when a ‘bad’ defender wins NHL defensemen of the year.

#nhl #hockey #sanjosesharks

Erik Karlsson put up one of the most historic seasons we've seen from an NHL defensemen in years. 101 Points in 82 games was enough for him to win the Norris Trophy... but with a -26 stat line, it has raised debate on whether or not he should've won this trophy. In this video, we breakdown why Erik Karlsson is one of the most unique defenceman in the NHL.

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[WW_Soon]

The Norris Trophy has become a joke! Make it an award for the defenseman who defends the best by goals allowed while he's on the ice and forget about his goals and assists.

[alexb]

I think Erik Karlsson deserved the Norris trophy this year.

[rickc]

As a Sharks season ticket holder, I think this is the best and most balanced analysis I have heard regarding EK65 this year. He is an offensive powerhouse. He is a horrible defenseman.
I agree with the comments regarding the +\- stat being misleading. However, Karlsson was on the ice for 127 goals against; about 30 more than any other Shark player; 85 more than any other Shark defenseman, and ~40% of the total goals scored against. Oh yeah, he doesn’t play on the penalty kill. Probably why the Sharks had the 7th best penalty kill percentage in the NHL in 2022-23 despite being one of the worst teams in the league.

[Landis_Grant]

Erik Karlsson winning the Norris Trophy made a mockery of that award.

[jeffadventures]

he's a defenseman that doesnt play defense.... may as well put him at center

[TeeMuhfuccinYoung]

Orr, Coffey, Leetch and Niedermayer along with point scoring abilities of Ray Bourke and Denis Potvin despite not being elite skaters, birthed the new age defenseman that can out skate anyone on the ice, while being the most skilled on both ends that started with Karlsson, before morphing into Makar and Quinn Hughes.


Serge Savard, Larry Robinson, Niklas Lidstrom, Chris Pronger, Zdeno Chara, Chris Chelios and Larry Murphy are the greatest shutdown all-around clutch defenseman who dont need points to be the best player on a winning team who elevates his teammates.

[jeffdevito]

Idk about having 2 awards. On one hand, if you have an award for best defensive forward, it makes sense to have an award for best offensive defensemen. On the other, if you have 2 awards, it would take away from the best all-around defensemen who wouldn't get recognized for the 2 awards at each end of the position. In which, maybe have 3 awards. Idk

[dicksonfranssen]

Bobby Orr was said to have played a now obsolete position, the Rover. It's great fun in softball but has no place in hockey. The +/- system is as important as the on base % in baseball. Hit lots of home runs and you're a star but all those strikeouts hurt the team. Numbers don't tell the whole story so Karlsson was a good offensive defense man, not a Norris winner.

[En_Passant]

If you’re a defensemen you should be able to defend.

[troublishone]

This is one of the easiest solutions for the NHL, I actually can't believe they haven't done this yet. Add the Rod Langway Award for Defensive Defenders, add the Bobby Orr Award for Offensive Defenders. Keep the Norris for best 2 ways. It would instantly fix so many complaints and add more hardware for defenders to get. You have 5 awards that are almost always go to forwards (as well as 2 more that, more often then not, go to forwards). 3 for defenders seems perfect. It would give actual 2 way defenders real shots at winning Norris's. For example Charlie McAvoy who was insanely good defensively this year as well as elite offensively, he'd not only be a finalist for both the Langway and Norris, but potentially win both. It instantly give guys like him way more recognition and credit.

It's such a perfect solution in multiple ways, actually blows my mind its not being done.

[Tansle]

Sorry but this isn't just some random defensemen reaching 100pts. Its a defensemen on arguably the worst team in the league. No offense to Makar, if he tops 100pts he is probably deserving of the norris but being on a great team should work against that argument. You also failed to tell us the +/- the sharks had when he wasn't on the ice.

[rjdaire]

If the best defense is a good offense, why not just give the award to the player with the most goals?

[rogerengblom]

But if he have been a Canadian noone have been complaining.for example Bobby Orr who many defends award did he got🤔 I havent heard any but was he really a good defender???

[npatt]

Why not just make a trophy for offensive defensemen like The Coffey Trophy or the Bourque Trophy?

[dylangraham]

They need to have two defensemen awards.

[pellelindbergh]

like Paul Coffey when was a Oiler and a Red Wing, all three players that was up for the Norris this season were same as Karlsson, fast right hand shot, offence first d-men, but none of them were pure defense maybe Fox for the Rangers, .but i think they should have a award for the defensman that lead the NHL in scoring and the Norris for best D-man that season, the Orr cup ? like the Art Ross not everyone that win that don't always win the Hart .but because this the NHL, it will take forever to make any changes if they ever do .

[insanum]

The arguments that you are making are ones that I tell people that say he sucks defensively, he is purely a puck moving defensemen, so his defense comes from getting the puck out of the his own zone. If your team has the puck the other team wont be able to score

[Wookie_Goldberg]

Adam Fox and PK Subban were even more egregious. They’re just 4th forwards

[clandon]

If he was on even the 18th place team he’s probably in the plus. Karlssons 3 best teammates were Meier, Hert, and Couture. Couture is like 33 and past his prime, he should absolutely not the 3rd best player after Meier is traded. Could you name a defend man on that Sharks team not named Karlsson or Vlasic? Most likely no because they’re all either young or filled by 25+ y/o’s with >100 GP. The sharks goalies were trash(ignoring adin hill, who still sucked there btw), defense was trash, the offence was also trash, their second line was a 4th line on any team that finished above bottom 10. Bad teams find ways to lose, THEY LITERALLY HAD THE LEAST WINS THIS YEAR. Less than Anaheim, less than Chicago. Karlsson was the sole reason they finished 4th and not dead last by a mile. So considering karlsson was Easily their best player by far, he’s playing 25 minutes a game on the worst team whose only motivation is to lose games for bedard. He was the only guy driving offence on that team. I still can’t believe people say he didn’t deserve to win it, he absolutely did and everyone who says otherwise is wrong. He was the most important defencemen to their team. He mattered more to the sharks than Ptro was to Vegas in the regular season.

[VinnyZell-cx]

I believe there should be 2 awards !!!