Luigi Habs
Captain Saku
As a Habs fan I agree. I’m seeing many are pumping Petry but he shouldn’t be in the Norris conversation. Yes he’s having a good season but he needs to have much more impact on the game than just racking points.
Early Norris trophy candidates?
- Thread starter rocketdan9
- Start date
As a Habs fan I agree. I’m seeing many are pumping Petry but he shouldn’t be in the Norris conversation. Yes he’s having a good season but he needs to have much more impact on the game than just racking points.
I’m not going to be the type to say my team’s guy should win it or even be a candidate, but these other guys must be doing REALLY REALLY F***ING WELL this season if Adam Fox isn’t even in the conversation.
eviohh26
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Cousin Eddie
You Serious Clark?
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Makar is the best defenseman to play this year but he’s becoming quite the band aid and staying healthy is part of being a top end NHL player.
My vote right now would go to Hedman. Petry is probabky second.
Sam Girard is quietly sneaking his way into these conversations too but he isn’t worth a top 3 discussion yet.
My vote right now would go to Hedman. Petry is probabky second.
Sam Girard is quietly sneaking his way into these conversations too but he isn’t worth a top 3 discussion yet.
txpd
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The Macho King
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Yeah a dude that's -8 and has been on the ice for 37(!) goals against is definitely top 3.
txpd
Registered User
The Caps have given up 5 empty net goals and 2 shorthanded goals. Thats 7 right there. The guy is very likely to lead defensemen in scoring again while leading a division winner in minutes and playing in all situations. That player is a norris finalist all day.
The Macho King
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Most defensemen in this discussion are going to be out there for SH goals and EN goals against.
37 is a ton. It's bad. Carlson doesn't belong anywhere near this discussion. Dude is just bad defensively.
txpd
Registered User
Have you been watching with any kind of regularity? Youve seen the Caps gaa and shots against consistently dropping. They gave up a lot of goals early and not a lot lately. New coach. Short camp. No pre season games. Much more active defense. Caps gaa is under 2 in the last 10. Carlson is even with 8pts. It will continue to improve.
Were he actually bad defensively, he wouldnt be on the pk. He wouldnt be on the 3on5 pk. He wouldnt be on the ice protecting a lead for the last shift 5on6. I mean unless you think Laviolette is an idiot
Edit: and then there is the goalie with no NHL games to his record before the season started playing almost ALL the games.
The Macho King
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Being the best Laviolette has to work with =/= being good.
Seriously John Carlson as a Norris finalist while being on ice for almost two goals against a game... I do declare.
Edit: and I just checked the team stats. Worst Dman +/- on the team and only Ovi has a worse +/- than him. Good ness.
He is in discussion every year, but I have to think Hedman is the front runner. As good as Makar is, I'd still give the edge to Hedman. Hedman is going to win a few Norris trophies in his prime.
HockeyWooot
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The Macho King
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He is free to post in this thread if he wants to. His insights would likely bring a lot to the discussion.
Gotta give Jonas Brodin some love, he's been playing out of his mind this year and the last. One of the very best defensive defensemen in the league, plays a ton of minutes, evades pressure and exits the zone effortlessly, excellent in transition and is putting up some points this year (around 45pt pace on fairly sustainable metrics). Does not play much on PP at the moment so some additional points upside. The Wild has a pretty strong d-core but this guy is a cut above the rest, no doubt.
Good target on deeper fantasy leagues as well, pick him up!
Good target on deeper fantasy leagues as well, pick him up!
From what I've seen of other teams this year Hedman is in his own tier really. Only D who can take over games at both ends of the ice with any kind of consistency.
BenchBrawl
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To finish Top 3 in Norris voting 5 years in a row is reserved for a very select club.
I believe only the following defensemen did it since the introduction of the Norris trophy (or did I missed someone?), and I included Red Kelly since he only missed the Norris era by a year and clearly qualified as Top 3 that year based on AST voting:
Bobby Orr
Doug Harvey
Denis Potvin
Raymond Bourque
Nicklas Lidstrom
Larry Robinson
Red Kelly
Brad Park
Pierre Pilote
I know "Top 3" is arbitrary but it's still nice. On top of this, Hedman won a cup and a Smythe in that stretch. His competition for Norris votes was very weak though. But given his age and Tampa Bay's strenght, the path is clear ahead of him to climb up the all-time ladder.
I believe only the following defensemen did it since the introduction of the Norris trophy (or did I missed someone?), and I included Red Kelly since he only missed the Norris era by a year and clearly qualified as Top 3 that year based on AST voting:
Bobby Orr
Doug Harvey
Denis Potvin
Raymond Bourque
Nicklas Lidstrom
Larry Robinson
Red Kelly
Brad Park
Pierre Pilote
I know "Top 3" is arbitrary but it's still nice. On top of this, Hedman won a cup and a Smythe in that stretch. His competition for Norris votes was very weak though. But given his age and Tampa Bay's strenght, the path is clear ahead of him to climb up the all-time ladder.
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The Macho King
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So first - don't want to jinx it because he isn't there yet.
But second - Clearly this isn't the late 80s/90s with defensive players available, but if you look at Hedman's competition *by season* it looks a little better. His first third place finish he scored 72 points, but lost to Burns (30 goals and like 76 points) and Karlsson (74 points or so?). Do you think Hedman's defense may have been worth six points that season over Burns? Could have easily been a win there.
I also think the voting patterns of writers are... odd now. There's like an obligation to make sure every good Dman gets a Norris now, despite for the past 3-4 years there being near universal acknowledgment that Hedman is the best in the game.
Bobby9
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Rabid Ranger
2 is better than one
I'll give you Hedman as he is clearly a current favorite but not Ekblad. A guy like Petry has a better case.
snipes
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Hedman clearly number 1.
Ekblad is having a good year. Nurse as well same amount of points and +11 versus +1 for Ekblad. Nurse has been an absolute two way horse this year logging big minutes.
Nurse is also 3rd in TOI in the NHL slightly ahead of Hedman at 4th.
Hedman clear number one. Petry, Ekblad, Nurse, Makar, McAvoy, and Doughty all very much in that top 5 discussion along with some other guys as well that I’m missing.
Rabid Ranger
2 is better than one
I think your opinion of Nurse is higher than the voters will be but he is having a good year. I also think your list of favorites is sound.
