Quoting: TheThunder
Led defenseman in assists
Plays a lot of minutes really really well.
Is a beast defensively.
"Led defenseman in assists" No, he was tied-5th in assists among defenseman.
"Plays a lot of minutes really really well.
Is a beast defensively."
Prove it.
Why Hedman should not win the Norris (nor finish in the top3:
-Lightning only scored 4 more goals when Hedman was on the ice (ranked 6th among TBL's Dmen). A 51.9% even strength goals for percentage is about average.
By comparison:
-McAvoy 61.9%
-Makar 60.0%
-Fox 57.1%
-He did not even play against the toughest competition on his team. McDonagh and Cernak were Lightning's main pairing to play against top players. Obviously, this is a coach's decision but he had easier matchups and could not generate lots of offense/defend at an average level.
-24/45 (53%) of his points come from the PP. He is an excellent player on the powerplay but at even strength, he doesn't produce as much.
By comparison:
Fox (51% at EV/SH, not on PP)
Makar (50%)
McAvoy (73% at EV/SH, not on PP)
-In addition, he benefits from a greater finishing from his teammates so he has advantage over other defensemen for point totals.
Here's a more detailed article (not mine):
Victor Hedman Shouldn't Win the Norris Trophy
In conclusion, Victor Hedman is/has been one of the best defensemen over the past years in the NHL.
But not this season. He didn't suck, he wasn't bad, but he wasn't elite either. Therefore, Victor Hedman should not win the Norris in 2021.