Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators, Brent Burns of the San Jose Sharks, and Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning were named finalists for the Norris Trophy, which is awarded each year to the NHL's best defenseman.
The three players finished the season atop the scoring leaderboard among players at their position, and were separated in terms of points per game by the slimmest of margins.
| Player | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | Points/GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brent Burns | 82 | 29 | 47 | 76 | 0.93 |
| Victor Hedman | 79 | 16 | 56 | 72 | 0.91 |
| Erik Karlsson | 77 | 17 | 54 | 71 | 0.92 |
Burns, it should be noted, held the lead in shots by a wide margin, while Karlsson ranked second in blocked shots - an area in which he previously lagged behind.
All three logged heavy minutes in all situations, and clearly stood out as the top defenders in the NHL this season.
Karlsson will be vying for his third Norris Trophy, while a win for either Burns or Hedman would be a first.
Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.