The narrative for voters to give him his day in the sun would be overwhelming. But in the event that Makar missed an extended period of time (God forbid), Toews’ odds would immediately shoot higher. It’s hard to imagine he can overcome that as long as his teammate stays healthy. Toews’ biggest obstacle to being a serious Norris Trophy contender is the giant, Makar-shaped shadow he lives under in Colorado. Related: Colorado Avalanche’s Devon Toews Emerging as Dark-Horse Norris Trophy Candidate But last season, in 66 games, he managed 57 points, was an absurd plus-52, and played 25:22 per game. Like Ekblad, Toews has struggled to stay healthy and has never played more than 68 games in a season. With Devon Toews by Makar’s side, the Colorado Avalanche have the best defensive tandem in the league. There are a lot of contingencies there, but if they all fall into place, Seider could take home hardware in both of his first two NHL seasons. A resurgent “Original Six” powerhouse led by Seider on the blue line? It’s easy to make a case for how that would appeal to Norris Trophy voters. The Red Wings have made a ton of moves this offseason and look like a fringe playoff team. The Zell, Germany native took the league by storm last year, notching 50 points in 82 games as the soared to top rookie honors. Last season’s Calder Trophy winner, the Detroit Red Wings’ Moritz Seider, is certainly a longshot for the Norris Trophy, but don’t rule it out entirely. He finished sixth in voting even with the shortened season.
Doing that on a team that dominated the regular season would certainly make him a Norris Trophy contender.
If he’d finished a healthy 82-game season with the 76 points he was on pace for, he would have been fourth in points in the league. But Ekblad provides plenty of firepower and had almost a point per game last season, with 57 in his 61 appearances. Of course, everyone knows that offense plays a significant role in winning the Norris Trophy - some would argue too big a role. Aaron Ekblad, Florida Panthers ( Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
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