Carlson at the trade deadline this past March.
Chychrun will lead a Capitals defense corps also featuring Matt Roy, Cole Hutson, Martin Fehervary, Vincent Desharnais, and Timothy Liljegren to start the year. He will likely be paired with Roy after the two formed one of the best defense pairings in the league when they played together last season. During their 640:28 of shared five-on-five ice time, the Capitals controlled 54.2 percent of shot attempts, 55.7 percent of expected goals, 54.2 percent of scoring chances, and 56.4 percent of high-danger chances.
Chychrun will be looking to set a new single-season career high in points for a third straight season with the Capitals.
