Makar Hockey: Cale Makar Dethroned in Norris Rankings as Defensive Race Tightens
The latest Norris Trophy assessment has shifted the pecking order, with Cale Makar slipping from the top spot and a pair of American defensemen moving ahead. The change matters now because the NHL is paused for the Olympic medal games and teams are practicing, leaving limited time for contenders to reshape their cases.
Makar Hockey: Development details
As of Feb. 21, a top-five list of Norris Trophy contenders places Lane Hutson and Evan Bouchard ahead of Cale Makar. Hutson has produced 58 points in 57 games, a 1. 02 points-per-game mark, and ranks fourth among defensemen who have logged at least 1, 000 minutes in expected goals against per 60 minutes at 2. 49. Bouchard leads all NHL defensemen in scoring with 63 points—15 goals and 48 assists—and is on an 89-point pace that would surpass his career high of 82 points from two seasons ago. He is a plus-11 on the year while averaging a career-high 24: 44 time on ice.
Makar’s season totals stand at 15 goals and 57 points in 55 games, tying him for fourth in scoring among defensemen and placing him among the top 10 at his position with a plus-28 rating. At the same time, analytics dated February 10 show Makar with a +16. 0 Net Rating—comprised of an offensive rating of +11. 6 and a defensive rating of +4. 5—leaving him statistically narrow in front of Moritz Seider, who posts a +15. 7 Net Rating with a +6. 3 offense and a +9. 4 defense.
Context and escalation
The rankings were compiled while the NHL paused for the men’s Olympic tournament, a window in which many teams resumed on-ice work without their Olympians. Several top blueliners were absent from the roster of practicing stars because they were representing national teams; others stayed to continue their club campaigns and have climbed the list. Quinn Hughes has split his season between two clubs, appearing in 52 games total—26 with his former team and 26 with his new club—and posting a stark split: two goals, 23 points and a minus-10 rating in the first 26; three goals, 34 points and a plus-nine rating in the second 26.
What makes this notable is the dual nature of the metrics: some contenders are driven by offense while others make their cases on defense. For example, Bouchard’s offensive production is among the elite, while Seider’s defensive rating is the highest in the top-10 group. Quinn Hughes and another top offensive defenseman demonstrate high offensive ratings but weaker defensive marks, illustrating why Net Rating—combining offense and defense—has become central to the conversation.
Immediate impact
The immediate effect is a tightened Norris race. Makar remains very much in contention—his Net Rating of +16. 0 and his 57 points keep him among the favorites—but the numerical gap separating him from challengers is slim. Seider’s +9. 4 defensive rating makes him a clear two-way alternative, while Bouchard’s league-leading 63 points and elevated ice time strengthen his candidacy.
For players and teams, the pause for Olympic play compresses the timeline in which on-ice performance can alter voters’ impressions. With rankings dated Feb. 21 and analytics highlighted from February 10, the window for meaningful shifts in counting stats or advanced metrics before the season resumes is limited, raising the stakes on every remaining club game and minute of ice time.
Forward outlook
Confirmed milestones on the calendar include the Olympic medal games taking place now and the NHL’s subsequent return to full regular-season action. Key statistical thresholds to watch are raw scoring totals and the composite Net Ratings: if Bouchard maintains his pace toward an 89-point projection, or if Seider sustains his defensive dominance while adding offense, the balance could continue to tilt. Makar’s path forward depends on preserving his two-way performance—his +11. 6 offensive and +4. 5 defensive components must hold in the remaining schedule to keep his lead intact.
The broader implication is that award races are increasingly decided by composite metrics as much as by traditional counting stats, and marginal differences in offense versus defense are now decisive. For voters and teams, that creates a narrower margin for error and makes each remaining game more consequential for every contender named in the current rankings.
