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Andy's NHL power rankings for the top-10 James Norris Memorial Trophy candidates for the 2025-26 season. His top Norris Trophy candidates of April 2026 include Rasmus Dahlin, Zach Werenski, Evan Bouchard, more.
With the NHL regular season all but concluded, it's time to update our Norris Trophy rankings for the final time. This has been one of the closest Norris Trophy races in recent history, and several candidates have strong resumes to take home the award.
However, over the final month of play, several defenders have taken their play to another level and have emerged as legit sleeper candidates to take home the hardware.
Let's dive into the current top-10 favorites to win the 2025-26 Norris Trophy. All statistics and records mentioned are updated as of Wednesday, April 15.
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No. 10 - Matthew Schaefer, New York Islanders
The runaway favorite for the Calder will sit in the No. 10 spot on our list. In his debut campaign, Schaefer smashed all expectations and nearly led the Islanders to a playoff berth. Through his first 82 games in the NHL, the former first overall pick found the back of the net 23 times while chipping in another 36 helpers.
He posted a +13 rating while adding 11 blocked shots with 221 shots on goal. Among defenders, Schaefer placed second in goals, trailing only Washington's Jakob Chychrun and tied for 13th in points alongside Utah's Mikhail Sergachev.
What makes Schaefer's rookie campaign so impressive and worthy of a Norris vote is how the Islanders struggled mightily when he was not on the ice.
According to MoneyPuck.com, the defender generated a low 43.0% Off-Ice Expected Goals%, which placed him tied for first at the position (among those who have logged 1,000 minutes of ice time). He also generated an above-average 55% Fenwick% and 54% Corsi%.
21st goal of the season for Matthew Schaefer and he's just THREE GOALS AWAY from the most by a rookie d-man ALL-TIME 🤯🚨 pic.twitter.com/aE5SpSrnSI
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) March 20, 2026
No. 9 - Erik Karlsson, Pittsburgh Penguins
Erik Karlsson's first two seasons in Pittsburgh were quite underwhelming, but he returned to his Norris form in a big way in 2025 and played a major role in bringing this team back to the postseason. He would finish his campaign with 15 goals (his most since his 2022 Norris campaign) and 51 helpers (also his most since the 2022 season).
However, his incredible play in the second half pushed him onto this list. Since March 1, it can be argued that Karlsson has been the best defenseman in the sport. With Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin both missing time due to several injuries, Karlsson put the Penguins on his back. During this stretch, the Swedish native has led the position in total points (30) and goals (11).
Under the hood, Karlsson has generated an elite 58.8% On-Ice Goals% with a strong 66.47 On-Ice Shot Attempts For Per 60 Minutes.
The Penguins have tied it right back up off a goal from Erik Karlsson! 🎯 pic.twitter.com/RUzyce5d5S
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) March 27, 2026
No. 8 - Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars
While Heiskanen enters the postseason with a questionable tag due to a lower-body injury, the top Dallas blueliner turned in another dominant campaign. The 26-year-old tallied 63 points across 77 games, which marked the second-highest total of his career, trailing only his 73-point effort back in 2022. Among defenders, he sits ninth in total points while logging an impressive 132 blocked shots.
However, where Heiskanen shines is in his elite defensive metrics, even while logging a massive share of ice time. Per MoneyPuck.com, Heiskanen logged the fourth-highest Share of Possible Ice-Time at the position, trailing only three names just above him on our list. He has generated a strong 57.6% On-Ice Goals% with a similar 55.8% On-Ice Expected Goals%, suggesting his play is supported by his underlying marks.
Despite averaging a high 25 minutes of ice time on a per-game basis, Heiskanen has allowed a low 3.1 On-Ice Expected Goals Against Per 60 Minutes and 52.31 On-Ice Shot Attempts Against Per 60 Minutes, both of which place him well below the average marks.
