Although Canadiens fans will argue that P.K. Subban is the sure choice for the Norris Trophy, others around the league might not agree. According to Ryan Szporer of The Hockey Writers, the sure choice for the Norris is Ottawa defenseman Erik Karlsson, not Subban.
"This really isn’t about Subban falling short in one way or another as much as it is about Karlsson and the Senators’ redemption after they missed the playoffs last season and almost did again this one (but, obviously, ultimately didn’t)," Szporer wrote. "That being said, Subban is arguably just too polarizing a figure—justifiably or not—for sportswriters to hand him his second Norris in three seasons."
Statistically speaking, Subban ranks behind Karlsson in goals (Subban has 15 and Karlsson has 21) and points (Karlsson's 66 bests Subban's 60). Subban is better than Karlsson in plus-minus, as Subban is a plus-21 while Karlsson is a plus-7, and Subban plays on the penalty kill much more than Karlsson.
But Subban also receives more supplemental discipline. He was the first player to get fined twice by the NHL this season for diving, and while playoff play does not count in Norris voting, Subban's one-game suspension for a dirty slash on Mark Stone in Game 1 speaks to his reputation around the league.
"For [Subban] to win [the Norris] again, he’s going to have to put together a season for the ages, blowing away the competition in nearly every (non-possession, mainstream) statistical category to the point that no one can justify voting against him," Szporer wrote.
(h/t The Hockey Writers)
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