Western Conference Reviving Stay-at-Home Defensemen

The Winnipeg Jets extended defenseman Dylan Samberg and avoided an arbitration hearing. The new contract is a great deal for both sides, as the Jets lock in a top-four defender at a reasonable salary and Samberg will get the chance to cash out again in free agency.

Samberg’s extension with the Jets is the latest in a continuing NHL trend. This offseason is the resurgence of the stay-at-home defender, as multiple teams around the league have locked up their biggest and strongest defensemen.

The Jets locked Samberg in for the next three seasons. The 6’4” defender will make $5.75 million against the salary cap over that span, and he will occupy the left side of the second-pairing with mobile defender Neal Pionk on his right. Samberg’s role is well outlined, and he excels within it. He's the one matching up against the opponent's top forwards, and his 2024-2025 performance showed he can be among the best defensive defensemen in the NHL.

It’s not just Winnipeg getting in on this trend. The Nashville Predators acquired and extended hulking defender Nicolas Hague from the Vegas Golden Knights this summer. The Preds inked him to a deal worth $5.5 million annually, Now the third-highest paid defenseman in Nashville, he's expected to play a huge role and eat minutes. The hope is that he can play alongside captain Roman Josi, but as he recovers and rehabilitates from his POTS diagnosis, Hague's role will only grow.

The Calgary Flames wouldn’t be left out either. A year ago they traded away star goalie Jacob Markstrom to the New Jersey Devils. Part of the return package was 6'6", 230-pound defender Kevin Bahl.

In his first season with Calgary, Bahl became a legitimate top-four defenseman. Occupying the left side of their top pairing, the Flames rewarded Bahl with a new, six-year contract. His extension pays him an average annual salary of $5.35 million and runs through the 2030-2031 campaign.

What this all suggests is that the NHL, specifically the Western Conference, is responding to the events of the past two seasons. The back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers are the nastiest, toughest and most brutal hockey team in the world. In addition, the two-time defending Western Conference champions, the Edmonton Oilers, are the most skilled team in the world. That leaves the rest of the competition desperate to improve their one-on-one defensive abilities while also toughening up.

With these deals, the Flames, Jets and Predators are taking calculated risks. A few seasons ago, these big bruisers were not the top priority for extensions. Now, that dynamic is shifting, and the old school stay-at-home defenders are back with a vengeance in the NHL.