Make New York Post a Preferred Source Jake Sanderson #85 of the Ottawa Senators looks on during a game against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game Three of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Canadian Tire Centre on April 23, 2026 in Ottawa, Canada. Getty Images There’s no doubt that the Norris Trophy goes to the defenseman who can post elite point totals.
The guys who best quarterback the power play and drive offense will always be in the conversation, but if we learned anything from Evan Bouchard leading all defensemen by 14 points and finishing fourth in Norris voting, it’s that two-way play is just as important.
Granted, Bouchard also suffers from the perception that he feeds off the unmatched production of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl — especially on the power play.
When Zach Werenski claimed the award last year, 59 of his 81 points (second behind Bouchard) were at 5-on-5.
He also plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Historical precedent expects elite shot suppression, transition play, and steady defensive-zone performance. Even though Bouchard’s analytics showed he could do all of this highly effectively, he committed a handful of highly publicized turnovers that led directly to goals, and voters never forgot that.
The betting market is projecting a repeat year for someone, with Cale Makar (+300), Quinn Hughes (+400) and Werenski (+550) leading the odds board.
It’s the sixth consecutive year that Makar has entered as the oddsmakers’ choice to win, but given that three of the previous five awards have gone to other names, there’s simply no value in making a Makar investment.
This is a crowded market with several names that have established themselves already; you can punt on:
Hutson finished fourth in both points and Norris voting, and after the Canadiens sprouted to a conference final appearance, there’s reason to believe he’ll take another step forward.
He notched 66 points as a rookie before 78 last season. The Canadiens’ young core of exciting talents has another year of experience under its belt.
He then carried that impact into the postseason, tying for the Canadiens’ scoring lead with 16 points in 19 games.
Montreal Canadiens Lane Hutson defenseman (48) waits for a face-off against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period at Bell Centre. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect The perception that Hutson trades defense for offense correlates to his smaller 5-foot-9 frame. But if Quinn Hughes’ domination has taught us anything, it’s that the modern NHL favors speed, skill and intuition rather than stature in No. 1 defenseman.
He finished plus-36 while playing 23:46 per game, led Montreal defensemen with 43 takeaways and blocked 137 shots. A year earlier, he ranked fourth among all defensemen in 5-on-5 takeaways.
Sanderson has come a long way since he was Team USA’s add-on in the 4 Nations Face-Off two years ago, and he scored against Canada in the final.
Brady Tkachuk may be gone in Ottawa, but this is a club whose blueline depth keeps the Senators competitive. Last season, the Senators finished in the top five in both expected goals share and shot attempt differential, and Sanderson was much to thank.
Among 146 defensemen who played at least 1,000 minutes at 5-on-5 last season, only three allowed fewer scoring chances while on the ice. He did that while routinely drawing assignments against top forwards and leading Ottawa with 24:50 of ice time per game.
His skating is the foundation of that impact. Sanderson recorded the highest top speed among NHL defensemen last season, giving him an unusual ability to close gaps defensively without sacrificing positioning.
The offense is catching up to the rest of his game: Sanderson scored a career-high 14 goals and recorded 54 points despite playing only 67 games, an 82-game pace of roughly 66 points.
He had 57 in 80 games the year before, so we can expect some big numbers from Sanderson in a healthy season — especially with Tkachuk no longer in town.
Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post. He primarily focuses on picks that reflect market value while tracking trends to mitigate risk.
