NHL Award Predictions: Canucks’ Quinn Hughes Leads Way For Norris Trophy
January 16, 2025
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The modern-era NHL defenseman is not what it used to be and players like Quinn Hughes are a testament.
The five-foot-10 blue liner won the Norris Trophy for the NHL’s best defenseman in 2023-24, and with half of this season in the books, he’s making another case for himself.
Throughout all of the turmoil that the Vancouver Canucks have endured, Hughes’ numbers have remained consistent.
With 39 games played, Hughes leads the Canucks with 47 points and a miraculous plus-14 rating. Connor Garland, who is second in points and trailing Hughes by 17, is minus-4. In fact, the next four leading point collectors on the roster are all below zero in goal differential.
Yet Hughes stands as the second favorite to win the hardware with the Colorado Avalanche’s Cale Makar leading the odds board with a slight edge.
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Makar, who won the award in the 2021-22 season, has played six more games than Hughes, but is on pace for 91 points while Hughes is headed for 101.
There are also two players ahead of Makar on the Avalanche in both Nathan Mackinnon and Mikko Rantanen, which implies there’s plenty of offense to go around in Colorado as opposed to the deficit the Canucks have been under.
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 08: Quinn Hughes #43 of the Vancouver Canucks skates against the Washington Capitals during the first period at Capital One Arena on January 08, 2025 in Washington, DC. WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 08: Quinn Hughes #43 of the Vancouver Canucks skates against the Washington Capitals during the first period at Capital One Arena on January 08, 2025 in Washington, DC.
In fact, Makar is 20 points in Mackinnon’s rear-view mirror. Mackinnon and Rantanen are No. 1 and No. 4 in league scoring.
Hughes’ closest teammate in Garland is No. 101.
Aside from stats, what makes Hughes so underrated on the market here is his leadership qualities persevering through insidious negativity that’s impacted the locker room.
“I think my game has never been better, so I know it’s not affecting me (on the ice). As far as our team, I think all this stuff, it’s just going to make us stronger,” Hughes said to Sportsnet last week.
“Whatever we have going on, we’ll figure it out. And I know everyone in here wants to win. You know, it’s not as complicated as people make it seem. For me, my focus today would be: It’s my first day back with the team, so have a good practice. And from a group perspective, I know everyone’s coming here and they want to win tomorrow. That’s all.”
Since Hughes returned to the lineup from an undisclosed injury, the Canucks have gone 1-2-2.
What makes this race for the Norris particularly interesting is that Makar probably wins the vote as the best sheer defenseman, but he is the least most important to his team between Hughes and Columbus Blue Jackets’ Zach Werenski, who is also within arm’s reach of the odds lead.
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