John Carlson has been a vital defenseman for the Washington Capitals and had his best season in 2018-19. Despite this, the NHL went with other candidates for the Norris Trophy nominations.
Even so, Carlson is coming off two of his best seasons in a row in Washington. He played in all 82 regular season games in 2018-19 and recorded 68 points (15 goals, 53 assists). During their Stanley Cup run in the spring he led the defense with 20 points (5 goals, 15 assists).
What made Carlson shine the brightest that season though was more than the numbers.