The 2024–25 Norris Trophy Race Is Just Another Instalment Of The Rivalry Between The Canucks’ Quinn Hughes And The Avalanche’s Cale Makar

In ESPN’s early NHL Award tracker, Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche was voted as the current frontrunner for the James Norris Memorial Trophy. This award is given “to the defence player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position.” Canucks captain Quinn Hughes was named a finalist alongside Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

75% of ESPN’s voters picked Makar to win the Norris Trophy, in a vote that should not be as great of a landslide as it appears to be. It’s no secret that Makar is a great defender with a knack for offence and scoring, and there’s no doubt that he will end up in the Hockey Hall of Fame by the end of his career. However, saying that he is “lapping the field offensively” compared to players like Hughes, is ignorant of the successes that the Canucks captain has experienced so far this season.

Despite being only four points behind Makar on the season with three games in hand, Hughes surpasses the Colorado defenceman in team production-centric stats. On even strength, Vancouver’s captain has 30 goals-for so far, tying him for fourth in the NHL, while Makar currently has 25. His goals-for percentage is 61.22%, but what may be most shocking is that his defensive partner, Filip Hronek, posted a near league-leading 69.44% before being sidelined with an injury. Makar and Devon Toews currently sport a rate of 56.82% and 47.37% respectively. Makar does lead in expected goals-for, however, with 26.46 compared to Hughes’ 24.61.

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On the defensive side of the ice, Hughes has also been better at suppressing the opposition’s offence, as he currently has an expected goals against of 17.32. On the other hand, Makar currently sits at 19.44. In scoring chances against, Hughes has only allowed 184, while Makar has permitted 203.

High-danger chances for and against are where Hughes’ lead skyrockets. Makar leads the two dynamic defencemen in high-danger scoring chances for their respective teams with 109, trailed by Hughes’ 108. However, after that, Hughes leads in every other high-danger category. In high-danger scoring chances against, Hughes’ 80 chances allowed beats Makar’s 89. In what may be the most lopsided stat between the two, Hughes towers over Makar with a high-danger goals-for of 71.43%, nearly 30% more than Makar’s 44.44%.

The Hughes vs. Makar narrative has dominated hockey headlines since both entered the NHL in the 2019–20 regular season. It started with Makar beating out the Canucks captain for the Calder Trophy after a 12-goal, 38-assist season in 57 games played. In the same season, Hughes put up eight goals and 45 assists in 68 games.

Makar won his first Norris Trophy in the 2021–22 season, in the same year that the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup. He was a runner-up in the 2020–21 season, and placed third in voting for the 2022–23 and 2023–24 seasons as well. On the other hand, Hughes

Fans won’t have to wait long to witness a face-to-face matchup, as Hughes and the Canucks will take on Makar and the Avalanche on December 16 at Rogers Arena.