NHL Norris Trophy rankings: Can Evan Bouchard’s ascent overthrow Zach Werenski?
Another week, and another NHL award watch. This edition features the Norris Trophy, as a pair of offensive defensemen who have never taken home the illustrious award duke it out for the top spot.
NHL Norris Trophy rankings: Can Evan Bouchard’s ascent overthrow Zach Werenski? originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
This week, we revisit our Norris Trophy rankings. Last time around, it felt like Cale Makar’s trophy to lose, and seemingly, he has. Two of the five favorites, Makar and Quinn Hughes, have previously won the Norris Trophy.
While they have enjoyed characteristically terrific seasons, I don’t see either winning. That honor will likely go elsewhere, specifically to Evan Bouchard or Zach Werenski, the former making the strongest late-season case. Bouchard is on pace for 94 points, which would be the third-most in 33 years.
However, Werenski has been the most consistent of the contenders, so long as he finishes the job and gets the Columbus Blue Jackets into the post-season for the first time since 2020, he could be going home with his first piece of NHL hardware. MORE : NHL Norris Trophy rankings: Evan Bouchard enters the conversation 5. Lane Hutson, Montreal Canadiens Hutson continued where he left off from his Calder Trophy-winning season and will almost certainly win a Norris Trophy at some point in his career.
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