No. 7 - Moritz Seider, Detroit Red Wings
Even though the Red Wings went from playoff "lock" to falling just short after a disastrous finish to the season, Moritz Seider still deserves a spot on this list. Seider was the backbone of this squad, and they would have likely been near the outset of the Eastern Conference without him.
Across 81 games, Seider tallied a career-best 60 points with a strong +19 rating while logging 128 hits and 179 blocked shots. He was a force in the offensive zone as well, logging 184 shots on goal.
From March 1 on, despite the Wings' free-falling in the standings, Seider was a near point-per-game player, totaling 20 over his last 21 games, with three of them coming as goals.
Per MoneyPuck.com, the German native logged the third-highest Share of Possible Ice-Time (42.4%) while generating an elite 59.0% On-Ice Expected Goals%. When off the ice, the Red Wings struggled, posting a low 43.4% Off-Ice Goals%, the third-lowest mark among defenders on this list.
No. 6 - Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
Cale Makar missed most of April with an injury but quickly shook off the rust in his return to action on April 14, tallying three helpers in the victory over the Flames, which helped put a nice bow on another stellar campaign from the 27-year-old.
In the first half, Makar looked like the potential favorite for this award as he and his team were off to an incredible start.
Over his first 39 games, Makar tallied a position-leading 45 points with 12 of them coming as goals. However, since January 2, Makar has fallen short of the point-per-game mark, totaling 33 points over his last 35 games while adding eight goals. More importantly, during this stretch, he posted a modest -3 rating, compared to the elite +34 rating he held in the previously noted stretch.
While his elite 63.7% On-Ice Goals% and 58% Corsi% keep him in the conversations, his less-than-impressive play in the second half will keep him slightly lower on our ranking.
No. 5 - Evan Bouchard, Edmonton Oilers
The next name on our list has been the position's leader in nearly all offensive metrics. Evan Bouchard found the back of the net 21 times and added an impressive 71 helpers over 81 games. His assists and points place him first among defenders, while his 21 goals place him fourth at the position.
However, outside of his incredible offensive metrics, Bouchard's profile does not carry the same resume as the other names in this top tier.
Per MoneyPuck.com, Bouchard has surrendered a high amount of high-danger scoring chances. The 26-year-old has allowed the 12th-highest 4.23 On-Ice High-Danger Shot Attempts Per 60 Minutes, which is far from "Norris" worthy. However, his incredible 5.07 On-Ice High-Danger Shot Attempts For has helped hide this troubling statistic.
Additionally, his 3.38 On-Ice Expected Goals Against Per 60 Minutes places him well below the average marks and once again, the worst among the names on this list. Voters will credit his incredible offensive marks, but in terms of the best overall defenseman, Bouchard sits at the bottom of the top tier.
EVAN BOUCHARD GIVES EDMONTON THE LEAD! pic.twitter.com/PCYcir0drc
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 9, 2026
No. 4 - Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres snapped their lengthy playoff drought, and much of their success was credited to Rasmus Dahlin. The former first overall selection put it all together in 2025 and emerged as a legit superstar at this position. The 26-year-old set a career-high in points (74), which placed him sixth at the position.
In the second half (from March 1 and on), Dahlin sat tied for third in total points among blueliners with 23 (over 21 games), putting him just two behind Bouchard and the previously noted Karlsson.
Under the hood, Dahlin has generated a remarkable 61.9% On-Ice Goals%, placing him eighth among all blueliners and second on this list, trailing only Lane Hutson. Additionally, his 13.0% Relative Goals% places him sixth among blueliners, according to MoneyPuck.com.
Dahlin should receive a handful of Hart Trophy votes as well, given how he was the backbone of one of the most dominant teams this season.
Dahlin's shot bounces around and in, 3-1 PPG #LetsGoBuffalo #Sabrehood #GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/XgEQ8cqXX8
— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) March 21, 2026
No. 3 - Lane Hutson, Montreal Canadiens
After an impressive rookie campaign, Lane Hutson has picked up right where he left off his second "full" NHL season. In 82 games, Hutson found the back of the net 12 times while adding 66 helpers to total a career-best 78 points. He posted a stellar +36 rating, logging 124 shots on goal and 137 blocked shots.
