While we are previewing the Atlantic Division it would be irresponsible not to take a look at some of the potential Norris Trophy candidates. While there are plenty of tremendous defensemen across the NHL, the Atlantic harbors some of the elite rearguards in the league.
The 2013-14 winner, Duncan Keith took home the second Norris of his impressive career, helping the Chicago Blackhawks reach the conference finals as they attempted to defend their Stanley Cup title from a year ago.
It was the sixth time in six years that the NHL awarded a different defenseman with the honor. Not since Nicklas Lidstrom collected his third consecutive trophy (and sixth overall) in 2007-08 have we seen back-to-back winners. Keith is certainly a candidate to be among the finalists again this season.
Since Johnny Manziel isn’t going to start for the Cleveland Browns in the season opener, we can turn our attention to the NHL. Let’s have a really, really early look at some Norris Trophy favorites.
Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks
The defending titleholder, Keith is blessed with a defensive unit that is second to none. While his individual efforts can’t be diminished by the company that he keeps, it certainly doesn’t hurt that he has elite talent to stay at home for the rush up the ice and the likes of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp to help rack up his offensive numbers.
P.K. Subban, Montreal Canadiens
The 2013 Norris Trophy winner put up another strong season last year and was a central figure in Montreal’s push through the Stanley Cup playoffs. Subban just signed a monster contract with the Habs this summer that will lock up his future and put his mind to rest. However, the other side of that blockbuster deal is the weight of expectations that comes with being the highest paid star in the NHL’s most successful franchise.
Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators
The Senators might be in rebuilding mode whether they like it or not. At the center of the retooling of their franchise is Karlsson, the 2012 Norris winner. Blessed with an effortless stride, extraordinary vision and one of the more underrated shots in the league, Karlsson is the second coming Paul Coffey. For you youngsters, he continued the revolution for defensemen as they became part of the offense. As Karlsson has matured he has become a more complete defenseman, more responsible in the defensive zone. Even with his commitment to the defense, Karlsson led all blue liners with 74 points, 13 ahead of 2nd place Keith.
Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins
Even at the ripe (old) age of 37 Chara brings a howitzer of a slap shot like none other in the world. His production has naturally dipped with age, but there is no one in the league that likes to look up and see the enormous Bruin defenseman headed towards them. With his size and reach the big blue liner can throttle even the shiftiest forwards in the league. He is also the goaltender’s best friend, steamrolling through the crease to keep the sight line clear.
Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues
Last year Pietrangelo started to look like the defenseman that many thought he would turn into a few years ago. With statistical numbers that matched his career-high to date, Pietrangelo is expected to take his game to another level. He plays on a team that excels in the defensive end which certainly helps his all around game, but with his unlimited offensive ceiling Pietrangelo’s numbers would be enormous if he played in another system.
Shea Weber, Nashville Predators
It will be interesting to see what the Predators do under Peter Laviolette this season. As the cornerstone of the franchise, Weber is the player that any new coach would love to build around. Blessed with equal parts, size, strength, skill and nasty, Weber has Laviolette to thank indirectly for his enormous salary. With the wheels greased for a more up-tempo attack, look for Weber to see a spike in his offensive numbers as well.
Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins
The only thing standing between Letang and his first Norris Trophy is a clean bill of health. The last few seasons, Letang has been spectacular when he has been healthy, but a collection of nicks, bumps and bruises have shelved the right-handed blue liner for significant time. Playing with elite offensive talent certainly comes with benefits in the stat department, but Letang makes a lot of his own good fortune and could be set for a huge year.
Ryan Suter, Minnesota Wild
Many people, including myself, expected Suter to struggle in Minnesota without his Nashville playing partner, Weber. The opposite seems to have occurred with Suter excelling in the “State of Hockey”, while Weber seemed to need some adjustment time. While Suter isn’t as flashy and doesn’t put up the huge numbers that voters seem to enjoy, he might be the best one-on-one defenders in the league. His positioning and stick work are second to none.
Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
A dark horse simply because he plays in a non-traditional market, Hedman had a coming out party last season that no one seemed to acknowledge. While most gave Ben Bishop credit and fawned over Steven Stamkos’ tibia, Hedman was putting together a spectacular season. Blessed with Chara-esque size and incredible instincts, this could be the year that the Bolts’ big blue liner supplants Chara as the dominant big man on defense.
Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings
I figured I would throw Doughty in for two reasons: 1) He is talented enough to be considered, even though he seems to coast until the playoffs, 2) I wanted ten players listed, and Doughty is a top ten defenseman in my opinion. His stats don’t match the level of talent that Doughty has, but the playoff results are indisputable. If Doughty decides to play a full season at the level he is capable of, we could be talking about one of the best defensemen ever.