Erik Karlsson Deserves The 2022-23 Norris Trophy
I’m not sure how this is even a debate but somehow it is one. We’re here to discuss the 2022-23 Norris Trophy and the only thing that is clear is that 100% of the votes should go towards Erik Karlsson. If you don’t vote Karlsson as the Norris Trophy winner, I question your overall intellect. It should be as simple as that.
Karlsson, just put together one of the best offensive seasons by a defensemen in the history of the game. He also did it on a Sharks team that was tanking and actively tried to make team worse as the season progressed. Karlsson played all 82 games and posted a 101 point season.
Only 27 of those points came from the powerplay. If Karlsson had played for a team that made the playoffs this year, that point total likely would have been around 130-150 range. It would have been the greatest season ever by a defensemen.
Still don’t believe me? Karlsson had eight more points at five on five than Leon Draisaitl. Yeah… that’s a real stat. Is there a better player in the world than Leon right now other than his teammate Connor McDavid? Furthermore, imagine how many points Karlsson would have had if the trade to Edmonton actually went through like it should have.
The bottom line is what Karlsson did with the Sharks this year should be viewed as borderline impossible. Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl were second and third on the Sharks point total list this year at 67 and 63 points respectively. They are also the only other quality players on the entire team. Kevin Labanc is 5th on the list with 33 points. If Karlsson wasn’t on the Sharks they would have easily been the worst team in the league and that’s saying something.
The haters will tell you the same thing. What level of defense is tolerable for a defensemen to win the Norris and does Karlsson clear it? To that I would counter with several things.
A: No defensemen was close to his level of offensive output. Josh Morrisey and Quinn Hughes were tied for second in defensemen points this year with 76. It doesn’t come close to what Karlsson did offensively. Both also played with much better teammates.
B: Karlsson was also an ice time monster. He was out there over 25 minutes a night and was never given a reliable d partner. Adam Fox gets Ryan Lindgren. Cale Makar gets Devon Toews. Karlsson got the poo poo plater of revolving doors. His defensive numbers would have been far better if there was another player on the Sharks blueline that was worth anything.
C: There isn’t another strong candidate. Makar played 60 games. He shouldn’t have even been a finalist based on the number of games he played. Fox is a great player but look at all the talent he was surrounded with. Imagine how many points Karlsson would have put up on that Rangers powerplay unit? Fox had 28 assists and one goal on the NYR powerplay. Had Fox come close to the point total maybe it would be an argument.
Erik Karlsson became the 6th defensemen in the history of the sport to notch a 100 point season. He found a way to do it while playing on one of the worst teams in the league with basically zero support. It’s not an argument. Karlsson is your 2022-23 Norris Trophy winner and anybody that says otherwise should be exiled to a place far away to never be heard from again.
