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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 March 2026 include Cale Makar, Zach Werenski, Evan Bouchard, more.
With the NHL regular season winding down and entering the final stretch, it's time to revisit our Norris Trophy rankings.
This season, the Norris race is projected to come down to the wire, as several defenders are making strong cases 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, March 25.
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No. 10 - Matthew Schaefer, New York Islanders
The 18-year-old has smashed all expectations in his debut season and is a serious consideration to earn near the top-8 votes for the Norris. Through his first 72 games in the NHL, Schaefer has found the back of the net 22 times and taken on 30 helpers. Among blueliners, Schaefer sits second in total goals, trailing only Washington's Jakob Chychrun (23).
Since March 1, he has been a near point-per-game player, totaling 11 over 12 games with four of them coming as goals.
However, where Schaefer shines is in his underlying metrics, despite being a rookie. Per MoneyPuck.com, the young defenseman has generated an impressive 42.6% Off-Ice Expected Goals%, placing him third lowest at the position. This shows how massive his impact is, especially when generating favorable scoring chances.
Schaefer also sits third in Flurry Adjusted xGoals (12.7) at the position and second in Rebounds Created Above Expected (13.8). While Schaefer is already a mere lock to take home Calder honors, do not be surprised if he finishes within the top five in Norris voting as well.
No. 9 - Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres
Rasmus Dahlin had a slower start to the season in the first half but has been one of the game's top blueliners since the turn of the calendar. Since January 8, Dahlin has tallied 37 points (11 goals) over the last 30 games. During this stretch, Dahlin has held a stellar +23 rating with 32 blocked shots and 72 shots on goal.
Among defensemen during this stretch, Dahlin sits second in points, trailing only Evan Bouchard in +/- rating.
During his first 37 games, Dahlin totaled just 28 points with a modest -9 rating. The former first overall pick has been the backbone of Buffalo's surge to the top of the Atlantic Division and is on pace to enjoy a career season.
Under the hood, he carries a solid 55% Corsi% with an 11.8% Relative Expected Goals%, placing him within the top 11 at the position, per MoneyPuck.com.
No. 8 - Jakob Chychrun, Washington Capitals
The leading goalscorer at the position will hold the next spot on our list. Chychrun has hit a bit of an offensive skid in March, but remains within the top 10 of our list.
Over 70 games, the former Senator has put up a career season in Washington, scoring an impressive 23 goals and adding 28 helpers. He has posted a +13 rating while logging a solid 99 blocked shots with 52 hits. Through 10 games in March, Chychrun has scored just one goal (three points) while carrying a -7 rating.
Before this brief skid, Chychrun was a near point-per-game player, tallying 48 over his first 60 contests. However, given his elite 56.9% On-Ice Expected Goals% under the hood, Chychrun should enjoy some positive regression down the stretch.
From a defensive standpoint, Chychrun has allowed a low 50.6 On-Ice Shot Attempts Against Per 60, which ranks him 12th among defenders who have logged at least 1,000 minutes of ice time.
No. 7 - Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars
Like Dahlin, another defenseman who has enjoyed a surge in the second half, Miro Heiskanen of the Dallas Stars has been another. Over his first 47 games of the season, Heiskanen scored just seven goals while adding 29 helpers with a modest +6 rating.
However, over his last 22 games (since January 20), the Finnish native has tallied 23 points (two goals) with a +8 rating, 34 blocked shots, and 46 shots on goal. During this stretch, Heiskanen sits sixth among defenders in points.
Under the hood, Heiskanen has generated a strong 59.3% On-Ice Goals% with an elite 57.7% On-Ice Expected Goals%, which places him ninth among all blueliners on MoneyPuck.com.
The 26-year-old also sits higher on this list, given his massive role on his team, logging a hefty 42.3% Share of Possible Ice-Time, which trails only Quinn Hughes and Zach Werenski. The Stars have been the best team in the sport over the past month, and Heiskanen has played a major role in their production.
No. 6 - Moritz Seider, Detroit Red Wings
While Moritz Seider's offensive totals will not blow you away like other names on this list, his role on the Detroit blue line earned him a spot on this list. Through 71 games, Seider has scored just nine goals with 40 helpers. However, he has posted a strong +21 rating with 108 hits and an impressive 156 blocked shots.
His blocked shots total place him fifth among blueliners, while his hits place him within the top 20.
Like Heiskanen, Seider takes on a massive share of ice time and is the backbone of this squad. Per MoneyPuck.com, Seider has logged the fourth-highest Share of Possible Ice-Time (42.2%). Additionally, Seider has generated an impressive 58% Fenwick% (On-Ice Unblocked Shot-Attempt%) with a 60.2% On-Ice Expected Goals%, which places him in fourth among defenders.
Seider also ranks ninth in On-Ice Expected Goals Against Per 60 Minutes (2.62).
No. 5 - Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
Cale Makar has turned in another dominant campaign and is once again sitting at the top of the Norris Trophy leaderboard. Through 70 games, Makar has found the back of the net 20 times and added 51 helpers.
