Trophy Tracker: Norris

To mark the halfway point of the 2021-22 regular season, NHL.com is running its third installment of the Trophy Tracker series this week. Today, we look at the race for the Norris Trophy, given annually to the top defenseman in the NHL as selected in a vote by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Cale Makar has been in the NHL for three seasons, and the Colorado Avalanche defenseman has already earned accolades.
He won the Calder Trophy voted as the NHL rookie of the year in 2019-20, when he scored 50 points in 57 games, and was named to the NHL First All-Star Team last season after scoring 44 points in 44 games, when he finished second behind Adam Fox of the New York Rangers in Norris Trophy voting as the best defenseman in the NHL.
At the halfway point of this season, a panel of NHL.com writers chose Makar to win the Norris. Makar received 71 voting points, including eight first-place votes. Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning was second with 59 points and five first-place votes and Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators was third with 44 points and one first-place vote. Fox and Aaron Ekblad of the Florida Panthers each received one first-place vote.
"He's such an even-keel guy, he takes it a game at a time, a shift at a time, he's so modest and level-headed and even-keeled that he doesn't get high or low," Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson said Jan. 4. "... He's an unflappable guy."
Makar leads defensemen in goals (16) and is fourth in points (39). The 23-year-old has scored 16 power-play points, is plus-22, and has four game-winning goals while averaging 24:44 of ice time per game. He averages 4:07 of power-play time per game, behind Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin (4:54) and Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane (4:10) among skaters who have played at least five games, and averages 58 seconds of shorthanded time per game.

"The evolution of his game, I think he's going to be relied upon for more than just creating offense and he understands that, and he works hard at it," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said Jan. 4. "He's been working on it and I would say he is pretty good. His ability to play physical and skate, close plays out and then a big part of defending is not only being able to close plays out but being able to take the next step and grab the puck and advance it."
Makar scored a highlight-reel goal in overtime against the Blackhawks on Jan 4. He spun away from Chicago forward Kirby Dach along the left wall before deking from forehand to backhand and shooting under the crossbar.
"It was a little bit lucky to be honest," Makar said.
Blackhawks defenseman Calvin de Haan did not agree.
"[Makar] is going to be a great player for a long time in this league," he said. "It is what it is. He made a good play and it's going to be all over the NHL Network tomorrow."
Makar has scored at least one point in 26 of 36 games this season, including 10 multipoint games and three three-point games.
"The pucks just seem to be going in right now," Makar said after a 4-2 win against the New York Rangers on Dec. 14, when he scored his 13th goal of the season in his 23rd game. "I don't anticipate this continuing throughout the year. I think it's a little bit heavy pace now."
Although Makar does not have a goal in his past seven games, he's capable of going on a run. He scored seven goals during a five-game goal streak from Nov. 17-26 and could become the first defenseman to score at least 30 goals in one season since Mike Green for the Capitals in 2008-09 (31).
"He's a guy that can do it for sure," Johnson said. "... Just the evolution of his game, he's only going to keep getting better too which is the scary part. If he keeps going at this rate, for sure, he'll get there, he might even get higher."
Voting totals (points awarded on a 5-4-3-2-1-basis): Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche, 71 points (eight first-place votes); Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning, 59 (five); Roman Josi, Nashville Predators, 44 (one); Adam Fox, New York Rangers 34 (one); Aaron Ekblad, Florida Panthers 20 (one); Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins, 6; Darnell Nurse, Edmonton Oilers, 3; Morgan Rielly, Toronto Maple Leafs, 1; Devon Toews, Avalanche, 1; John Carlson, Washington Capitals, 1