An idea to restructure defencemen trophies

[S E P H]

Since we can all agree on that the Norris is being handed out to the defenceman who has the most points at the end of the season and defensive defencemen are not getting a fair shake, my idea to transform it into two trophies, and one main trophy that was sparked from how the MLB does its awards. This is what I had in mind...

Award these trophies first:
- Bobby Orr Trophy: Awarded to the best offensive defenceman in the league (not based on points like the Art Ross)
- Nicklas Lidstrom Trophy: Awarded to the best defensive defenceman in the league

Then this one:
- Norris Trophy: Awarded to the best defenceman in the league (either the winner of the Orr or Lidstrom trophy)

I think this will give a better chance for a defensive defenceman to win the Norris when the competition gets cut down to two overall defenders. Yes, I think the majority who would win it, would still be OFD, but with the addition of the defensive defenceman trophy, it will give an element of our game that is currently still not being valued when it should be. Pure shutdown ability is in itself, talent.

Thoughts?

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[TheDawnOfANewTage]

The offensive dude would still win, overcomplicated, just give a Pronger award to the best big dude. He was good at offense too, but Lidstrom was damn good at that. But ya, just 1 new award, don’t complicate it.

Edit- or maybe make the new one for highest scoring defenseman. Whoops.

 

[Dust]

I'd be okay with adding an award for the top scoring D-man. Ultimately you may end up with the same guy winning both trophies, but most people don't care when the Art Ross winner takes the Hart or the Rocket.

 

[Goose]

If you need to add, just add a defensive d-man.

But honestly, not enough NHL writers watch or understand the game well enough to be able to vote on it properly.

 

[Dingo]

i dont think even half of the Norris winners also led dmen in scoring.

 

[insomniac]

Since we can all agree on that the Norris is being handed out to the defenceman who has the most points at the end of the season and defensive defencemen are not getting a fair shake, my idea to transform it into two trophies, and one main trophy that was sparked from how the MLB does its awards. This is what I had in mind...

Award these trophies first:
- Bobby Orr Trophy: Awarded to the best offensive defenceman in the league (not based on points like the Art Ross)
- Nicklas Lidstrom Trophy: Awarded to the best defensive defenceman in the league

Then this one:
- Norris Trophy: Awarded to the best defenceman in the league (either the winner of the Orr or Lidstrom trophy)

I think this will give a better chance for a defensive defenceman to win the Norris when the competition gets cut down to two overall defenders. Yes, I think the majority who would win it, would still be OFD, but with the addition of the defensive defenceman trophy, it will give an element of our game that is currently still not being valued when it should be. Pure shutdown ability is in itself, talent.

Thoughts?

Would the Norris necessarily need to go to an Orr or Lidstrom winner? Imagine a situation where:

Player A, Orr winner: #1 offense, #30 defense

Player B, Lidstrom winner: #30 offense, #1 defense

Player C: #2 offense, #2 defense

 

[S E P H]

Would the Norris necessarily need to go to an Orr or Lidstrom winner? Imagine a situation where:

Player A, Orr winner: #1 offense, #30 defense

Player B, Lidstrom winner: #30 offense, #1 defense

Player C: #2 offense, #2 defense

Not at all, just spitballing ideas. However, knowing how hockey writers vote, it would either be the winner of Orr or Lidstrom just "because" hockey writers.

 

[Coffee]

I’ll make a phone call

 

[geebster]

I think an award for best defensive defenseman is all we'd need. The Norris should go to the defenseman with the greatest impact/story for the year. Usually that comes with offense since... you need to produce to win and getting from the back end really helps a lot. Defense is harder to quantify (simply because a lot less effort and focus goes into stats that show defensive impact). It's also less sexy so people don't really watch the defensive metrics race all year like they do the points and goals.

We have the Vezina and we have the Jennings. We can have a Norris and a ..Whomever award.

 

[majormajor]

It would be cool to see a best defensive award that would reward guys like Slavin. But make no mistake, the best D is probably Quinn Hughes. And if not him then Makar or Werenski.

I would not have given EK his last Norris, the D game was just too putrid. But I don't think the Norris is reflexively given to the guy with the most points. We don't need to change the Norris.

Fun fact, Paul Coffey has 1500+ pts and he only got 3 Norris Trophies. People have always understood the importance of defense for the award.