2020 NHL Awards
James Norris Memorial Trophy:
- An annual award given to the defenseman who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position.
Finalists:
- John Carlson
- Victor Hedman
- Roman Josi
Winner: John Carlson
Carlson eats minutes averaging 24:36 per night, while putting up an exceptional point total. Carlson has 75 points this year, including 15 goals.
However, the one thing that makes him so impressive is that he’s doing most of the work even-strength. 49 of his 75 points have came even-strength, including 13 goals.
Most defenseman need the man-advantage in order to rack up points, but Carlson has found a way to do most of his work without that necessity.
Washington Capitals fans are hoping that Carlson is hitting his prime in his 12th season, but it’ll be interesting to see if he’ll ever to be able to recapture a season like this, as he’s already matched career highs in every category, despite having 13 games left to play.