Trophy Tracker: Makar of Avalanche unanimous choice as Norris winner

To mark the halfway point of the 2025-26 regular season, NHL.com is running its third installment of the Trophy Tracker series this week. 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.

Cale Makar won the Norris Trophy voted as the best defenseman in the NHL last season. Halfway through this season, he's the favorite to do so again.

Makar leads defensemen in points (48) and is second in plus-minus rating (plus-30). He is also near the top in goals (12, tied for third), power-play points (16, second) and ice time per game (25:05, seventh). This comes after he won the award last season, when he had 30 goals and 92 points, the first at his position to score at least that many goals since Mike Green for the Washington Capitals in 2008-09.

He's also a big reason why Colorado is 11 points clear of the next closest team in the League and has just four regulation losses through 42 games (31-4-7).

For those reasons and more, Makar was the unanimous choice to win the Norris in a vote by an NHL.com panel. He received 80 points and all 16 first-place votes, distancing himself from Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets (57 points) and Miro Heiskanen of the Dallas Stars (37 points).

"He's such an incredible player," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said earlier this season. "I think he's a quiet competitor, a guy that the bigger the stakes in the game, the bigger the moments in the game, that he's really trying to elevate and help your team win. He's like a silent assassin. ... We are super lucky to have him, and it's been a joy to coach him."

Makar will represent Team Canada at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, one year after helping his country win the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Explore NHL.com's Coverage of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026

He has been a Norris finalist each of the past five seasons, also winning in 2021-22, and is the only active defenseman to average at least a point per game throughout his NHL career. Makar (1.09 points per game) is tied with Paul Coffey for second in NHL history behind only Bobby Orr (1.39).

"He's the closest to Bobby Orr I've seen, and I never put anybody there," retired New Jersey Devils defenseman and current NHL Network analyst Ken Daneyko said last season. "I used to watch a lot of Bobby Orr because I loved him as an 8-year-old, 7-year-old. He changed the game, revolutionized the game, Bobby Orr did. Nobody greater. And Cale Makar is the closest thing to that."

Makar leads Colorado in blocked shots (73) and takeaways (25) while averaging 4:30 of ice time on the power play and 2:00 of ice time while short-handed per game. To him, there is still more to come.

"I think this is a good way to start the season," Makar said after he had two goals and an assist in a 6-3 win against the New York Rangers on Nov. 20. "I still think I got more in the tank individually and the good thing is, I think our team has a lot more in the tank, too."

Voting totals (points awarded on a 5-4-3-2-1-basis): Cale Makar, Avalanche, 80 points (16 first-place votes); Zach Werenski, Blue Jackets, 57; Miro Heiskanen, Stars, 37; Quinn Hughes, Minnesota Wild, 22; Moritz Seider, Detroit Red Wings, 12; Lane Hutson, Montreal Canadiens, 12; Jakob Chychrun, Capitals, 11; Josh Morrissey, Winnipeg Jets, 3; Evan Bouchard, Edmonton Oilers, 3; Matthew Schaefer, New York Islanders, 2; John Carlson, Washington Capitals, 1