The Finnish defenseman recently shared his expectations at the NHL European Player Media Tour.
In a story published by NHL.com Senior Writer Dan Rosen on Saturday, blueliner Miro Heiskanen revealed that he’s hungry to earn a particular piece of hardware this season.
The 24-year-old is targeting the Norris Trophy, which is presented annually to the defenseman “who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position."
Heiskanen initially entered the conversation last year after a career-high 73-point campaign (11 goals, 62 assists) in 79 appearances that clearly put the rest of the league on notice, but veteran Erik Karlsson ultimately came away with the prize.
"That's one thing I really want to win," said Heiskanen in Rosen's piece. "I want to be the best defenseman in the NHL."
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbtrErZA4Sc[/embed]
To put the Espoo native’s most recent numbers into perspective, his previous career-high production-wise was 36 points (5 goals, 31 assists) in 2021-22, so there’s no denying the progress.
Heiskanen’s confidence received a major boost because of it.
"I kind of knew that it is there, that I can score more points and be more involved offensively," explained Heiskanen in Rosen's story. "I think I was able to put it all together. It didn't take away the defense by playing more offense."
The youngster always has winning hockey’s top prize on his mind too, of course.
He’ll undoubtedly play a huge part in helping the Stars attempt to achieve their collective goal, so securing the Norris Trophy could very well be a real possibility if the digits are there.
"It's the thing I want to win, but I don't think about it too much during the season," mentioned Heiskanen in Rosen's article. "It's like I always say, I try to help my team win the Stanley Cup, but if there is a chance to win the Norris Trophy as well that would be great."
Lighting the lamp a little more often could increase his chances of eventually being honored at the NHL Awards.
That’s why improving his shot has been a top priority over the summer.
"My shot feels stronger than what it was last year," confirmed Heiskanen in Rosen's piece. "It's been good so far. Hopefully it can help. I never had a great shot. It's been all right but that's something I have always wanted to get better. Now I've been working on it more than previous years. It's getting there."
An extra-motivated Heiskanen could mean serious trouble for the opposition, so stay tuned.