Tampa Bay Lightning: Victor Hedman's Case for the 2017 Norris Trophy

Every Norris Trophy finalist is a great player. Every one of them deserves that award. So how did the Tampa Bay Lightning's Victor Hedman earn his Norris nomination this year? Here"s his case

This year, the Norris trophy comes down to three great players: Brent Burns of the San Jose Sharks, Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators, and Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Brent Burns's case might seem obvious. Erik Karlsson is a perennial contender. But what made Hedman special this year? Why is he also in this great group?

Hedman's Offensive Ability

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) moves the puck against the Pittsburgh Penguins third period at the PPG PAINTS Arena. (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)

Victor Hedman led all defenseman in assists this season with 56. In terms of points (he had 72), he was second to only Brent Burns, and he came in third in points-per-game (.91) to both Burns and Erik Karlsson.

In the league itself, Hedman was fourth in assists and fourteenth in points. That's not bad for a defenseman, and the only three players that beat Hedman in terms of assists overall were Connor McDavid, Nicklas Backstrom, and Ryan Getzlaf.

Hedman was second on his team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in points. He added five game-winning goals to the team and likely many more game-winning assists. If Kucherov was the MVP of the season for the Lightning, then Hedman was likely not far behind.

And that should impress Norris trophy voters. The fact that he was able to produce so well offensively, not second best to any defenseman in terms of assists, has earned him his Norris nomination.

Hedman's Corsi

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) (Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)

Hedman wasn't bad in terms of possession offensively either this season. When it comes to Corsi, Hedman had a 1501 Corsi for, meaning there were 1501 shots that went to the net, was blocked, or missed the net with Hedman on the ice this season. In terms of his competition, Brent Burns had an 1836 Corsi For and Erik Karlsson had 1581.

While Hedman didn't beat either of them in this category, his overall Corsi is more impressive. Hedman had a 53.4% Corsi percentage, meaning 53% of all Corsi with Hedman on ice went towards the opponent's net. Karlsson finished with a 50.1% and Burns with a 54.2%. Those are really impressive numbers, and Hedman gets ahead of Karlsson. But how?

Hedman's Defensive Prowess

Victor Hedman is a much better defensive defenseman than either Erik Karlsson or Brent Burns, that's how. Let's dissect this, starting with Corsi numbers.

Victor Hedman only allowed 1308 Corsi to the other team when he was on the ice. Karlsson allowed 1573 and Burns 1550. That means that Hedman was much better at choking the offense of opposing teams than either Karlsson or Burns, and therein lies Hedman's case for the Norris.

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) shoots and scores a goal against the Minnesota Wild during the first period at Amalie Arena. (Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)

Hedman is a better all around defenseman than either Karlsson or Burns. If Norris Trophy voters want to bring the award back to being about all-around defense instead of just offensive defenseman, that's how you do it. You give it to Hedman.

Victor also had 132 blocks, 39 takeaways, and gave the puck up (73 times) less than either of his competitors. Hedman was responsible with the puck, able to take the puck off opponents blades, and knew to play smart defense throughout the season.

Hedman averaged 24:30 time on ice this season. That means he was playing close to half the game, even with a responsible defense behind him. And that's a reflection on both ends of the ice, as he started 57.4% of his shifts in the offensive zone, and 42.6% in the defensive.

Why Give the Norris Trophy to Hedman?

Because he represents a different type of defenseman than either Burns or Karlsson. Hedman plays smart, responsible defense, but was also capable of creating offense. He knows how to play at both ends of the ice, and his responsibility in both zones helped the Lightning almost overcome a long string of injuries this season.

If the Norris Trophy voters want to go back to how the award should be awarded, to the best all-around defenseman instead of the best offensive defenseman, they'll go with Victor Hedman. If not, they'll likely choose Brent Burns.