Even with offense becoming increasingly important in today's NHL, very few teams in recent years have had any sort of postseason success without an elite defensive pairing.
Whether it's a shutdown duo or a tandem that can drive offensive production — or both — these top pairings are extremely valuable both over a long regular season and in the playoffs when they're tasked with handling a specific matchup over the course of a seven-game series.
Simply put, if you don't have two defenders you can throw over the boards and trust in a crucial situation, you don't stand much of a chance.