Erik Karlsson Snubbed by NHL Network on New List of Top Defensemen

Over his career, there have been few defenseman in the NHL more consistently brilliant than Erik Karlsson, who is the winner of three Norris Trophies from his time in Ottawa, San Jose and Pittsburgh.

In his time with the Penguins however, Karlsson has been the centre of much criticism, and even though his defense has taken a step backwards, he's still averaging over 50 points a year in those two seasons, with the Penguins defense suffering as a result.

As a result of this regression, he did not feature on NHL Network's list of the top 20 defenseman in the National Hockey League, and given that the list cuts off at 20, it's tough to see when they eventually would have gotten to the veteran star.

On the list are superstars such as Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, Roman Josi, Zach Werenski and Jaccob Slavin among others, with some very questionable decisions throughout their list.

Firstly, Adam Fox takes a huge fall to 16th on the list, which is something that many don't agree with, while Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson comes in at 19 after a sensational rookie year, with arguments to be made about Karlsson over several players on the list.

Ultimately though, Karlsson still has the talent to be a top-20 defenseman in the NHL, and even after struggling through the past few seasons, he'll be motivated to come out in 2025/26 and prove the doubters wrong, whether he's with the Penguins by then or not.