2027 Norris Trophy Betting Odds, Prediction: Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes Lead the Way
One of the things every Stanley Cup contender has in common is a true star defenceman to anchor the blue line.
It’s one of the most important positions on the ice, so today we’re looking at the top Norris Trophy candidates for this season.
It’s a tight Norris race to begin the year, with Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes and Evan Bouchard leading the pack.
Let’s get into it with our Norris Trophy favourites, prediction and betting trends.
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Norris Trophy Favourites
While Makar, Hughes and Bouchard are the top three favourites for the Norris, oddsmakers have this as a pretty open field, with six players listed at odds shorter than +1000.
It’s no surprise to see Makar at the top of this list. The two-time Norris-winner remains firmly in his prime at 27-years-old and he’ll have a lot to prove this season after signing the largest contract extension in NHL history during the off-season. It also doesn’t hurt that he’ll get a lot of ice time on a stacked Avalanche team.
Hughes won the Norris Trophy in 2024 and like Makar, he was eligible to sign a contract extension this summer. Unlike Makar, however, Hughes hasn’t signed. That’s all the motivation he will need to put up another strong year. The Wild will certainly rely heavily on Hughes as they navigate the juggernaut Central Division.
Bouchard has been the whipping boy at times in Edmonton, but there’s no denying his talent. He’s only missed two games over the last five seasons and his career-high 95 points (21G, 74A) was 14 more than the next closest defenceman. Playing on the power play with Connor McDavid is also a nice perk.
Here’s the top-10 favourites to win the Norris Trophy this season:
- Cale Makar (+300)
- Quinn Hughes (+400)
- Evan Bouchard (+450)
- Zach Werenski (+650)
- Rasmus Dahlin (+800)
- Lane Hutson (+900)
- Moritz Seider (+1400)
- Matthew Schaffer (+1800)
- Adam Fox (+2500)
- Jake Sanderson (+3000)
Norris Trophy Prediction
I generally look for the best value with these predictions, but I also have to stay consistent, so give me the favourite, Makar, at +300. I picked Makar at +2600 to win the Hart Trophy and no defenceman has ever won the Hart without also winning the Norris.
If the first game of the season is any indication, Makar will put up serious numbers with Colorado this season. He had two assists in the Avs’ season-opening 8-4 win over L.A. and what’s really scary if you’re the rest of the NHL, is Colorado might have finally figured out their power play after going 4-for-5 on the man advantage against the Kings.
Starting next season, Makar will be the highest-paid player in NHL history. He won’t wait that long to show the world why he deserves that kind of money.
Norris Trophy Betting Trends
- Rare company: Cale Makar (2022), Duncan Keith (2010) and Nicklas Lidstrom (2002, 2008) are the only players in the last 37 years to win the Norris Trophy and Stanley Cup in the same season.
- Shipping up to Boston: The Bruins have won the most Norris Trophies as a franchise thanks to Bobby Orr’s eight consecutive wins from 1968 to 1975.
- Future Hall-of-Famers: Erik Karlsson (2012, 2015, 2023) and Cale Makar (2022, 2025) are the only active players to win multiple Norris Trophies.
- Parity is king: No player has won back-to-back Norris Trophies since Nicklas Lidstrom won three straight from 2006 to 2008.
Last 10 Norris Trophy Winners
| Year | Norris Trophy Winner | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | Zach Werenski | Columbus Blue Jackets |
| 2024-25 | Cale Makar | Colorado Avalanche |
| 2023-24 | Quinn Hughes | Vancouver Canucks |
| 2022-23 | Erik Karlsson | San Jose Sharks |
| 2021-22 | Cale Makar | Colorado Avalanche |
| 2020-21 | Adam Fox | New York Rangers |
| 2019-20 | Roman Josi | Nashville Predators |
| 2018-19 | Mark Giordano | Calgary Flames |
| 2017-18 | Victor Hedman | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| 2016-17 | Brent Burns | San Jose Sharks |