As the NHL season winds down, attention naturally shifts to individual honors. And the James Norris Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the league’s top defenseman, is always among the most hotly debated.
This year, the conversation has intensified, especially after a surprising endorsement from a three-time Norris Trophy winner.
Oilers’ Evan Bouchard Overlooked Despite Stellar Year
The James Norris Trophy recognizes the defenseman with the most complete all-around game, as voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) at the end of the regular season.
This season, the race is exceptionally tight: Evan Bouchard of the Edmonton Oilers has racked up 91 points, Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets has 80, and defending champion Cale Makar sits at 75.
Despite Bouchard’s dominant numbers, Chris Chelios chose Makar for his pick.
“Makar, incredible. He’s just that good, and I know he’s got guys around him. So, (Gabriel) Landeskog and MacKinnon, and he’s got a great partner… but still, he carries that team. The plays he makes, and the goals, and the assists, it’s the way he skates. It’s just, he’s perfect,” Chelios said.
Chelios’s pick comes as a surprise given Bouchard’s standout season. He notched 70 assists, surpassing Paul Coffey for the fourth-most ever by an Oilers defenseman. In his 400th career game on Jan. 24, Bouchard recorded six points, including his first NHL hat trick, and became only the fourth Oilers blueliner to score 20 goals in a single season.
Chelios did, however, acknowledge Bouchard’s contributions. “The hiccups he has defensively, like we’ve seen in the last two years in the playoffs. The good outweighs the bad by so much. And to get to the finals twice, and he’s been a big part of that with big goals, big plays. You know, you’ve got to give him a lot of credit,” Chelios said.
He also emphasized that making a name for yourself comes from performing in the playoffs and going deep in the postseason.
This week, Bouchard continued to shine, adding two assists in Edmonton’s 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday and posting a +23 rating this season.
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With the Norris Trophy ultimately decided by PHWA vote at the conclusion of the regular season, the debate over who deserves the honor, Bouchard or Makar, is far from settled. Fans and analysts alike will be watching closely to see whether statistical dominance or all-around impact and playoff pedigree tip the scales in this year’s tight race.
