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Why Ottawa Senators Eric Karlsson Lost Norris

By Rob Eamer

Nov 3, 2015; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson (65) stretches during the warmup period before the game against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 3, 2015; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson (65) stretches during the warmup period before the game against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports /
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Eric Karlsson misses chance at second straight Norris trophy.

When the Norris trophy was handed out Wednesday night, it came as a surprise to many Ottawa Senators fans that Eric Karlsson did not win his second consecutive Norris title. However, many other fans were not surprised at all.

When it comes to offensive defensemen, there are few that compare to Karlsson. He finished the season with a league-leading 82 points, 7 points ahead of Brent Burns and 15 points ahead of third place Kris Letang, which was also good for fourth among all NHL players. He beat this year’s Norris Trophy winner Drew Doughty by a whopping 31 points.

So what did Drew Doughty do that Karlsson did not? Simple, he played defense. Depsite Karlsson’s 82 points, he finished the season with a plus/minus of -2 while Doughty finished with a +24. Doughty also lead the league in Corsi Shot Attempts with a staggering +537 versus Karlsson’s +96.  Statistics aside, Drew Doughty simply played a better all-round game.

This isn’t the first time Eric Karlsson’s defensive game has been the target of criticism. In an interview with Toronto’s Sportsnet 590, Elliotte Friedman said “I think what I would explain to Erik Karlsson is this – ‘Erik, we’ve got a team-wide problem here, that nobody likes to defend. We’re going to need you to give up a little bit.’”. However, GM Pierre Dorion has gone on record saying that Karlsson does not need to change his game. Instead, the team needs to adjust around him.  This is something I tend to agree with.  If you have an elite player that can get results, you need to adjust the team around him so that he is not a liability.

In terms of earning the Norris trophy, I believe Drew Doughty earned it fair and square based on what the award is intended for. However, it’s hard to argue that Karlsson’s game is worse than Doughty’s, it’s just different… which makes me wonder if there should be another NHL scoring leader award given out exclusively for defensemen?

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