John Carlson of the Washington Capitals deserves to win the Norris Trophy for the NHL’s top defenseman. Honestly, he deserved it last season but this season his torrid start confirms his frontrunner candidacy. Out of many players who were homegrown, no blueliner had a better two-way game than Carlson.
Carlson has anchored a defense that was a revolving door around him just a few short seasons ago. The 2017-18 season Carlson led all defensemen with 68 points and finished fifth in the Norris Trophy voting. That season saw Carlson step up as a leader as one of the few veterans on a rookie heavy lineup.