I think it's fairly clear that it is. Norris voters look at Karlsson's speed, passing and his ability to take the puck from players in the defensive zone and move it up the ice at breakneck speed, producing scoring chances for his team.
It's the new style of 'the less time you spend in the defensive zone, the better' and Karlsson's the king of the league in going from point A to point B.
It's not always about knocking a guy into the next century with massive bodychecks, nor is it always about shot blocking, nor is it always about crease-clearing. What Karlsson does has absolutely revolutionized playing defence in this era.
I'd love to be proven wrong, but I don't think I can be. Puck possession rules now, Norris voters see it, they see his ability to breakout of his own zone, they see his elite speed and vision and that's why he's already won one Norris and is poised to win another.
Puck possession will eventually be countered by teams who build their teams around being opportunistic on the counter attack.
Why even have defensemen then? Just draft and develop forwards and teach some of them to play defense. Why hasn't anyone done that already? And why is it that Erik Karlsson needs a defensive stud like Marc Methot beside him to do well and when you put possession darling Patrick Weircoich beside him it's a dumpster fire in the Sens zone?
Erik Karlsson hasn't revolutionized anything. You clearly are in your teens, or either just recently started watching hockey or have only watched Ottawa Senators hockey. The offense-first defenseman has been around for years. Unless you think that Erik Karlsson has somehow added a different dimension that Coffey or Leetch didn't have, I'd love to know about it. He's not even the first Swede of his kind. The only thing he's revolutionized is that he's the first one the Ottawa Senators have had, so congratulations I guess for having one.
You know why Erik Karlsson isn't the defenseman of the future? Because even if the puck is in the opponent's zone more and theres less shots against (which doesn't seem to make sense, considering where the Sens SA have been the last few seasons - 25th this year, 2nd last last year behind only the NHL record setting Toronto Maple Leafs, and 2nd last in his magical Norris season). But hey, that has more to do with the rest of the team, and not the 25+ minute a night Karlsson right?
You know how you reduce shots on goal? Blocked shots. Shots blocked with your stick, shots blocked with your body. You know how else you reduce shots on goal? By winning puck battles in your own zone, using your physical strength, and clearing the crease of rebound chances. And Erik Karlsson doesn't do shot blocking, and he's too small to rely on his own physical strength to separate opponents from the puck and clear the crease.
Thats why he's never on the ice for the PK. That's why, as a rival fan, I love seeing him on the ice with a minute to go, protecting a lead. Because when he's put in a defensive situation, he's exposed a lot. And easily. That's why he'll never be the top NHL defenseman, no matter how many points he puts up. Because unless the strategic structure of NHL hockey changes, and defense aren't meant to spend 95% of the time between the opponents blue line and their own redline, keeping the puck out of your own net will always be the #1 priority of a defenseman, and the part of the game that they are able to have the most influence over.