Adam Fox, Erik Karlsson and Cale Makar have been named the 2023 Norris Trophy Finalists as voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
The James Norris Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the top defenseman in the NHL.
This is Fox's second nod as a finalist after winning the Norris outright in 2020-21. The 25-year-old registered 72 points (12 goals, 60 assists) in 82 games during the 2022-23 campaign. He followed that up by notching eight assists in seven postseason games. Fox ranked eighth among defensemen in the points column this past season and tied for first league-wide with 88 takeaways.
Karlsson had a year for the history books. The 32-year-old notched a whopping 101 points (25 goals, 76 assists). The Swedish blueliner became the sixth defenseman in National Hockey League history and the first since Brian Leetch in 1991-92 to register 100 points. He led all defensemen in goals, assists and points. Karlsson could become the fourth defenseman in NHL history to take home the Norris Trophy on multiple teams. He won the award with the Ottawa Senators in 2011-12 and 2014-15. This is Karlsson’s fifth time nomination.
Makar, the reigning Norris Trophy winner, Conn Smythe winner and Stanley Cup champion, is nominated for already the third time in his career. The 24-year-old elite blueliner registered 66 points (17 goals, 49 assists) in 60 games this season. He notched an additional five points in six games during the Avalanche’s playoff run that saw them get taken out by the Seattle Kraken in the first round. Makar ranked second among defensemen with 1.10 points per game. He can become the first back-to-back Norris Trophy winner since Hall of Famer Nicklas Lidstrom won three straight from 2005--08.
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