While his offensive metrics stand among the top of the position, his underlying defensive metrics are among the best in the league as well, which will give him a legitimate case to win the Norris. Per MoneyPuck.com, Hutson generated a dominant 17.5% Relative Expected Goals%, with a 60.1% On-Ice Expected Goals%, both of which are the highest among names on this list.
Additionally, Hutson has shut down opposing forwards, allowing a low 2.83 On-Ice High-Danger Shot Attempts Against Per 60 Minutes. That trails just one name on our list, and added a 2.64 On-Ice Expected Goals Against Per 60 Minutes, the lowest mark among our top-10 candidates. He is a true difference-maker on both ends of the ice and deserves a few first-place votes.
Lane Hutson puts the @CanadiensMTL up by one!! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/9WbUp4PnJL
— NHL (@NHL) March 7, 2026
No. 2 - Quinn Hughes, Minnesota Wild
Quinn Hughes was moved to the Wild in one of the biggest "early season" blockbusters in recent history and did not disappoint. With the Wild, Hughes put in another elite showing and is once again near the top of the Norris conversations. Across 74 games, Hughes scored only seven goals (a drop from the 16 and 17 he scored the seasons prior) but tallied 69 helpers, the second highest of his career.
This assists in placing him second among blueliners, trailing only Bouchard, while his points placed him fifth at the position.
While his offensive numbers are impressive on their own, Hughes was elite in nearly all defensive metrics. According to MoneyPuck.com, Hughes logged the highest Share of Possible Ice-Time (45.6%) and did more than carry the load.
Hughes generated a strong 60% Corsi% with an elite 59.9% On-Ice Expected Goals%, placing him just 0.2% behind Hutson for the top mark on this list.
When looking at shot creation, Hughes generated 74.19 Shot Attempts Per Game (Per 60 Minutes), the highest among the names in our top-10 ranking. On the defensive side, Hughes was just as dominant, generating a low 2.66 On-Ice High-Danger Shot Attempts Per Game Per 60 Minutes, which is the lowest rate among the names on the list.
No. 1 - Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets
Even though the Blue Jackets fell short of the postseason, Zach Werenski will still take the top spot on our list. Werenski was the backbone of this team and nearly dragged it into the playoffs in a tough Eastern Conference.
Through 75 games, Werenski posted an elite 1.08 P/GP, which trailed only Bouchard (1.14 P/GP) at the position. Overall, Werenski found the back of the net 22 times while tallying 59 helpers. While his late-season skid slightly hurt his value (six points over his last 13 games), Werenski had been playing at an incredible level before this and should remain the top choice for the hardware.
From the start of the season through March 21, Werenski generated an incredible 1.21 P/GP with 219 shots on goal, both of which led the position. During this stretch, he posted a +11 rating.
Under the hood, Werenski logged the second-highest Share of Possible Ice-Time, trailing only Hughes, and generated a strong 55% Corsi% with a 55% On-Ice Goals%. However, Werenski's value is shown in his low 44.3% Off-Ice Expected Goals%, showcasing how valuable he was to this Columbus squad, especially when it comes to driving the offense from the blue line.
He also generated a high 27 Rebounds Created per MoneyPuck.com, placing only behind Schaefer on our list. While his late-season play may have closed the gap between him and the other high-end names, Werenski still stands as the favorite.
Zach Werenski now has EIGHTEEN (18) goals in 43 games played... AS A DEFENSEMAN 😱🚨 pic.twitter.com/COm3cYeMlR
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) January 16, 2026
On the Outside Looking In
- Jake Sanderson, OTT
- Charlie McAvoy, BOS
- Darren Raddysh, TB
- Jakob Chychrun, WAS
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