An idea to restructure defencemen trophies

[elmaco]

It would navigate towards the Bobby Orr winner always getting the Norris, like the Hart trophy never goes to the selke winner.

 

[Cas]

Counterpoint: there is nothing wrong with the existing system, because awards are not meant to be taken seriously.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Or they could start awarding based on the actual criteria for the award.

Crazy thought, i know.

 

[Morrison]

Bobby Orr Trophy: Best offensive defenseman (most points or whatever).
James Norris Memorial Trophy: Best all-round defenseman,
Wayne Gretzky Trophy: The player with most primary assists. (most important of them three though. ridiculous that the NHL don't have one already.)

 

[Frank the Tank]

Bobby Orr Trophy: Best offensive defenseman (most points or whatever).
James Norris Memorial Trophy: Best all-round defenseman,
Wayne Gretzky Trophy: The player with most primary assists. (most important of them three though. ridiculous that the NHL don't have one already.)

I've proposed this for over a decade plus one more...

Gordie Howe Trophy: Best forward.

Then the Hart Trophy can be more reflective of the player who is most valuable to his team (be it F, D, G), instead of a defacto best forward award. The league could even have the Hart voters pick the winner among the Norris, Howe, and Vezina winners.

 

[GoCanes2015]

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?

Just name the 2nd one the Jaccob Slavin Award and be done with it.

 

[Cas]

I don't think you need to create more trophies so much as you need better voters for the Norris itself.

Strip it from the PWHA. Let the GMs vote for the Norris instead.

Staff tend to vote for awards based on reputation, not actual performance, unless you are giving then curated metrics and ordering them to use those metrics as their guide. You simply get different voting results, not better ones.

Have other D-men vote for it? Cannot vote your own team's players.

Players are even worse judges of the actual impact of their fellows. Now you get reputational votes plus "look how cool that thing he does is!"

As far as I'm concerned, players should not be voting for awards meant to be taken more seriously than a magazine poll in any sport.

 

[The Nuge]

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

20/21 is a great example. Fox won the Norris, but Barrie lead all dmen in scoring so he might take the Orr, and a guy like Slavin might win the Lidstrom.

Or 21/22 where you could give Makar the Norris, Josi the Orr, and McAvoy the Lidstrom.

Even last year, you probably give Hughes the Orr, but then not the Norris and instead give it to Makar who put up nearly as many points, but plays a much bigger role defensively (eg he plays 2 minutes a night on the PK vs Hughes who plays 10 seconds), and Ekholm the Lidstrom.

 

[rojac]

I sometimes think that the league should just eliminate individual trophies altogether. Only give award to teams for team accomplishments.

 

[AnInjuredJasonZucker]

Highest scoring goalies getting totally disrespected here.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

I’ve got the commissioner on the phone here and he says you’re hired

 

[Ghost of Murph]

Agree with others -- just add a defensive d-man award. Been wanting that for years. Those guys are underappreciated when it comes to hardware.

A player that comes to mind who had a massive impact on the ice and success of his team is Chara. That dude's defensive fancy stats were absolutely sick year after year, yet he only got one Norris. Several other players in the same boat in that era. An elite defensive d-man can be every bit as important to team success as a high scoring forward.

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

Orr was also the best defensively.

 

[Spilot23]

Slavin if that happens right?

 

[Romang67]

Nicklas Lidström has the 6th most points of any D-man in NHL history.

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

the best players are usually the players who dominate their peers offensively, including defenceman.

so if anything you add the best defensive d-man.