Jackson LaCombe has emerged as a premier young defenseman over his first three NHL seasons. In 2023-24, LaCombe had a productive rookie season, establishing himself as an everyday contributor, but was largely overshadowed by a high-profile rookie class featuring Connor Bedard, Brock Faber, and Logan Cooley. By 2024-25, LaCombe established himself as a staple on Anaheim’s top pair, thriving under an incredible workload. This season, LaCombe has proven that he’s a true #1D, and has quietly become an unheralded superstar right in front of our eyes, averaging 24:15 per game, producing 58 points in 82 games from the backend, all while handling Anaheim’s toughest matchups every night. His status as one of the most impactful defenders in the league was further cemented in the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs where his Ducks pulled off an unlikely upset of the offensive juggernaut Edmonton Oilers. While the team's success was a story in itself, the true catalyst was LaCombe’s ability to single-handedly neutralize the best player in the world.
Understanding McDavid’s Skillset
Connor McDavid possesses a unique blend of pace that the game has never seen, coupled with an elite ability to handle the puck and execute at top speed. He’s notoriously hard to defend, and we’ve all seen him be able to take apart 1-on-3 situations and create something special out of what should be a nothing play. When I find myself watching these scenarios play out that often lead to ridiculous highlight reel plays, as incredible as McDavid’s skill is and his ability to create, I find myself watching the defender and asking the same questions. “What is that defenseman doing?”, “Where is he going?”, “Why would he play it like that?”.
McDavid has an unparallelled ability to make opposing players panic. When a defender sees him winding up through the neutral zone, generating speed with his signature crossovers like only 97 can, it strikes fear in even the most poised defenders. We see defenders completely abandon their structure in favour of pure desperation. Their body language often shows they’re focusing on avoiding being burned and ending up on a highlight reel on every mainstream media outlet the next day. Ironically, that’s why they end up on the negative end of that highlight reel.
Mindset of Killing Plays Early
Recognizing how dangerous McDavid is once he generates momentum and pace, LaCombe’s mindset was to kill plays as early as possible. He understands that McDavid, while multi-dimensional, is at his most lethal when he can use his speed in open ice. Throughout this series, we’d see plays develop where McDavid was winding up to jump on a loose puck or start the rush, and we’d see LaCombe activate to engage and neutralize the threat before it even began. LaCombe maintained the same approach in every situation. He never showed any panic in his game, and he refused to deviate from his tactical defensive process. Each time LaCombe would pinch or activate to engage, he made sure to attack at a proper angle, establish inside position, and then intelligently use leverage to push through McDavid’s blade in every 50/50 scenario. In events where McDavid would beat the first layer of defense, LaCombe would apply these same concepts as he’d shift over to eliminate any threat before it could become dangerous.
Defending With Poise and Control
Like any elite player, McDavid found ways to break loose from the Ducks’ defensive coverage and create scenarios where he was able to use his greatest asset, his speed. Defending McDavid in full momentum is a near impossible task, yet LaCombe handled these isolated rushes with calculated composure, instead of falling into the desperation mindset seen so often across the league, he relied on a disciplined tactical process to limit McDavid’s effectiveness throughout the series.
This level of success was built on an elite understanding of fundamental defensive strategies and near-perfect execution. In each sequence, we see LaCombe utilize his skating ability to mirror McDavid’s pace as best he can, but he’s very careful and calculated in his approach. He doesn’t put himself in any situations where McDavid can use his own weight shifts against him. Once LaCombe’s gap is established, he very intelligently refrains from utilizing any crossovers as that leave him vulnerable to an inside cut, as well as any unnecessary weight shifts from heels to toes or vice versa.
LaCombe didn’t force plays recklessly. He was looking to surf and angle when appropriate, but he was also very comfortable slowly closing his gap and leading McDavid with his stick, allowing McDavid to run himself out of room. LaCombe was able to engage with well-timed stick checks to disrupt the play and cause turnovers, and when he needed to engage physically he approached each situation with a strategic process. We consistently saw him attack at a proper angle, establish inside position, and play his body through McDavid’s hands to eliminate him from the play and effectively kill each play.
LaCombe even had to resort to unique recovery tactics to keep McDavid at bay. In the following clip, he shows his intelligence as he retreats when McDavid secures a loose puck and generates speed. LaCombe understands he’s unable to mirror McDavid’s pace, especially since he generates full momentum before LaCombe can shift his weight and start moving backwards. Instead of attempting it, and likely failing to effectively gap up that way, LaCombe tuns and skates forward, generating enough pace to then mirror McDavid’s, and then pivots to engage and manage his gap. This split-second calculation allowed him to dictate the terms of the rush and confront McDavid with a controlled process, eventually eliminating the threat entirely.
Small Area Defending
LaCombe’s impact extended into small-area situations, where he excelled at limiting McDavid’s effectiveness. We’d see him lock onto McDavid when appropriate, and once again LaCombe revisits the mindset of killing plays before they even start. As soon as the puck worked its way to McDavid, LaCombe was consistently within a stick length, allowing him to easily engage with a well-timed stick check to disrupt the play. In the scenarios where Anaheim’s defensive structure didn’t allow LaCombe to lock onto McDavid, we see him engage with urgency as soon as McDavid gains possession, and LaCombe was effectively able to limit his passing options prior to utilizing a quick stick to break up the play. LaCombe was consistently able to turn potential scoring threats into clean, effective breakouts.
Translatable Offense
As if effectively shutting down the world’s best player in a 6-game series wasn’t enough, LaCombe also led the entire NHL in scoring through the first round of the playoffs. His dominance at both ends of the ice demonstrated that he can be a premier two-way defender at the highest level. The way he creates offense is impressive as every element is highly translatable. There’s no unnecessary risk to his game. In the offensive zone, LaCombe keeps the play in front of him, using deception to freeze opponents as he distributes the puck. On the rush, he’s comfortable activating as a secondary layer only when he has the necessary structural support. This balance of poise and timing ensures that his offensive contributions never come at the expense of his defensive responsibilities.
Jackson LaCombe’s 2025-26 season has been a masterclass in rapid development. From establishing himself as a minute-munching #1D in Anaheim to earning a late addition, and a Gold Medal, with Team USA’s Olympic squad, his growth has been exponential.
However, his performance in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs was the definitive statement. By combining an impressive skillset, with a mindset of playing with calmness and poise, and executing a calculated defensive strategy, LaCombe did what many thought was impossible. He made the best player in the world look human for six straight games. If he continues to combine his elite defensive IQ with his translatable offense, it won’t be long before he is universally recognized as one of the most impactful defenders in the NHL. He didn’t just survive the matchup against Connor McDavid, he provided a detailed blueprint for how to win it.
