Norris Trophy 2022-23: Way-Too-Early Rankings For the NHL's Top Defensemen
At the end of each NHL season, the Professional Hockey Writers Association awards the James Norris Memorial Trophy to the league's top defenseman. Previous winners include Hall of Famers like Doug Harvey, Bobby Orr, Raymond Bourque and Nicklas Lidstrom.
The Tampa Bay Lightning's Victor Hedman, Nashville Predators' Roman Josi, New York Rangers' Adam Fox and Colorado Avalanche's Cale Makar could be among this season's Norris contenders. They've each taken home this award once in the past five seasons.
Read on to find out where those four sit among our way-too-early rankings for the 2022-23 Norris Trophy. We've factored in past and present performances.
Do you agree or disagree with our list? Is there anyone you feel we missed? Let us know in the comments section below.
Debuting with the Buffalo Sabres as an 18-year-old in 2018-19, Rasmus Dahlin's 44-point performance made him a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy. His next two seasons were difficult ones with the struggling Sabres until his career-best 53-point performance in 2021-22.
That effort last season suggests bigger things to come for Dahlin. Now 22 and in his fifth NHL campaign, he leads all defensemen with five goals in seven games. The 6'3”, 202-pound Swede is a vital part of the rebuilding Sabres' strong start to this season. He's a smooth-skating blueliner with strong puck-moving abilities who reads the play well.
Since last season, Dahlin leads the Sabres in ice time per game (24:06), hits (133) and blocked shots (106) and is among their leaders in takeaways with 34. He has the potential to become a Norris finalist if he maintains his offensive output while continuing to improve his defensive play.
Likely to be sidelined by offseason shoulder surgery until early December, Charlie McAvoy faces long odds to win the Norris Trophy. Nevertheless, the 24-year-old defenseman's performance in recent seasons and his value to the Boston Bruins when he returns to action justifies his place on this list.
McAvoy, 24, steadily developed during his first four NHL seasons before emerging last season as the Bruins' top defenseman, netting a career-best 56 points in 78 games. A solid all-around rearguard, he logged a team-leading 24:38 of ice time per game including time on their special teams. He also led them with 130 blocked shots and was second in hits with 155.
If not for his surgery, McAvoy would rank much higher on this list. It will take an impressive performance over the second half of this season to propel him into Norris Trophy contention. Nevertheless, his return will significantly improve the Bruins' defense corps and their chances of securing a playoff berth and making a deep postseason run.
The departure of John Klingberg via free agency last summer puts Miro Heiskanen in a position to play a larger role for the Dallas Stars. A talented all-around defenseman, the 23-year-old skates on the left side of their top blue-line pairing logging a team-leading 24:48 of time on ice per game.
Heiskanen has been impressive since 2018-19 when his 33-point performance earned him a spot on that season's All-Rookie Team. The 6'2”, 195-pound Finn has shown he can rise to the occasion during postseason play, leading all defensemen and finishing third in scoring with 26 points during the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Now in his fifth NHL season, Heiskanen is coming into his own as an elite defenseman. He had three points in his first six games before being sidelined day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Once he returns, he should continue to improve as he approaches his playing prime.
Since joining the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017, Shea Theodore has steadily developed into one of the NHL's best puck-moving defensemen. He's netted 42 or more points in each of the past three seasons, including a career-best 52 points in 2021-22.
Theodore, 27, has developed into a quality rearguard. The 6'2”, 197-pounder generates plenty of offense from the blue line with a hard, accurate shot and pinpoint passing. He averaged 23:08 of time on ice per game last season. While not a physical player, he plays a savvy defensive game, finishing sixth among blueliners with 60 takeaways.
Now in his eighth NHL campaign, Theodore has six points in his first eight games. He will be a crucial part of the Golden Knights' efforts to rebound from their disappointing 2021-22 season and regain their standing as a playoff contender.
Since his NHL debut in 2015-16, Jaccob Slavin has become a key core player on the Carolina Hurricanes as well as one of the best defensemen in the league. The 28-year-old isn't a high-scoring blueliner like some on this list, though he does contribute offensively. His strength, however, lies in his smart, disciplined play.
