The blue line has never been more important or more talented in the PWHL than it was in the 2025–26 season. From veterans who have been doing this for a decade, to rookie blueliners who looked like seasoned pros from their very first shift, the defensive group across the league was nothing short of remarkable. Points alone do not tell the whole story for a defender, but they are a window into who was driving play, generating offence, and making life miserable for opposing penalty kills. Here is our ranking of the top 10 defenders in the PWHL this season, based on points, with the full story behind the numbers, and the outlook for next season.
#10 — Maja Nylen Persson | D | New York Sirens
30 GP | 2 G | 9 A | 11 PTS
Maja Nylen Persson quietly had one of the most consistent seasons of any defender on the New York blue line, playing all 30 games and finishing with 2 goals and 9 assists for 11 points. The Swedish blueliner brought a calm, reliable presence to the Sirens’ defensive group, the kind of player coaches trust in all situations because she rarely makes mistakes and almost always makes the right play. Her nine assists speak to a defender who understands how to move the puck efficiently and get it to the right people in the right areas of the ice.
2026–27 Outlook: New York has built quietly but deliberately on defence, and Nylen Persson is a key piece of that foundation. Expect her to take another step forward next season as she settles further into the league and continues to build chemistry with the Sirens’ forward group. A 15-point season is well within reach.
#9 — Kati Tabin | D | Montréal Victoire
30 GP | 2 G | 10 A | 12 PTS
Kati Tabin played every single game of the season for Montréal and delivered a steady, professional performance that went largely unnoticed outside of Quebec, which is exactly the kind of thing that makes coaches love a player. Her 12 points in 30 games as part of a Montréal blue line that also featured Nicole Gosling speaks to a defender who does the unglamorous work without complaint and still finds ways to contribute offensively. She and Gosling gave the Victoire one of the most productive defensive pairings in the entire league this season.
2026–27 Outlook: Tabin is under the radar in the broader PWHL conversation, but she is a foundational piece for Montréal. With Gosling drawing most of the attention, Tabin benefits from operating in space and should continue to produce at a similar rate next season. Another full season with the same workload makes her a reliable 12–15 point defender going forward.
#8 — Lee Stecklein | D | Minnesota Frost
28 GP | 1 G | 13 A | 14 PTS
Lee Stecklein has been one of the most respected defenders in women’s hockey for the better part of a decade, and the 2025–26 season was another reminder of exactly why. In 28 games for Minnesota, she posted just one goal but added 13 assists, a number that tells you everything about the kind of player she is. Stecklein does not score highlight-reel goals. She moves the puck with precision, reads the game two plays ahead of everyone else, and makes sure the right people have the puck at the right time. She is the engine behind Minnesota’s blue line, even if she rarely gets the loudest applause.
2026–27 Outlook: Stecklein is a true professional in every sense of the word, and at this stage of her career she knows exactly what she is and what she brings. Minnesota’s defensive group is built around players like her — smart, selfless, and incredibly reliable. She is signed and committed to the Frost, and there is no reason to expect anything other than another 12–15 point season delivered with quiet excellence.
#7 — Mae Batherson | D | Minnesota Frost
30 GP | 3 G | 12 A | 15 PTS
Mae Batherson is, without question, one of the most underappreciated defenders in the entire PWHL, and her 2025–26 season deserves far more recognition than it has received. In all 30 games for Minnesota, she posted 3 goals and 12 assists for 15 points, numbers that rank her among the league’s elite at her position. Batherson plays a two-way game that scouts and coaches rave about but rarely makes the highlight packages. She can defend with physicality and discipline, but she also has the offensive instincts to jump into the play and make things happen. Minnesota’s blue line depth is genuinely scary, and Batherson is a huge reason why.
2026–27 Outlook: Batherson is entering a period of her career where everything is clicking. She played all 30 games this season and showed no signs of slowing down. With Minnesota built to compete for the Walter Cup again next year, Batherson will remain one of the most important defenders on one of the best teams in the league. A 15–18 point campaign next season is a realistic expectation, and a deeper playoff run could push her name into the broader conversation.
#6 — Claire Thompson | D | Vancouver Goldeneyes
28 GP | 4 G | 13 A | 17 PTS
Claire Thompson quietly put together one of the most impressive defensive seasons in the PWHL this year, and the fact that she is not a household name outside of hard-core hockey circles is genuinely surprising. In 28 games for the Vancouver Goldeneyes, she posted 4 goals and 13 assists for 17 points — a remarkable total for a first-year expansion team still finding its footing. Thompson is a smooth, confident puck-mover who makes the transition game look effortless, and her partnership with Sophie Jaques on the Vancouver blue line gave the Goldeneyes one of the most dynamic defensive pairings in the entire league.
2026–27 Outlook: With Caroline Harvey almost certainly arriving in Vancouver via the first overall pick in the 2026 PWHL Draft, Thompson’s situation becomes even more interesting. Rather than losing opportunity, she stands to benefit enormously. Harvey’s ability to command defensive attention will open space for Thompson to operate offensively in a way she has not yet been able to fully exploit. A 20-point season from Thompson next year would not be a surprise at all.
