The sky seems to be the limit for Erik Karlsson this season

While centers, forwards and goalies get most of the attention, selecting the right defensemen can be the difference in you winning a fantasy championship or missing the playoffs. The top defensemen will get the most ice time on the team and be involved in all the key power play opportunities. Here is a little glimpse on some players that may help or hurt your team this year.

Studs

Erik Karlsson – Ottawa Senators
He was one of two defensemen to lead their teams in scoring as he posted 21 goals and 45 assists while being a plus-seven in 82 games played. He has posted two straight 20-goal seasons now after suffering a freak Achilles injury in 2012-13. At 25 years old, he still has an even higher ceiling and could pass the 70-point mark this season.

P.K. Subban – Montreal Canadiens
Subban is coming off his best season ever with 15 goals and 45 assists with a plus-21. He is someone who isn’t shy about shooting the puck with 205 shots last season and averaged 199 per season over the last three years. Entering his sixth year, another 60-point season is very likely.

Shea Weber – Nashville Predators
With Weber, you pretty much know what you are going to get production wise. For the last six, full, 82-game seasons, he has scored double-digit goals and registered 30 or more assists in five of the last six seasons. He is a mainstay on the power play and special teams and will throw in his share of hits and penalty minutes as well. He will also be paired with Roman Josi forming one of the top defensive pairings in the league.

Sleepers

Aaron Ekblad – Florida Panthers
Ekblad is coming off a rookie season where he tallied 12 goals and 27 assists in 81 games played as an 18-year-old. He has top 10 potential for a defenseman due to his size and skating ability and should be highly sought after in keeper leagues.

Morgan Rielly – Toronto Maple Leafs
With the addition of new head coach Mike Babcock, Rielly will be the one of the pieces to help restore some optimism to this proud franchise. While many see the lack of talent in Toronto, one can never underestimate the fact that Babcock teams win and will use Rielly in every key situation. In just his second season, he scored eight goals with 21 assists in 81 games. He has the tools to take a big step up in production this season and approach the 40-point mark.

David Savard – Columbus Blue Jackets
Savard posted 11 goals and 25 assists last season, but 12 of his points came in the final 20 games. Playing in Columbus he won’t get the publicity or attention of someone of his talents and he likely will be paired with Jack Johnson forming a pair that will see plenty of ice time in all situations. He also had 71 penalty minutes last season. At only 24 years old, this year could be his breakout season.

Busts

Kris Letang – Pittsburgh Penguins
He is here for one reason – health concerns. Letang has missed 102 games over the last four seasons, 13 at the end of last season because of a concussion. He is very talented offensively posting 54 points with 12 goals and 42 assists last season on a team that should score plenty of goals. He will be a high risk-reward type of player this season.

Drew Doughty – Los Angeles Kings
Doughty is a player any team would want in the NHL, and his game translates better for real hockey but for fantasy purposes he will likely fall below the top 20 defensemen this season. He scored seven goals and had 39 assists last season with only one of the goals coming on the power play. He will likely finish with just under 40 points and 50 penalty minutes this season, which still isn’t worthy of what you’d find in a top 10 defensemen you should target.

Mark Giordano – Calgary Flames
Giordano has terrific offensive skills, scoring 11 goals with 37 assists last season and was rewarded with a six-year contract extension this season. His issue is health missing 39 games over the last two seasons. If he makes it through a full season, he produces at a rate of .76 points per game, which is second in the league for defensemen. With a new big contract and injury concerns, he has the potential to disappoint fantasy owners this season.

Rob Klein is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Rob, check out his archive and follow him @RobK37.