Makar, Hedman, Fox, Early Norris Trophy Favourites: NHL Props, Odds

Jordan Ramsay
Last Updated: October 8, 2021

Adam Fox’s Norris Trophy win in just his second NHL season last year, shows a changing of the guard on NHL blue lines. The Norris Trophy is given annually to the NHL’s best defenceman and voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. With fellow young star defenceman, Cale Makar, opening the season as the +337 favourite to win the Norris, and 2018 winner, Victor Hedman, still in the prime of his career, Fox will have plenty of competition as he attempts to go back-to-back.

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Cale Makar +337

It’s clear the Professional Hockey Writers Association is impressed by the new crop of NHL defencemen, as 23-year-old Fox won last year’s Norris Trophy and 22-year-old Makar finished second in voting. Makar is consistently ranked among the Top-3 defencemen in the league and he is a huge piece of a Colorado Avalanche team that is aiming to take a serious run at the Stanley Cup.

Makar played over 24 minutes per night last year and finished tied for fifth among defencemen in scoring, with 44 points (8G, 36A), despite only playing 44 games. He was the only point-per-game defenceman in the Top-10 of D-scoring and everyone on the list ahead of him played at least 52 games. For comparison, Tyson Barrie led all defencemen with 48 points (8G, 40A) in 56 games.

Victor Hedman +591

Victor Hedman has been a staple of Tampa Bay’s blue line for over a decade and a key piece of their back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. After off-season meniscus surgery heading into last year, Hedman got off to a slow start, but still managed to finish third in scoring among defencemen with 45 points (9G, 36A) in 54 games. He was just as dominant in the playoffs, scoring 18 points (2G, 16A) in 23 games, en route to a second straight Stanley Cup. Hedman won the Norris in 2018 and was a finalist last season. There’s no reason to think he’ll slow down at all in 2021-22.

Adam Fox +659

To win the Norris on a non-playoff team, you need to constantly drive the play when you’re on the ice and that’s exactly what Fox did last season. Fox was second in scoring among defencemen with 47 points (5G, 42) in 55 games and he generated a fourth of New York’s goals per game. Expect a huge offensive improvement to Fox’s stats this season. He had five more points last year than in his rookie season, despite playing 15 fewer games. Fox will be a core piece of new coach Gerard Gallant’s game plan and he should have a legitimate shot at repeating for the Norris.

Dark Horse Candidate

Aaron Ekblad (+1600) – Had it not been for a broken leg suffered halfway through the shortened COVID season last year, Aaron Ekblad might have taken home the Norris. The 25-year-old was having a career-year in his seventh NHL season. He averaged over 25 minutes per night and notched 11 goals (tied for most among NHL defenceman at the time of his injury) and 11 assists in 35 games. Ekblad was a big part of Florida’s second-place finish in the Central Division. The Panthers would have had a great chance to take out Tampa Bay if Ekblad had been in the lineup. If he is healthy and plays to anywhere near the level he was at last year, Ekblad could be a great value pick for the Norris.