There are some very good defenseman in the NHL and this article will focus on the top defenseman in the Eastern conference. Where do I rank them? Let's take a look.

6. Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins

Normally Zdeno Chara would be higher up on this list if it were a few years ago but he's gotten a lot older and slower now so he's a little lower. Chara alwayd dishes out huge hits though so though it will be amazing to watch him do that this coming season. Look for him to be on the top pairing again this season for the Bruins since he's easily the best defenseman on that team.

5. Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins

Letang should be higher up on this list but he had a injury filled season last year that made him miss a lot of time. He had a foot injury that made him miss the first week of the season and then suffered a horrific stroke halfway through the season that made him miss ten weeks. He did come back for the playoffs and played pretty well once he settled down. If he can stay healthy this season, there's no doubt in my mind he can be a candidate for the Norris trophy since he's one of the best offensive defenseman in the league.

4. Ryan McDonagh, New York Rangers

Mcdonagh is one of the most underrated defenseman in the league and for good reason. When healthy, he's amazing. Last year, he wasn't the same after the shoulder injury he suffered during the middle to the end of the season. With a healthy season this year, he's a big dark horse to maybe win the Norris.

3. Victor Hedman- Hedman had a great year for Tampa Bay and was in the top five for voting for the Norris trophy. It was easily his best season. A lot of people are picking him to win the Norris trophy this year and I wouldn't be surprised if he does.

2. P.K. Subban, Montreal Canadiens

Subban is one of the best defenseman in the entire NHL and it was hard to put him at second. He had another outstanding year last season and really silenced his critics when he led the Canadians in seven games over their archrival Boston Bruins. Look for him again to have another outstanding season for Montreal.

1. Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators

This guy is the best defenseman in the Eastern Conference. He's a great offensive defenseman and a great defensive defenseman as well. He's going to most likely be named the captain of the Ottawa Senators at some point before the season starts since Jason Spezza was traded to Dallas and Karlsson fully deserves it. He's a great leader on and off the ice for Ottawa. Ottawa may not be a good team this year but Karlsson will surely get a ton of points this season.