With less than a month left in the regular season, the conversation regarding individual awards is starting to heat up.
On the blueline, the debate of who will claim the Norris Trophy has been widdled down to two players, Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar and Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes.
Both men are standout players on both ends of the rink. Hughes is currently leading all defensemen with 79 points, while Makar is right behind him with 75. Granted, Makar missed some time due to injury earlier in the year.
The deciding factor will be who is better in their own zone. Statistically, Hughes has the better plus/minus, with both players averaging around the same time on ice.
There is growing support for Nashville Predators’ captain Roman Josi, who is third behind Hughes and Makar with 71 points. However, despite being the most elite blueliners in the league, he would have to do a lot more than just help the Preds into the playoffs to become a favorite for the award.
On Friday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk give their thoughts on who should be in the running to be named the league’s best defenseman.
Frank Seravalli: Hughes has been tremendous, there’s no doubt. This is my personal opinion…I think Makar is the more complete defenseman. I think Makar defends better using his wheels and his positioning. That’s not to take down Hughes at all. What he’s done this season, so incredibly impressive. I just think [the conversation] should be closer…because the numbers aren’t that far off.
Tyler Yaremchuk: These are two guys who are getting this love because of what they do with the puck and their production. The numbers are so close. Can [Josi] do enough in the final 12 games to get himself back into the conversation?
Frank: Probably not, but I’d be very surprised if he’s not a finalist.
You can watch the full segment, and the entire episode here…
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