Stanley Cup Playoffs preview: McAvoy of Bruins among defensemen to watch

The 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs start Saturday and NHL.com is taking a look at different types of players who can have a big impact on the postseason. Today, top candidates for the 2021 Norris Trophy who could have a major impact this postseason.

Victor Hedman joined elite company by becoming the 10th defenseman to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs when the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Dallas Stars to win the Stanley Cup last season. Other defensemen to win the Conn Smythe include Serge Savard, Bobby Orr, Larry Robinson, Al MacInnis, Brian Leetch, Scott Stevens, Nicklas Lidstrom, Scott Niedermayer and Duncan Keith.
That the group isn't larger is surprising considering the importance of defensemen in the playoffs, but maybe the recognition of Hedman's play last season is the start of a trend. Of the 10 defensemen to win the Conn Smythe, Savard and Stevens were the only ones not to win the Norris Trophy in their NHL careers. Perhaps Hedman can become the first defenseman to win the Conn Smythe in back-to-back seasons.
Here are six of the top candidates for the Norris this season who could have the biggest impact in the playoffs (listed alphabetically):

Dougie Hamilton, Carolina Hurricanes

A fractured fibula probably cost Hamilton a shot at being a Norris finalist last season when he scored 40 points (14 goals, 26 assists) in 47 games, but he was nearly as good this season, with 42 points (10 goals, 32 assists) in 55 games. Unlike last season, Hamilton will be ready for the start of the playoffs and will be a key contributor for the Hurricanes, who will finish first in the Discover Central Division. The 27-year-old has scored seven points (three goals, four assists) in 15 playoff games when Carolina reached the Eastern Conference Final in 2019 and could be an even bigger factor this postseason. His 18 power-play points (two goals, 16 assists) helped the Hurricanes rank second in the NHL with the man-advantage (25.6 percent) during the regular season.

Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning

Hedman is tied for third among defensemen with 45 points (nine goals, 36 assists) in 54 games, but has been playing with a lower-body injury and sat out Tampa Bay's final two regular-season games. The importance of having a healthy Hedman has been evident for the Lightning in the playoffs the past two seasons. When the 2018 Norris Trophy winner was trying to play through an upper-body injury and limited to two playoff games in 2019, the Lightning were swept by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Eastern Conference First Round. When the 30-year-old was healthy last season, he helped the Lightning win the Stanley Cup by scoring 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) and averaging 26:28 in ice time in 25 games.

Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche

Makar has followed up winning the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie last season with another impressive season. The 22-year-old is sixth among NHL defensemen with 44 points (eight goals, 36 assists) in 44 games despite missing 12 games with an upper-body injury, and is third among defensemen in 5-on-5 shot attempts differential at plus-317. Makar has already demonstrated he can be a difference-maker in the playoffs. He jumped directly from the NCAA Frozen Four with the University of Massachusetts into the 2019 postseason to score six points (one goal, five assists) in 10 games and scored 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) in 15 playoff games last season when the Avalanche came within a Game 7 overtime loss to the Stars of reaching the Western Conference Final.

Charlie McAvoy, Boston Bruins

McAvoy took over as the leader of the Bruins defense after Zdeno Chara signed with the Washington Capitals on Dec. 30, and the 23-year-old handled it like a seasoned veteran. With a young defense hampered by injuries all season, Boston is tied with Carolina for fourth in the NHL in allowing 2.39 goals per game, and McAvoy played a big role in that. He led the Bruins in averaging 24:00 in ice time, scored 30 points (five goals, 25 assists) in 51 games, was third on the team with a plus-22 rating and is fourth in the NHL among defensemen in 5-on-5 shot-attempts differential at plus-273. The playoffs will be another step up and facing Chara and the Capitals in the Stanley Cup First Round will be a reminder of the past, but McAvoy has proven he's ready for it.

Darnell Nurse, Edmonton Oilers

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl get all the attention for their offensive exploits, but defense becomes more important in the playoffs and Nurse has been essential to Edmonton's improvement from allowing 3.03 goals per game last season to 2.73 this season. The 26-year-old plays in all situations and is fourth in the NHL in averaging 25:42 in ice time. Also skilled offensively, Nurse is second in the NHL among defensemen with 16 goals. He has scored 36 points, is tied for first among NHL defensemen with a plus-29 rating and leads the Oilers with a plus-53 5-on-5 shot differential.

Shea Theodore, Vegas Golden Knights

Theodore has had another strong season offensively, scoring 42 points (eight goals, 34 assists) in 53 games. He leads Golden Knights defensemen with a plus-164 5-on-5 shot differential and is tied for second in the NHL among defensemen with a plus-28 rating. The 25-year-old also is a proven playoff producer. He led Vegas with 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in 20 games during its run to the Western Conference Final last season and has scored 45 points (13 goals, 32 assists) in 61 playoff games during the past four seasons.