Hughes has been the Canucks’ MVP this season — how have the rest of the NHL’s Norris-contending defencemen performed so far?

The Vancouver Canucks would be nowhere this season without the efforts of their captain, Quinn Hughes. While the defenceman could currently contest for the Hart Memorial Trophy, there’s also a chance he could win his second James Norris Memorial Trophy in a row. However, to do so, he’ll have to prove he deserves it more than his competition. Here’s how the Norris Trophy race is shaping up so far.

Quinn Hughes

14G, 45A in 47GP

Hughes is currently the NHL’s leader in points scored by a defenceman with 59 in 47 games. Of all the players on this list, he ranks fourth in time on ice with 1189:19 total minutes played, which is expected given that he has missed time due to injury. He has also played the least amount of games of all five of these players. Despite having played less games, Hughes leads this list of defencemen in all-strengths corsi-for percentage with 62.05%, shots-for percentage with 61.26%, expected goals-for percentage with 63.51%, scoring chances-for percentage with 62.88%, and high danger chances-for percentage with 60.57%. He is second on the list in goals-for with 91, goals-for percentage with 65%, and high danger goals-for with 46. In terms of defensive stats, he has the least corsi-against of the defenders on this list with 860, shots-against with 437, expected goals-against with 42.18, and high danger chances-against with 179. He also has the second-least goals-against and high danger goals-against with 49 and 22 respectively.

Cale Makar

19G, 39A in 54GP

Hughes and Cale Makar have been looped together in conversations about top NHL defencemen ever since the two broke into the league in the same season. Makar won the Calder Memorial Trophy over Hughes in the 2019–20 season, also taking home the Norris Trophy, Conn Smythe Trophy, and the Stanley Cup in 2021–22. He is currently second in scoring by a defenceman with 58 points in 54 games played. His corsi-for of 1610, 97 goals-for, and scoring chances-for of 817 lead not only this list, but the rest of the NHL’s defencemen as well. He also leads this list in expected goals-for with 90.87 and high danger chances-for with 312. Defensively speaking, his corsi-against of 1240, 585 shots-against, scoring chances-against of 558, and 247 high danger chances-against are second-highest on this list, while his goals-against of 66 ranks first.

Latest From THN's Vancouver Canucks Site:

Hughes' Agent Doesn't Believe Canucks Defenceman Will Miss Upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off

How The New Canucks Performed In Their First Game

The Weekly Rewind: Vancouver Canucks Recaps From January 27 To February 2, 2025

Zach Werenski

17G, 40A in 53GP

Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman Zach Werenski has reached another level this year, as he has tied his career-high in points scored in one season in 17 less games. He was named the NHL’s third star of the month in January with six goals and 11 assists in 14 games played. As the third-highest scoring defenceman in the league right now, he is currently one of the top contenders for the Norris Trophy. He is second on this list and third in the NHL in corsi-for with 1589, and second on this list in expected goals-for and scoring chances-for with 83.51 and 719 respectively. However, Werenski’s campaign for the Norris Trophy starts to slide when his defensive stats are considered. He has the second-highest corsi-against and third-highest shots-against of all NHL defencemen with 1411 and 664 each. As well, he has the second-highest goals-against and expected goals-against on this list with 65 and 69.79, and the highest scoring chances-against with 660.

Josh Morrissey

7G, 39A in 54GP

Josh Morrissey has been a solid defender for the Winnipeg Jets, and looks to repeat yet another successful personal season. He is fourth in defenceman scoring in the NHL and has been nominated for the Norris Trophy in both of the last two seasons, but has yet to win or be named a finalist. Morrissey has put up some solid numbers so far this season with a 1362 corsi-for and 55.21 shots-for percentage that rank fourth on this list. He’s also sporting a 52.93 corsi-for percentage. His 705 shots-for, 63.19 goals-for percentage, expected goals-for of 75.04, and 288 high danger chances-for rank third on this list. As well, he is third-highest in corsi-against with 1211, shots-against with 572, goals-against with 53, expected goals-against with 59.01, scoring chances-against with 508, and high danger chances-against with 201.

Shea Theodore

6G, 39A in 52GP

The fifth-highest scoring defenceman in the NHL and a dark horse candidate for the Norris, Shea Theodore is currently sporting a 45-point campaign on the season. Despite not winning the Norris Trophy quite yet, he won the Stanley Cup in 2023 and is currently one point away from reaching his career-high in a season. When measured up to his opponents on this list, he comes second in scoring chances-for percentage with 60.71%, as well as first in goals-for percentage with 65.55%. He has the second-lowest corsi-against, shots-against, expected goals-against, and scoring chances-against on this list with 971, 446, 46.75, and 418, as well as the lowest goals-against with 41. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.