Half way Norris vote

[Ben White]

Yes, actually true. Since the best overall d-man has some kind of combination offence vs defense. So you would pick the top scorer, and evaluate his defense and try to assess how his defense stack up to the second highest scoring d-man. You keep the defender you think has the higher overall impact and move to the next. Then you do this for the top 15 defensmen or so in scoring. There is usually no reason to ever go further down on the list as the top d-man scorer usually scores close to double the amount of points at that point, and pretty much no defensive ability can make up for those point differentials.

There is not a realistic scenario where a defensman is so much above everyone else in defensive ability and somehow not get the ice-time needed to scrape together at least half the amount of points as the top scorers. Langway maybe, but I doubt he was as good as his reputation suggests.

What are the alternative. What defensive stat should you start looking at, if you wanted to go the other way, starting with the best defensive player. +/- ? Or Corsi? Or GA? All of those are flawed for multiple reasons.

Who even is the best defensive defensman right now? Like you would get 20 different answers to that question.

It takes time and a huge sample size of games to put someone clearly above the pack in terms of defensive ability. So difficult to evaluate. And there’s also so many different ways to contribute defensively. Boxing out, physical play, break ups, positioning, take aways, Dzone exits, even O-zone entries and the “offence is the best defence” argument. Almost impossible to evaluate through a formula, eye test from tons of games needed.

 

[AlaBlueShirt]

I want Karlsson to break the 100pts and take the Norris. What a season.
Fox has been great and is the current Rangers MVP but what EK is doing is something else man.

 

[Foppberg]

Karlsson if he can keep it up. It’d be a great story too. Dahlin is right there too, and I won’t be surprised if Makar makes a big push in the last half of the season.

 

[wetcoast]

Yes because this season his offense has been so good at a terrible team that is goes against some of his defensive errors. He is a net-positive player on the team with the least wins in the NHL, and is leading the league in even strength points while passing to guys who have gone through waivers this year.

Funny but the Norris trophy doesn't mention 5 on 5 scoring for and against so why is it the major talking point here?

EK has been on the ice for more GA (80) than any other player in the league this season.

Then some will cry context then skip over his favoriurable offensive zone starts for some reason.

EK is a great fantasy player but a little less so in actual NHL terms than some try to make out here with selective arguments.

 

[wetcoast]

It takes time and a huge sample size of games to put someone clearly above the pack in terms of defensive ability. So difficult to evaluate. And there’s also so many different ways to contribute defensively. Boxing out, physical play, break ups, positioning, take aways, Dzone exits, even O-zone entries and the “offence is the best defence” argument. Almost impossible to evaluate through a formula, eye test from tons of games needed.

True enough but to answer the post you are referring to EK wouldn't be one of the 20 different answers to the question of who is the best defensive Dman in the NHL this season.

Other Norris candidates probably wouldn't be in the actual top discussion but still would be mentioned well before EK.

 

[Fataldogg]

Karlsson, Dahlin, and Fox in that order.