Letang for Norris?

txpd

Registered User
Jan 25, 2003
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New Bern, NC
They haven't played 30 games yet. There are a dozen defensemen with a shot at it. My view is that right now Carlson is the player to beat. He lead the NHL in points from defense last season when he was not high profile enough to win. If he repeats that with the overall game that he plays, he will win this time.

Of course there is well over half a season yet to be played. Nothing is close to decided
 

Dondini

Registered User
Apr 28, 2010
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What blows me away is how he doesn’t get more credit for the 2016 cup run. People talk about how Kessel should have won the CS. I thought it should have been Letang. He was an absolute beast and controlled the play so much it was incredible. Defintely an unreal d man who probably hasn’t got enough credit
 

NoMessi

Registered User
Jan 2, 2009
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Letang probably wont win it because he sucked last year. Its a reputation award and I fear it might take longer for him to recover from that.

Sucks since hes been our best player by far this year.
 

Ducks in a row

Go Ducks Quack Quack
Dec 17, 2013
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Well I think the three Cups did that.

Penguins won a Cup without him playing any playoff games. Also having 3 cups doesn't make someone a hall of famer you need more then that. Kunitz has 4 cups 1 with the Ducks and 3 with the Penguins and he helped his team win each of them by playing in the playoffs each time his team won a Cup.
 

biturbo19

Registered User
Jul 13, 2010
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I think he'll get some votes, and probably deserves them. But he won't get enough to actually win the Norris. Especially not if Pittsburgh continues to struggle and/or misses the playoffs. It's always a major uphill battle for any good player to win an award like that, while playing on a bad team. It just drags perception of their individual success through the muck...because it's easy to point at their achievements as hollow, if the team isn't successful as a result of their contributions.
 

Empoleon8771

Registered User
Aug 25, 2015
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Redmond, WA
Letang definitely will be in the conversation as long as he doesn't get hurt, he has a very good chance this year because the most recent Norris winners aren't having that strong of seasons (outside of Burns, but he also has Karlsson on his team). He belongs in the conversation with Giordano, Carlson and Rielly for sure, I know HF just underrates him like crazy but he's still having an unquestionably great season.
 

MadLuke

Registered User
Jan 18, 2011
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Would a Norris cement Kristopher as a Hall of Fame defenseman?

There is only 2 Norris Winner not in the Hall of Fame, Carlyle and Doug Wilson, would be quite the push for sure.

Letang should easily retire top 10 in points for defenseman in the post 2005 era currently at #12 with Campbell, Mike Green, Phaneuf accessible maybe even Chara, and #7 in ppg.

He is #2 in playoff points, just 2 point below Keith and 9 above Pronger and could very well retire number 1.

Hall of fame could be ruff, being left off Team Canada all the time, not just that it does not help you create moment while Doughty and others have great tournament on the biggest stage and that it can look a bad impression of not having been a top 7 among Canadian in your prime so not Hall worthy, but also there is probably a lot of the people involved with making team Canada decision than end up influencing if not on the board of the Hall of Fame.

Having had a cup win on a Smythe worthy run is a really big plus also, if he combined that with a Norris season that could put him close, but would need a bit more longevity to help with some nice round numbers like 1,000 games and so on, he was injured a lot.
 
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Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk

Effortless sexy.
Jul 13, 2006
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Letang is pretty mediocre right? That stat package tells me he's basically an old man's Thomas Chabot, and Cahbot is at least producing more for his age range. I mean, Letang still has Crosby, Malkin, Guentzel, Kessel...I guess sure, give him a few Norris votes? Rielly and Chabot are doing more with less though.
 

PensandCaps

Beddy Tlueger
May 22, 2015
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No Dman has to do more for his Dcore.

Would be my winner. Hope he stays healthy. Pens most valuable player.
 

PensandCaps

Beddy Tlueger
May 22, 2015
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Letang is pretty mediocre right? That stat package tells me he's basically an old man's Thomas Chabot, and Cahbot is at least producing more for his age range. I mean, Letang still has Crosby, Malkin, Guentzel, Kessel...I guess sure, give him a few Norris votes? Rielly and Chabot are doing more with less though.



What?

How is Rielly doing more with less when Toronto has just as good as a Forward core?

Chabot is doing more with less...offensively.
 

Gurglesons

Registered User
Dec 18, 2009
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Letang is pretty mediocre right? That stat package tells me he's basically an old man's Thomas Chabot, and Cahbot is at least producing more for his age range. I mean, Letang still has Crosby, Malkin, Guentzel, Kessel...I guess sure, give him a few Norris votes? Rielly and Chabot are doing more with less though.

Nope. Chabot has been great, no way in hell they give a rookie a Norris.
 

NoName

Bringer of Playoffs!
Nov 3, 2017
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No way in hell Chabot is top three.
Right now he is playing like it. But yeah, I imagine that even if he does continue to be among the top blue-line scoring leaders and put up a great season, the Norris voters still will see him as needing to continue to "pay his dues". Being on a non-playoff team hurts his chances as well, although the narrative of stepping into Karlsson's shoes helps.

Right now, if I were to guess who would be chosen as the top-three finalists (not necessarily who deserves it most) it would be:

1) Morgan Rielly (most goals and points for defensemen with 11/40 in 35 games, and the 1D for the 2nd place team in the NHL).

2) Mark Giordano (Playing on a division leader, solid in his own end and putting up over a point-per-game. Also an experienced veteran who has been solid for a long time, which voters like).

3) Brent Burns (Solid offensive totals again this year, playing on a very good team and further helped by having already won the Norris before- it is one of those awards where voters seem much more willing to give it to a player who has already won it before then someone new).

Chabot, Letang, Byfuglien and Josi would get some votes as well.


Of course, we aren't even half way through the season yet. Things can and almost certainly will change drastically between now and April.
 

Regal

Registered User
Mar 12, 2010
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Vancouver
Nope. Chabot has been great, no way in hell they give a rookie a Norris.

This is his second year though. I agree with the basic premise that typically defensemen have to develop a reputation first, which he didn't as a rookie, but there are some examples of players winning or getting significant votes in their first breakout years. Continuing the comparisons, Karlsson is an example
 

Gurglesons

Registered User
Dec 18, 2009
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San Diego, CA
last-train-tocool.blogspot.com
This is his second year though. I agree with the basic premise that typically defensemen have to develop a reputation first, which he didn't as a rookie, but there are some examples of players winning or getting significant votes in their first breakout years. Continuing the comparisons, Karlsson is an example

And how many years did it take Karlsson being a god to get a Norris?
 

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