#5 — Kendall Cooper | D | Minnesota Frost
30 GP | 2 G | 17 A | 19 PTS
Kendall Cooper is a rookie. It bears repeating because her numbers this season were anything but rookie-like. In all 30 games for Minnesota, the first-year defender posted 2 goals and a jaw-dropping 17 assists for 19 points, the highest single-season assist total by a rookie defender in PWHL history. Seventeen assists. As a rookie. Cooper does not beat you with flash or spectacle. She beats you with intelligence — an almost uncanny ability to read where the play is going before it gets there and put the puck exactly where it needs to be. She quarterbacked Minnesota’s power play with a composure that made veterans around the league take notice.
2026–27 Outlook: The ceiling for Kendall Cooper is genuinely difficult to calculate, because she already played like an established pro in Year 1. Minnesota is loaded on the back end, but Cooper has firmly established herself as a top-pairing defender, and her role will only grow. A 22–25 point sophomore season feels conservative. She is one of the most exciting young defenders in the PWHL and a player fantasy managers need to prioritize next season.
#4 — Nicole Gosling | D | Montréal Victoire
30 GP | 3 G | 16 A | 19 PTS
If Kendall Cooper was the surprise of the rookie defensive class, Nicole Gosling was the validation. Also a first-year blueliner, Gosling played all 30 games for Montréal and delivered 3 goals and 16 assists for 19 points, a performance so accomplished that it felt impossible to believe she was doing it for the first time at the professional level. Gosling is a pure playmaker on the back end. Her 16 assists ranked second among all PWHL defenders this season, and her ability to find teammates in dangerous areas of the ice made her the engine of the Montréal power play from day one. The Victoire have something very special on their hands.
2026–27 Outlook: Gosling is signed through next season and there is every reason to believe the best is still ahead of her. With a full professional season of experience now under her belt, the adjustments that all rookies make will only sharpen her game. A 22–25 point sophomore season is a realistic target, and she has the potential to become the best offensive defender in the PWHL within the next two or three years.
#3 — Haley Winn | RD | Boston Fleet
30 GP | 5 G | 14 A | 19 PTS
Haley Winn had the kind of breakout season that turns a player from a known commodity into a genuine star. In all 30 games for the Boston Fleet, the rookie posted 5 goals and 14 assists for 19 points, and what sets Winn apart from the other 19-point defenders on this list is her goal total. Five goals from a defender is a statement. It means she has a shot worth fearing, the instincts to get to the right spots in the offensive zone, and the confidence to pull the trigger when the opportunity presents itself. Alongside Megan Keller, Winn gave Boston one of the most productive and feared defensive pairings in the entire league. She is one of the best defenders in the PWHL, hands down.
2026–27 Outlook: Winn is locked into Boston through next season, and the Fleet are built around the kind of defensive depth that makes everyone around her better. She finished this season on an absolute tear and enters the offseason with momentum and confidence. A 22-plus point campaign next year is a genuine expectation, not a projection, and if she adds even two or three more goals she could find herself in conversations for the league’s best defenders.
#2 — Sophie Jaques | D | Vancouver Goldeneyes
30 GP | 9 G | 11 A | 20 PTS
Sophie Jaques was one of the best stories in the PWHL this season and the defining player of Vancouver’s inaugural year as the Goldeneyes. In all 30 games, the captain — yes, captain of a brand new expansion franchise, posted 9 goals and 11 assists for 20 points, making her the highest-scoring defenders on any expansion team in PWHL history. Nine goals. From a defender. That number alone places her in elite company across the entire league, and it speaks to a player with an offensive arsenal that is genuinely dangerous from the blue line. Jaques was the heartbeat of Vancouver this season. A leader, a producer, and the standard-bearer for everything the Goldeneyes are trying to build.
2026–27 Outlook: With Caroline Harvey almost certainly arriving via the first overall draft pick and the Goldeneyes continuing to add pieces around their core, Jaques is about to become even more dangerous. When you pair a goal-scoring defender who draws attention with a player of Harvey’s caliber driving play from the back end, good things happen. Jaques is already a top-five defender in the PWHL. Next season, she could legitimately challenge for the best in the league.
#1 — Megan Keller | LD | Boston Fleet
30 GP | 7 G | 15 A | 22 PTS
There was never really any doubt. Megan Keller has been the best defender in women’s professional hockey for years, and the 2025–26 season was simply the latest chapter in a career that continues to redefine what is possible from a player at her position. In all 30 games for the Boston Fleet, Keller posted 7 goals and 15 assists for 22 points, the most by any defender in the PWHL this season and yet another reminder that she operates on a different level than almost everyone else on the ice.
What makes Keller so extraordinary is not just the points, it is everything that surrounds her. She is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, a perennial All-Star, and the kind of defender who makes every single player on the ice better simply by virtue of being there. She reads the game faster than anyone in the league, her first pass is almost always the right one, and she has the offensive instincts of a forward paired with the defensive discipline of a shutdown specialist. She is the complete package, and she has been for a long time.
Boston built their team around the foundation of Aerin Frankel in net and Megan Keller on the blue line, and it is not hard to see why. When those two are at their best, the Fleet are nearly impossible to beat.
2026–27 Outlook: Keller is under contract with Boston and shows absolutely no signs of decline. She is one of the most consistent players in the history of the PWHL and enters next season as the heavy favorite to lead all defenders in scoring for the second year in a row. She is the standard by which every other defender in this league is measured, and right now, nobody is measuring up.
– By Nathan Add – The Add List +