Trophy Tracker: Quinn Hughes top choice for Norris as best defenseman

To mark the final week of the 2023-24 regular season, NHL.com is running its fourth installment of the Trophy Tracker series. Today, we look at the race for the Norris Trophy, awarded annually to the top defenseman in the NHL as selected in a vote by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Quinn Hughes put in the work during the offseason and the results have shown.

The Vancouver Canucks defenseman leads the position with 91 points (17 goals, 74 assists) in 80 games and is plus-39. His previous NHL career highs were 76 points, eight goals and plus-15.

"Yeah. I kind of put a lot into this year," Hughes said. "My nutrition and sleep and other things that I've done that I'll go more in depth [on] later in the year after it's over, but I wouldn't say expect anything, just feel good right now and just going to keep going."

For those reasons and more, Hughes was selected by a panel of 15 NHL.com writers as the favorite to win the Norris Trophy. He received 69 points, including 14 first-place votes. Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche was second with 56 points, and Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators was third with 45 points and the other first-place vote.

"I think that thing when I know I'm doing really well is I always get two or three really good scoring chances a game," Hughes said. "I might not get on the board every game but I'm going to have one look where I go home, or two looks when I go home, and I'm like, '[Darn], I could have [scored], what should I have done there?' I don't know when that's going to come in the game, but I'm going to have a couple of looks."

Hughes is a big reason the Canucks are one of the top teams in the NHL with 107 points and 49 wins after finishing 2022-23 with 38 wins and 83 points and missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third straight season.

"I'm obviously biased, but he's had a [heck] of a year and we're in the position we are because of him, so that's usually what they vote for, guys that impacted a team," Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said. "I don't how many points we are, 20 or 30 points more than last year, he's a big reason why."

Named to the 2024 NHL All-Star Game, Hughes leads the Canucks in average ice time (24:43). He's helped Vancouver rank sixth in goals per game (3.41) and sixth in goals-against per game (2.70); last season, they were 13th in goals per game (3.29) and 25th in goals-against per game (3.61).

"Very special," defenseman Tyler Myers said of Hughes. "It seems that he's hit his prime and every year he keeps getting better. It's really amazing to watch and to be a part of. I'm very happy for him. He's working extremely hard. He's really growing into a big-time leader on the team and it's nice to be side by side with him."

Hughes is the 11th defenseman in NHL history to have at least 90 points in a season and has nine games with at least three assists this season, something only two others at the position have done in a single season: Bobby Orr (four times) and Ray Bourque (1993-94).

"Obviously it's really cool," Hughes said. "It doesn't really feel real. When I hear those things or see those things, I don't really associate myself with that. It just doesn't feel like that's a thing, but for me it's never been about that or like I'm looking at what like guys did 30-40 years ago. It's more about just me trying to drive my game every night. I'm trying to make a difference every night. That's why. That's what I'm trying to do."

Hughes, named captain prior to the season, leads Vancouver in power-play ice time per game (3:56) and has helped them rank 10th on the power play (22.7 percent).

"When you're talking about leadership, even over the course of this year, he's really growing into a leadership role and you can feel it," Myers said. "He's starting to take over. He's already taking over on the ice but he's starting to take over in the room, and he's really grown into and matured into a very good leader for us."

The Canucks are on the verge of winning their division, something they haven't done since 2013. Hughes has been a big part of it.

"It's some of the stuff he does, like on his breakouts, how he turns on a dime," Tocchet said. "I think somebody did an article about what skill would you want, and every guy said, 'I wish I had [Hughes'] skill of turning on a dime on the puck.' That's really what hockey is all about, changing direction, and he's probably one of the best in the League at it. So that skill alone gives him an advantage over everybody."

Voting totals (points awarded on a 5-4-3-2-1-basis): Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks, 69 points (14 first-place votes); Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche, 56; Roman Josi, Nashville Predators, 45; (1); Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning, 15; Evan Bouchard, Edmonton Oilers, 10; Noah Dobson, New York Islanders, 8; Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings, 5; Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars, 5; Adam Fox, New York Rangers, 4; Josh Morrissey, Winnipeg Jets, 2; Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes, 1

NHL.com independent correspondent Kevin Woodley contributed to this report