Zach Werenski of the Blue Jackets has won the Norris Trophy as the National Hockey League's best defenseman, as voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
Werenski was awarded 113 of the 208 first-place votes and had a point total of 1,589. Cale Makar of the Avalanche was a distant second at 1,191 points (47 first-place) and Rasmus Dahlin of the Sabres was third with 657 points.
Werenski, 28, had 22 goals and 59 assists in 75 games played, averaging 26:37 seconds of ice time and was a plus-7. It is his first Norris win.
My take: Always tough to beat out Makar, who was also above a point per game and finished a plus-32, but he was on a Presidents Trophy team, while Werenski's Jackets missed the playoffs, having the third-fewest wins (40) in the log-jammed Eastern Conference.
THE ASYLUM
Werenski wins Norris
Zach Werenski of the Blue Jackets has won the Norris Trophy as the National Hockey League's best defenseman, as voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
Werenski was awarded 113 of the 208 first-place votes and had a point total of 1,589. Cale Makar of the Avalanche was a distant second at 1,191 points (47 first-place) and Rasmus Dahlin of the Sabres was third with 657 points.
Werenski, 28, had 22 goals and 59 assists in 75 games played, averaging 26:37 seconds of ice time and was a plus-7. It is his first Norris win.
My take: Always tough to beat out Makar, who was also above a point per game and finished a plus-32, but he was on a Presidents Trophy team, while Werenski's Jackets missed the playoffs, having the third-fewest wins (40) in the log-jammed Eastern Conference.
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