Following a brief skid through most of January and February, where Makar tallied only 15 points over 22 games with a -5 rating, the 27-year-old has posted a +4 rating with 13 points over his last 13 games entering Wednesday night.
Under the hood, Makar has posted a 58% Fenwick% with the fourth-highest On-Ice Goals% (63.4%) among defenders who have logged 1,000 minutes of ice time this season. However, what keeps him out of the top tier of our ranking is the rather high 3.34 On-Ice High-Danger Shot Attempts Against Per 60 Minutes, which places him 74th at the position.
No. 4 - Evan Bouchard, Edmonton Oilers
While Evan Bouchard's play in the defensive zone puts his Norris odds at risk, his elite play in the offensive zone is the best in the sport. Through 72 games, Bouchard stands alone among defensemen in offensive stats, totaling 82 points (19 goals). He is the only defenseman to have hit the 80-point mark, but will likely be joined by Zach Werenski in the coming days, who sits at 77 (over only 64 games played).
Bouchard's 30 power-play points rank second at the position, trailing only Quinn Hughes' 32. Edmonton's top blueliner sits fifth among defenders in On-Ice Goals% (61.4%) and holds an elite 58% Corsi%.
However, as noted before, Bouchard is also on the ice for high-end shot attempts against, which will hinder his chances of winning the Norris Trophy despite his incredible offensive production like Makar. According to MoneyPuck.com, Bouchard has allowed a high 42.5 On-Ice High-Danger Shot Attempts Against Per 60 Minutes, placing him ninth among all defenders.
If Bouchard can lower that mark, he should enter the top tier in the coming weeks.
Talk about a Bouch bomb 💣 pic.twitter.com/Ip4CjQysEK
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 28, 2025
No. 3 - Lane Hutson, Montreal Canadiens
The 22-year-old enjoyed a dominant rookie campaign last season and has already smashed his marks in his second full season in the NHL. Over 70 games, Hutson has totaled 69 points (66 last season) with 11 goals and 58 assists. He has posted an elite +28 rating, a massive jump from the -2 rating he held during his debut season.
While his high offensive totals may suggest he is an offensive-minded player, he is also elite in the defensive zone, making him a serious Norris contender.
Per MoneyPuck.com, Hutson has allowed the fewest On-Ice Shot Attempts Against Per 60 Minutes (46.7) and the 20th-lowest On-Ice High-Danger Shot Attempts Against Per 60 Minutes (2.72), which trails only one player on this list.
His 59% Fenwick% also places him fifth among blueliners, suggesting his team is controlling play by a wide margin when he is on the ice.
LANE HUTSON CALLS GAME IN OT AND SETS A NEW CAREER HIGH IN GOALS 🔥 pic.twitter.com/MySKQRtefY
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) January 4, 2026
No. 2 - Quinn Hughes, Minnesota Wild
Hughes is one of just four defenders to have hit the 70-point plateau, and his 1.06 P/G places him fourth at the position. Through 66 games, Hughes has scored only six goals but has taken on 64 helpers, which is the most at the position.
As expected, his 59.7% On-Ice Expected Goals% sits seventh among blueliners, per MoneyPuck.com.
The 26-year-old sits ninth in On-Ice High-Danger Shot Attempts Per 60 Minutes and first in On-Ice Shot Attempts for Per 60 Minutes among defenders who have logged over 1,000 minutes of ice time.
However, Hughes' impact in Minnesota is far greater as the offense takes a massive step back when he is not driving play from the defensive zone. Like Schaefer, Hughes has generated a low 42.5% Off-Ice Expected Goals%, which trails only Adam Fox of the Rangers at the position.
No. 1 - Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets
Holding the No. 1 spot will be Zach Werenski of the Blue Jackets. Werenski has been the driving force behind the league's most dominant team over the past month and is nearly single-handedly pushing it toward the postseason. In fact, since the start of the new year, Werenski has found the back of the net seven times and added an impressive 30 helpers (over just 29 games).
During this stretch, Werenski has posted a +6 rating while logging 92 shots on goal with 26 blocked shots.
While his overall point total is lower than Bouchard's, he has been more dominant on a per-game basis. Werenski's 1.20 P/GP places him first at the top and just above Bouchard's 1.14 P/GP mark.
According to MoneyPuck.com, Werenski has logged 43.1% Share of Possible Ice-Time, which only trails Hughes at the position. Even while logging that massive share of ice time, Columbus struggles mightily when he's not on the ice.
Werenski has generated a low 44.6% Off-Ice Expected Goals%, which ties him alongside Dahlin. Additionally, his 12.6 Flurry Adjusted xGoals place him fourth at the position.
Entering the final week of March, Werenski stands as the clear favorite for the Norris.
Annnnnnd the lead is gone.
2-1 CBJ on a Zach Werenski goal. pic.twitter.com/uyv0Y4Tjpw
— Flyers Nation (@FlyersNation) March 25, 2026
On the Outside Looking In
- Jake Sanderson, OTT (currently injured)
- Erik Karlsson, PIT
- Josh Morrissey, WPG
- Darren Raddysh, TB
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