Hockey players put their bodies on the line every shift, and there are few things tougher than blocking a shot going 90-plus miles an hour.
Like most penalty minutes, blocked shots aren’t really a major stat, are the first line of defense for teams, and help limit the scoring chances of the opposing teams.
Here are the blocked shots leaders as of Dec. 9.
| Player | Team | Games Played | Shots Blocked |
| Alec Martinez | Vegas Golden Knights | 28 | 115 |
| David Savard | Montreal Canadians | 24 | 74 |
| Ivan Provorov | Philadelphia Flyers | 27 | 73 |
| Jacob Trouba | New York Rangers | 28 | 67 |
| Brayden McNabb | Vegas Golden Knights | 28 | 63 |
| Moritz Seider | Detroit Red Wings | 26 | 62 |
| Roman Josi | Nashville Predators | 24 | 61 |
| Mark Giordano | Toronto Maple Leafs | 28 | 58 |
| Jake McCabe | Chicago Blackhawks | 22 | 58 |
| Alexander Romanov | New York Islanders | 27 | 58 |
It is no surprise that the Vegas Golden Knights have allowed the fewest goals in the Pacific Division, as they have two players in the top 10 of blocked shots. While Alec Martinez only has four points on the year, he has a plus/minus of plus-seven, largely due to his ability to get in front of opponents' shots. Meanwhile, teammate Brayden McNabb is plus-13 with nine points.