When looking at the roles of defensemen, players typically fall into the offensive, two-way, or defensive defenseman skillset. After that, they usually stay within that role for their careers. Sometimes you’ll see players’ roles change or develop into a hybrid of two different styles.
The Carolina Hurricanes’ Shayne Gostisbehere has been mainly viewed as a purely offensive defenseman for most of his career. However, as the 2025-26 season has progressed, there’s been a shift in Gostisbehere’s emerging role as more than a purely offensive blueliner.
Gostisbehere’s Changing Role to a Two-Way Defender
In a season that has seen him out with injury four times, Gostisbehere has still been impactful on the ice. Over the course of 49 games, “Ghost” is ninth on the team in goals (13), fourth in assists (34), and fifth in points (47). He surpassed last season’s point total of 45 in 70 games.
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That’s being effective despite missing more games comparatively. If he had not missed so much time, there is no doubt that he would have surpassed Brent Burns‘ record for most points in a season for a Hurricanes defenseman (61). Out of his 13 goals, six have come on the man-advantage, something that is not surprising given his role as the top power-play unit’s quarterback.
The impressive notion is that Gostisbehere, when on the ice, is marginally razor-thin close to being a point-per-game defenseman. While his role for most of his career has been an offensive defenseman, even in the 23 games of his first stint with the Hurricanes in 2022-23 and his first full season with the team in 2024-25, this season has seen a shift in how he’s been utilized.
During the 2024-25 season, Gostisbehere’s zone time breakdown was 30.7% in the defensive zone, compared to 17.9% in the neutral zone and 51.3% in the offensive zone. In 2025-26, that has changed to 32.5% in the defensive zone, along with 17.8% in the neutral zone and 49.8% in the offensive zone.
In terms of defensive and offensive zone breakdowns, those are both in the 99th percentile in the two seasons. While it doesn’t seem like much of a difference, Gostisbehere is being used more in the defensive zone.
When compared to the top 10 skaters in the NHL in terms of zone time in all strengths, Gostisbehere is first when it comes to the offensive and defensive breakdowns. Within the terms of the offensive zone time, he is ahead of names like Andrei Svechnikov (49.4%), Brady Tkachuk (48.9%), Zach Hyman (48.3%), and Seth Jarvis (48.3%).
On the flip side, for the defensive zone breakdowns, he’s also first there as well. Gostisbehere is ahead of Jarvis, Svehchnikov, Sebastian Aho, and Jackson Blake for the top five. That’s not including Tkachuk, Drake Batherson, and Dylan Cozens, who are within the top 10.
There have been times throughout the season that Gostisbehere has backchecked to stop opponents from getting shots on the goal, along with being able to create turnovers, which has led to odd-man rushes. While the Hurricanes want guys to bring their own strengths to the roster, if there is stuff to work on and get better at, they will do that as well.
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When the defense coach is Stanley Cup winner Tim Gleason, that is a boost for the defensemen. It’s clear when watching in person or on a broadcast that Gostisbehere has made some big plays defensively.
While he still may lean more offensively with his skillset, Gostisbehere in 2025-26 has emerged as more than just a pure offensive shooter. He has adapted to a role that helps the Hurricanes as they are now locked in for their eighth straight playoff appearance. He’s been paired with Alexander Nikishin for most of the season, helping guide him along the way as another more offensively minded defenseman. In doing so, that is why Gostisbehere has morphed into his new “role” as a two-way defenseman.
Whether or not he is classified as a “two-way” defenseman, Gostisbehere’s game has grown over the course of 2025-26 to indicate that it is not only pure offense. He has adapted a more defensive style of play as well, and it’s paid off in a season that wasn’t dragged down by injuries. He’s been a big piece on the blue line and on the special teams in different roles and situations. In doing so, could there be a contract extension to keep Gostisbehere in Carolina past the 2026-27 season? Only time will tell.
