Adam Fox of the New York Rangers, Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche are the NHL's top defensemen finalists for the Norris Trophy.
Fox enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign, finishing second among all blue-liners with 47 points in 55 games. With Fox on the ice at five-on-five, the Rangers scored 57.5% of the goals and 54.3% of the expected goals. Without him, they posted a 49.3% goals share and 44.8% expected goals share.
Hedman is a Norris finalist for a fifth consecutive season, the longest streak since fellow Swede Nicklas Lidstrom's six-year run from 1998-2003. Hedman won the award in 2017-18 and finished third in voting the other three years. The 30-year-old's most recent campaign was arguably his worst during that stretch, as he reportedly played through much of the second half with a shoulder injury that requires offseason surgery. However, he still racked up 45 points - tied for third among defensemen - in 54 contests.
Makar is a finalist despite missing 12 games due to injury. His 44 points were tied for fifth among defensemen and the best on a per game basis. He finished second among qualified blue-liners with a 61.8% expected goals share.
(Analytics courtesy: Natural Stat Trick)
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