The 6'3, 207-pound Slavin isn't an overly physical defenseman but uses his size, long reach and skating ability well to break up scoring opportunities and quickly transition the puck up the ice. He rarely needs to take penalties to slow down rival scorers. Winner of the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 2020-21, he was also a finalist for the award last season.
Slavin averaged 23:32 of time on ice per game last season and sat third among blueliners in short-handed ice time (3:14) and tied for third with 74 takeaways. His strong all-around play continues to rank him among the NHL's elite defensemen.
Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad was just three games into this season before being sidelined by a lower-body injury on Oct. 17. Losing their best blueliner is a tough early-season blow for the Panthers. Placed on long-term injury reserve two days later, he'll miss at least three weeks.
Winner of the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2014-15, Ekblad played a significant role last season in the Panthers' winning the Presidents' Trophy for the first time in franchise history. The 6'4”, 215-pounder is a big, strong, reliable defenseman who moves the puck well and plays a smart two-way game.
Despite missing 21 games last year, Ekblad recorded a career-best 57 points. He's averaged a team-leading 24:46 of time on ice per game since 2021-22. If he isn't sidelined longer than expected and quickly regains his form, he will remain among the league's best defensemen.
Now in his fourth NHL season, Adam Fox is the top defenseman on the New York Rangers and among the league's best blueliners. He's also a former winner of the Norris Trophy, having garnered the honor in 2020-21.
The 24-year-old Fox is a talented playmaker with terrific puck-handling skills. He finished third last season among NHL defensemen with 63 assists and fourth in points with 74. The 5'11”, 182-pounder also played a fine defensive game, sitting second among blueliners with 78 takeaways. He's averaged 23:57 of time on ice per game since last season.
Fox is approaching what should be the prime of his NHL playing career. He will continue to be a key player for the Rangers and a leading contender for the Norris Trophy. With seven points in his first eight games, he's off to a fine start this season.
Winner of the 2019-20 Norris Trophy, Roman Josi enjoyed one of his best seasons in 2021-22. The Nashville Predators captain led all NHL defensemen with a career-high 73 assists and 96 points. That performance made him a finalist for the Norris.
Now 32, Josi remains a strong-skating defenseman with superb offensive skills. He's reached or exceeded 40 points in eight of the past nine seasons. Over that period, his 25:28 of time on ice per game ranks fifth among NHL blueliners. Josi uses his 6'1”, 201-pound frame and mobility to win puck battles in his own zone and skate it quickly out of danger.
Josi is off to a bit of a slow start offensively this season with four points in eight games. Given his abilities, however, it shouldn't take much longer before his production improves. He remains among the league's best defenders.
The lynchpin of the Tampa Bay Lightning's defense since his breakout performance in 2013-14, Victor Hedman is off to another solid start with seven points in his first eight games. The 31-year-old has played a lot of hockey factoring in the regular season and playoffs since 2014-15. Nevertheless, he remains among the NHL's best defensemen.
Hedman has already enjoyed a career worthy of induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. A perennial Norris Trophy finalist since 2016-17, he won the award in 2017-18. The 6'7”, 244-pounder defenseman won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2020 and played a key role in the Lightning's second Stanley Cup run in 2021.
Named a first-team All-Star in 2018 and second-team All-Star in five of the last six seasons, Hedman is an outstanding player at both ends of the rink. Last season, he finished third among defensemen with a career-best 20 goals and 85 points. The big Swede was also among their league leaders with 52 takeaways while averaging 25:05 of ice time per game.
Cale Makar will fondly remember the 2021-22 season. In just his third NHL campaign, he led all defensemen in goals (28) and finished second with 86 points, earning his first Norris Trophy a year after being named a finalist. He also took home the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP as he helped the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup.
Blessed with blazing speed and impressive offensive skills, the 5'11”, 187-pound Makar is setting the standard for smaller, mobile NHL defensemen. He handles the puck very well and logs big minutes, averaging 25:43 of ice time since last season. His strong skating and active stick enable him to strip opponents of the puck and send the play quickly back the other way.
Turning 24 on Oct. 30 and now in just his fourth NHL season, Makar has established himself among the league's elite defensemen. He has yet to reach his playing prime and should remain a favorite to win the Norris for the next several years. Makar is already off to a solid start with seven points in his first seven games.
Stats (as of Oct. 27, 2022) via NHL.com with additional info via Hockey-Reference.com.
