If defence truly matters, Erik Karlsson does not deserve Norris
San Jose Sharks' Erik Karlsson became the first defenseman since 1992 to record a 100-point season but given the 32-year-old's defensive weaknesses, should the Swedish blueliner win the Norris Trophy, awarded to the defenseman who demonstrates the greatest all-round ability over the course of the season?
Video Transcript
- After some soul searching, I have to offer a retraction. I said that maybe to sort of-- with the thinking that I didn't want to be the lone person to vote for Adam Fox. I flip-flopped between Adam Fox and Erik Karlsson so much, just 100 points, is a nice round number, but that was cowardice on my part.
[LAUGHTER]
I retract my argument for Karlsson. I can't do it. He's been so bad defensively. He's been on the ice for the most goals for 5 on 5 in the entire NHL. Being good at defense matters. I don't know what Dom at "The Athletic" has him in, but I think at one point somebody was looking like the 90th percentile of defensive defenseman. Like, it's just-- I don't know where it's at. Just 100 points is a nice, easy round number. But if defense matters at all, I think it has to be Adam Fox or Hampus Lindholm. I'm sorry.
- But what about the fact that all the-- what about the fact that Karlsson was on for all those empty net goals, and if you take out all of those his plus/minus is a positive. That's a big-- that is a genuine argument I've heard from so many people with regards to defending Erik Karlsson for that case.
- That's fair, but I think how do you give an award for best defenseman on a guy, on a team that's been defensively horrific, you know? It doesn't add up to the spirit of what the award should be. There have been far better defenders. I don't know exactly what Karlsson's expected goals against per 60 is, but there are several candidates who have better records than he does.
I don't think he's necessarily suppressing chances at all. If the argument is like he has no one to play with, OK, sure, I guess, but has Karlsson been like leaps and bounds better than Adam Fox or Hampus Lindholm or Drew Doughty or Jaccob Slavin? I don't know. Like, I would personally--
- Rasmus Dahlin.
- Yeah, Rasmus Dahlin. Although, like, Dahlin has been the worst defender of those guys, Karlsson notwithstanding that we've mentioned. But I would think that it would have to go-- if I do get a vote, I think I'm going to flip-flop back to Adam Fox first, Erik Karlsson second. I just think you have to in the spirit of the award in some way, and there's too much data out there to say otherwise.
But that's my retraction. 100 points is cool. But I get the sense that it's not going to be unanimous for Karlsson. And this is not to take away from what's been a brilliant offensive season. I mean, you look at his shot creation metrics, they're with the best forwards in the league. I think he had the most 5 on 5 points in the league, which is a tremendous accomplishment. So this is not to talk down on Erik Karlsson, but this idea that he should be the Norris winner, I'm having a hard time with it.
