HockeyBuzz Hotstove: Midseason Norris Trophy picks

I'd pick Josi for the Norris this year, but the homer in me says Dougie Hamilton is a close second.

Makar is going to win the Calder, Norris, and Lady Byng.

As much as the homer in me would love to see Josi win it, I hate how the trophy is basically awarded to whatever D-man puts up the best offensive numbers. Defensemen who are actually good at playing defense tend to get overlooked. Josi is above average defensively, but isn't shutting many people down. Still, I don't think anybody in the league is better at transitioning from offense to defense than Josi is. He seems to teleport across the ice at times.

I don't think it's a landslide as Tanner claims, but it makes sense that defensemen who score lot of points win the Norris more often than stay-at-home, tough guys who punish people in the defensive end.

If you are a D-man on the top of the offensive zone and help control the play into your zone, you are 100 feet away from your goal. Effectively - you play good defense by playing good offense. That said, the award should go to "all-around" players who can play in any situation. I don't have any issues with an offensively gifted D-man winning the award, so long as they have a decent PK game or can defend a little in their own end.

I wasn't thrilled when the award went to Karlson in a year when he rarely played on the PK, and almost never faced the other team's top scoring line. But his scoring prowess won the day with voters. As much as I'd like to see Josi win it, it's probably Carlson's to lose with the success of Washington and his strong offensive game. It's amazing to me that Josi is finally getting some consideration the year the Preds are absolutely atrocious on defense. haha. This game is funny.

Lots of hockey left to play, but Nashville rarely gets serious attention for these type of awards. The year Peks won the Vezina it was a miracle. Yes, he deserved it, but when has that made a difference?

Fox mulder, What other individual award should a Predators player have won?

Fox mulder, What other individual award should a Predators player have won?
- GOLEAFS71

He didn't say anybody should've won one, just that Preds players typically aren't seriously considered for individual awards, just like most smaller profile teams, even when they at least deserve to be in the conversation. If I have to pick one though, Shea Weber in his prime. Can't argue with most of the guys that won over him, but if Shea was playing in Montreal, NY, Chicago, or the like, he'd have gotten a lot more votes.

A good recent example from another team is Darcy Keumper, who should be at the top of most voters Vezina ballots. The biggest obstacle standing in his way is that he plays in the middle of the desert.