A new front-runner has emerged, as Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar has been dethroned as the Norris Trophy favorite.
While the NHL is still on pause, with the men's Olympic tournament now in the gold- and bronze-medal stage, NHL teams are back to practising.
Among those teams practising are a handful of star defensemen who didn't get the call to compete in Milan. Two of which earned a spot on my top-five rankings for the Norris Trophy as the best defenseman in the NHL.
The remaining three are representing their nations at the Games for Team Canada and Team USA, and have been great at the tournament.
Here is my ranking of the top five front-runners for the Norris Trophy, as of Feb. 21.
5. Lane Hutson, Montreal Canadiens
To this point in his young career, Lane Hutson's talent cannot be denied. He continues to make this list over the likes of Miro Heiskanen, Moritz Seider, Rasmus Dahlin, and others because of his elite skill that makes up for his 5-foot-9 frame.
Also, Hutson's game isn't all about his 58 points in 57 games, as his defensive metrics are respectable, too. In addition to his 1.02 points-per-game average, Hutson seems to always be on the right side of the puck.
Among defensemen who have played at least 1,000 minutes this season, Hutson is fourth-best in expected goals against per 60 minutes at 2.49. He is also among the top 10 in high-danger shot attempts against per 60, and has the second fewest giveaways by the top-five scoring D-men, according to moneypuck.com.
In those categories, Hutson is ahead of Heiskanen, Seider, and Dahlin, not to mention he has a healthy lead over them in points.
BetMGM Norris Trophy: 36.00/+3500
4. Evan Bouchard, Edmonton Oilers
In some ways, Evan Bouchard has been the best defenseman in the NHL, offensively that is. He leads all NHL defensemen in points with 63, made up of 15 goals and 48 assists.
He's on track to have the best campaign of his NHL career. On an 89-point pace, that would surpass his career-high 82 points two seasons ago.
Like Hutson, Bouchard wasn't selected for the Olympics, and is an offense-minded blueliner who is typically on the right side of the puck. Even with his ensuing defensive lapses, he is a plus-11 on the year while averaging a career-high 24:44 time on ice.
Bouchard's ability to be a difference-maker from the back end offensively can't be ignored, especially at the level he's been playing at.
BetMGM Norris Trophy odds: 36.00/+3500
Cale Makar is on pace to score 22 goals and 85 points in 82 games this season. (Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images)3. Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
Cale Makar has finally been dethroned in these Norris Trophy rankings. Not only has he been a dominant defenseman over the past few years, but he's been arguably one of the best players in that time.
While Makar is still having an excellent season by any player's standard, he hasn't been in the spotlight as some other blueliners ahead of him on this list.
In 55 games, the 26-year-old has 15 goals and 57 points, which puts him tied for fourth in scoring among defensemen. He's also top 10 in plus-minus in his position with a plus-28 rating.
Even though the two-time Norris Trophy winner has dropped in these rankings, he is most certainly still in the race for the award.
BetMGM Norris Trophy odds: 1.91/-110
2. Quinn Hughes, Minnesota Wild
Quinn Hughes has caught up to Makar since departing from the Vancouver Canucks. Hughes' 52 appearances this season have been evenly split between his time with the Canucks and now with the Minnesota Wild.
With Vancouver this year, Hughes was relatively average for his standard. He had two goals, 23 points and a minus-10 rating in 26 games. In comparison, in the same number of contests, Hughes has three goals, 34 points and a plus-nine rating.
In total, the 26-year-old has 57 points, averaging 1.10 points per game, which is the second most in the NHL among defensemen.
BetMGM Norris Trophy odds: 26.00/+2500
1. Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets
Zach Werenski is having an incredibly impressive season on the back end for the Columbus Blue Jackets. In 52 appearances, Werenski has scored 20 goals and 62 points, just one point fewer than Bouchard. With that, he leads all blueliners in points-per-game average with a 1.19 rate.
What's particularly impressive is how valuable Werenski has been for the Blue Jackets in all situations. He leads Columbus' roster in goals and points and averages the second-most time on ice in the NHL at 26:22 of ice time per game.
He's a large part of the reason why the Blue Jackets went into the Olympic break with a seven-game winning streak and in the hunt to make the post-season.
Not only is he a front-runner for the Norris Trophy, but he could be in the Hart Trophy conversation, too.
BetMGM Norris Trophy odds: 1.87/-115
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