Despite loging career-high minutes and leading Winnipeg in blocked shots, a dip in offensive production left the workhorse defenseman missing from the NHL’s elite award ballot.
For the first time in years, Josh Morrissey's name was absent from the Norris Trophy ballot entirely, ending a streak of recognition that had made him one of the more consistent award presences among NHL defensemen dating back to before the Rick Bowness era in Winnipeg.
Morrissey finished the season with 14 goals and 41 assists for 55 points and a plus-six rating across 77 games, a noticeable dip from the 65 to 75 point range he had become accustomed to producing. The drop in offensive output was not without explanation, however.
Morrissey dealt with injuries during the season and also carried the additional burden of representing Canada at the Olympics, the fatigue from which lingered and contributed to what amounted to an uncharacteristically quiet year by his standards.
What made the omission from the ballot somewhat ironic was that Morrissey's workload was anything but light. He averaged 24:43 of ice time per game, the highest average of his career, and finished the season with 1,903 total minutes, a figure that was 140 minutes more than the next closest Winnipeg Jets skater.
He also led the team with 118 blocked shots and posted a team-leading plus-11 even strength goal differential, numbers that reflected a player still doing the heavy lifting defensively even when the offensive production was not at its peak.
Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets ultimately claimed the Norris Trophy, with Cale Makar finishing second. The remainder of the voting order left at least some room to wonder whether Morrissey had a case for inclusion.
Rasmus Dahlin finished third, followed by Evan Bouchard in fourth, Moritz Seider in fifth, Lane Hutson in sixth, Quinn Hughes in seventh, Miro Heiskanen in eighth, Erik Karlsson in ninth, Jake Sanderson in tenth, Darren Raddysh in 11th, Matthew Schaefer in 12th, Charlie McAvoy in 13th and Adam Fox in 14th.
Whether Morrissey belonged somewhere on that list will be debated, but the argument that a defenseman averaging nearly 25 minutes a night while leading his team in blocked shots and even strength differential deserved at least a mention is not a difficult one to make. He and the Jets will have the chance to answer that question next season.
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