Any list of the NHL's best young defensemen has to include Seth Jones of the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 24-year-old Texas native finished fourth in voting for the Norris Trophy last season after posting a career-high 57 points in 78 games during a campaign that also saw his defensive impact improve.
Despite missing the start of this season with a knee injury, Jones picked up where he left off and hasn't missed a beat, accumulating 20 points in 27 games while averaging an impressive 26 minutes, 26 seconds per game in his sixth NHL season.