Quinn Hughes is the reigning Norris Trophy winner, and while he’s in the conversation again, the race for this year’s Norris Trophy looks highly competitive. There are some familiar faces, but a new blueliner entered the race with a breakout season.
5. Victor Hedman
Victor Hedman had shown signs of decline in his defensive game the last couple of seasons, but that wasn’t the case in 2024-25. He was one of the best two-way defenders in the NHL and looks to be in the Norris Trophy conversation again, even though he may not be the frontrunner.
Related: 2024-25 Selke Tracker: Barkov Has a Chance to Repeat
Hedman finished the regular season with 15 goals and 66 points in 79 games and carried the Tampa Bay Lightning’s defense. He totaled an overall net rating of plus-15.3, ranked eighth among all defensemen league-wide. His defensive play was worth a net rating of plus-2.6, while his offensive game was worth a net rating of plus-12.7.
The Lightning aren’t the deepest team anymore, at least not to the level they were during their Cup years. They have to rely on their star players to carry them, and Hedman continues to lead the way, along with Andrei Vasilevskiy, Nikita Kucherov, etc.
4. Quinn Hughes
Despite injuries, Quinn Hughes had another outrageous season, totaling 76 points in 68 games, a 92-point pace over 82 games. Erik Karlsson is the only defenseman to total 100 points in the last 30 years, and even though Hughes did not hit that because of time missed due to injury, he’s shown in back-to-back seasons that he might be able to do it one day.
Hughes’ underlying metrics are among the best in the league for defensemen, with his net rating of plus-14.7 ranking ninth. The Vancouver Canucks were also a bit of a disaster when Hughes wasn’t on the ice. They had a 54.2 xG% when he was on the ice, with that number dropping to 44.2 percent when he wasn’t on the ice.
I’m not sure where the Canucks would have been without him, especially with all the turmoil that went on in Vancouver this season. Had he not missed 14 games due to injuries, he probably would have been a top-three candidate to win the Norris and perhaps the favorite.
3. Josh Morrissey
Is Josh Morrissey the new Aleksander Barkov? What I mean by that is, is he the new most underrated player in the NHL? Perhaps it’s because he plays in a smaller Canadian market that doesn’t get as much attention as others, but he had another fantastic season.
Morrissey totaled 62 points in 80 games, the third consecutive season where he finished with 60-plus points, but it’s not just points that build his Norris case. He had an overall net rating of plus-19.9, ranked third among all defensemen league-wide.
Morrissey has not always been an elite two-way defender, but you can’t argue that this season. His offensive game was worth a net rating of plus-10.6, while his defense was worth a net rating of plus-9.6. He was one of the most well-balanced defenders in the league and is right in the thick of the Norris conversation.
2. Zach Werenski
Even though they barely missed the playoffs, the Columbus Blue Jackets were one of the biggest surprises in the NHL, and Zach Werenski played a significant part. He finished with 23 goals and 82 points in 81 games, and his overall game was worth a net rating of plus-24.2, second in the NHL among all defensemen.
The one area where Werenski lagged compared to his competitors is defensively. He wasn’t a liability on defense. Far from it, but his defensive game was worth a net rating of plus-2.6, a much lower rate than some of the other top blueliners mentioned here.
Still, I’d argue that what Werenski provided offensively outweighed anything that weighed him down defensively. The Blue Jackets would likely not have even been in the playoff race without his performance.
1. Cale Makar
Cale Makar had another fantastic season, totaling 30 goals and 92 points in 80 games. His underlying numbers were excellent, as his game was worth an overall net rating of 26.2, ranked first among all defensemen league-wide. That number also ranked first among all skaters league-wide, which speaks to how great of a season he had.
My guess is that most Norris voters will place Makar first on their ballots. I’m not saying that isn’t deserved, but his splits when he was on the ice with Nathan MacKinnon compared to when he wasn’t were notable:
- Makar with MacKinnon on the ice: 61.83 xG%.
- Makar w/o MacKinnon on the ice: 41.99 xG%
I’m not saying MacKinnon carried Makar, but that is a stark difference. Makar had the best net rating in the NHL among all skaters, so he’d deserve the Norris Trophy if he wins it, but it is interesting to see his numbers dipped so much when he wasn’t on the ice with MacKinnon.
What to Do With Defensive Defensemen
The one thing I have trouble with in determining Norris candidates is what to do with defensive defensemen. Vladislav Gavrikov finished first in defensive net rating at plus-14.3, while his partner, Mikey Anderson, was second at plus-14.2. This is among all skaters, too. Not just defensemen. Maybe it’s time for an award for defensive defensemen now that there are proper metrics to evaluate them.
Regardless, the usual suspects are in the Norris conversation, and it’ll probably be a close call when voting comes in. Makar is the favorite since Hughes has missed time with injuries, but there doesn’t seem to be a wrong choice. Morrissey or Werenski would be deserving winners if that’s the route voters decide to take.
Advanced stats from Natural Stat Trick, Hockey Stat Cards
