NHL Norris Trophy Rankings: Who Is Chasing Oilers' Bouchard For Top Defenseman Honors?

Last season, Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski won his first career Norris Trophy, recording 22 goals and 81 points in 75 games.

He's off to a decent start this year, but he doesn't make the cut in this first batch of Norris Trophy rankings for the 2026-27 season.

The Norris Trophy is awarded annually "to the defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position."

Two weeks into the season, here are the top-five frontrunners for the Norris.

It's been a few years since Roman Josi has been up for a Norris Trophy. Part of that has been due to his age, as well as the status of the Nashville Predators. The last time he flirted with the award was in 2023-24 when he was the runner-up for the defenseman of the year honor. He scored 23 goals and 85 points that year.

This year, Josi is off to a great start. He's a big reason why the Predators have been in the fight, registering a goal and six points in the first five games of the season.

In the last four games, Nashville picked up two wins against some decent opponents, the Dallas Stars and Montreal Canadiens. Also, they've been real close in their two losses in that stretch, with a shootout loss to the Ottawa Senators in their last game on Saturday and an overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday. 

Josi's scoring prowess, as well as his 25:38 of ice time per game, has given the Predators a chance on many nights. Who knows how sustainable this will be for the 36-year-old, but he is one of the best defensemen in the league right now.

BetMGM Norris Trophy Odds: 81.00/+800

Buffalo Sabres star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, who finished third in Norris Trophy voting last season, recently picked up an injury. He left Monday's game against the Florida Panthers early, playing 9:06 of ice time before not returning to action.

That leaves a heavier load for the rest of Buffalo's D-corps, especially for 2021 first overall pick Owen Power. And to his credit, not only did he finish that game strong - pushing the Sabres to a 5-3 win over the Panthers - but he's been a constant contributor so far this season.

Power, 23, has scored one goal and seven points in six games. He also averages a mighty 26:07 of ice time per game, and that number will only increase in Dahlin's absence, however long that will be.

BetMGM Norris Trophy odds: 101.00/+10000

It's expected that Cale Makar's name will hover around the Norris Trophy debate for the entire season, and for the many years remaining in his NHL career.

To start this season, in five games with the Colorado Avalanche, Makar has scored three goals and seven points. It's an impressive scoring rate for a defenseman, but nothing unusual for Makar, a two-time Norris Trophy winner.

What could help his case for the award, and push him a little higher up on this list in the future, is his time on ice, as well as the number of goals his team concedes.

He averages 21:40 of ice time, which isn't very close to some of the other defensemen on this list. And while it's not the 27-year-old's fault, the Avalanche could be a bit better at keeping the puck out of their net, as they rank 10th in the highest goals-against averages in the league at 3.40 per game.

Again, not directly correlated to Makar all the time, but it's an area that voters could look at in the slightest of tiebreakers between him and other NHL blueliners.

BetMGM Norris Trophy odds: 4.00/+300

Quinn Hughes gets the bump over Makar, mainly because of the minutes he logs, and is fresh off a two-point performance against the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday night.

Regarding his ice time, before facing the Golden Knights, Hughes averaged the second most ice time in the NHL with 27:31, only behind Werenski's 29:35. Also, thanks to his pair of assists on Monday, Hughes has the second most points in the NHL among defensemen.

So far, the 26-year-old has scored a point in every single game this season. Only Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho has as long a point streak to start 2026-27.

BetMGM Norris Trophy odds: 5.00/+400

Evan Bouchard has been known for his defensive lapses that seem to be put on display here and there for the Edmonton Oilers. However, his offensive production to start this year, and even how he performed down the stretch in 2025-26, is impossible to ignore.

The 26-year-old defenseman is tied for the second-most points in the NHL with six goals and 12 points in five games. The only person ahead of him in the points department is teammate Connor McDavid.

It's fairly rare for a defenseman to be just about leading the NHL in scoring, not to mention he's the joint leader in the league for goals.

Even if it's all offense for Bouchard, he's been so dominant from the back end, and the numbers he's been able to put up so far are nothing short of impressive.

BetMGM Norris Trophy odds: 3.80/+280

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