Doughty’s year?
Seen by many as due, Kings defenseman and two-time finalist has strong case to win Norris Trophy,
Doughty is exceptional in all three zones. He’s a relentless, physical one-on-one defender who plays big minutes.
If I had to cast my Norris Trophy ballot today, I would vote Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty No. 1 and the Ottawa Senators’ Erik Karlsson No. 2.
The Doughty vs. Karlsson Norris debate boils down to hockey’s most basic question. Which is more important: defense or offense? When you talk to players, coaches, pro scouts, etc., the consensus is that Doughty is the best all-around defenseman and Karlsson is the landslide winner as the top offensive defenseman.
Karlsson, 25, is one of the most exciting puck movers the NHL has ever seen, and he’s in the midst of the best offensive season of his career. With 60 points in 55 games, he’s not going to catch Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane for the scoring championship. But it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he could be the first defenseman to be runner-up in a scoring race since Paul Coffey in 1983-84.
Although Karlsson is better defensively than his reputation suggests, he is not among the best one-on-one defenders.
That’s where Doughty has the advantage. He is an exceptional performer in all three zones. He’s a rugged, relentless, physical oneon-one defender who plays big minutes. Doughty has no obvious weakness. He is the most indispensable non-goalie on a Kings team that is capable of winning the Stanley Cup.
Doughty has a better plus-minus (plus 15) than Karlsson (plus 7), and Doughty’s Corsi rating (58.19%), which is an indica- tor of puck possession, ranks him No. 1 among all defensemen, according to war-on-ice.com.
Doughty isn’t as dynamic as Karlsson, but he has an offensive knack. They both have 11 goals, though Doughty has 33 points. In fairness to Doughty, his production would be higher if he played for a team that needed it. Karlsson has license to jet up the ice as the Senators’ fire starter. Doughty is the Kings’ unofficial defensive captain.
Often in the Norris voting, you are comparing oranges to apples. Doughty and Karlsson play the same position, but their responsibilities are different. That’s why some think there should be separate awards for excellence as an offensive defenseman and as an all-around defenseman.