No. 2: Norris Trophy
- Nominees:
- Erik Karlsson, San Jose Sharks
- Cale Makar, Coloardo Avalanche
- Rasmus Dahlin, Nashville Predators
- Toronto Maple Leafs Nominee:
- Timothy Liljegren
- Christmas Winner:
- Cale Makar, Coloardo Avalanche
Although he’s not averaging the same amount of points as Karlsson and Dahlin, he’s a point-per-game player and one of the only reasons why the Avalanche are even in a playoff hunt.
The team has been hit with the injury bug huge this year and without Makar, they could easily be a team that misses the playoffs.
Karlsson may be scoring at will, but I’d say the person closest to Makar right now is Dahlin. The former first-overall pick is playing over 26 minutes of ice-time each night, while contributing at a high-level offensively. He’s turning into the prospect that everyone hoped he would.
As for the Leafs, what else can you say about Liljegren? Despite the multple injuries to the blue-line, he’s been steady all year and has been the team’s best defenseman. You may not believe it yet, but Liljegren is due for a huge payraise soon.