2023 NHL Norris Trophy Betting Odds

The James Norris Memorial Trophy, more commonly known as the Norris Trophy was created in memory of longtime Detroit Red Wings owner, Mr. James E Norris.

The trophy was first awarded to the league’s best defenseman after the 1953-’54 season.

In the 61 seasons, the trophy has been awarded, there have only been 26 different players who have won it.

Names like Doug Harvey, Bobby Orr, Ray Bourque, and Nicklas Lidstrom have all won the Norris Trophy at least five times in their career, making it one of the hardest trophies in hockey to win.

The Boston Bruins, thanks to 13 combined by Bobby Orr and Raymond Bourque, are the franchise with the most Norris Trophy winners.

This season, Charlie McAvoy has the best odds of any Bruins defenseman to win the award, but he has a lot of work to do to catch the front-running contenders.

How Is The NHL Norris Trophy Decided?

At the conclusion of each NHL season, the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) votes on who the league’s best defenseman is.

The PHWA consists of approximately 180 total voting members and the group also votes on several other NHL player awards, including the Hart Trophy, awarded to the game’s best player.

2022 NHL Norris Trophy Futures Report

The Favorites

Cale Makar – In his prior two seasons, Cale Makar recorded an impressive 94 points in 101 games played. Through his first 56 games this year, Makar recorded 65 points and is leading all NHL defensemen in scoring.

For those who think Makar benefits from a great power-play in Colorado, well you are right.

However, the 4th overall pick of the 2017 draft is also leading all blueliners in even-strength points this year, with 42 to date. A +/- rating of +35 only strengthens his Norris trophy argument.

Victor Hedman – Once again Victor Hedman is doing Victor Hedman like things. The 2nd overall pick of the 2009 draft is still averaging over 25 minutes per game and is averaging over a point a game so far this season.

Six times in the last seven seasons Hedman has logged over 24 minutes per game. Impressively the 13-year-veteran also has five game-winning goals this year.

Adam Fox – Last year, Adam Fox surprised a lot of hockey fans with a regular season that was capped off with his first-ever Norris trophy. However, many wondered if Fox would be able to repeat his success this year.

The answer to that question is a resounding yes. Fox is third amongst defensemen in points per game and has been lethal on the power-play, leading all D-Men with 26 PP points.

The Contenders

Roman Josi – It was only two seasons ago that Roman Josi won his Norris trophy and so far this season the second-round pick from the 2008 draft doesn’t seem to have lost a step.

Josi is already over 60 points this year and is on pace to smash his personal best of 65 points set in his Norris trophy season. The 13-year-veteran is averaging over 25 minutes per night and is second amongst defensemen in even-strength points.

Aaron Ekblad – Many thought Aaron Ekblad was on his way to winning his first Norris trophy last year before his season was cut short with a gruesome injury suffered in late March.

Panthers fans wondered how the 2014 first-overall pick would bounce back after suffering such a brutal leg injury.

Ekblad has answered those who were skeptical by having an even better year this season.

Fourth amongst defensemen in scoring, an impressive +38 through 55 games and playing over 25 minutes a night would suggest his leg healed just fine.

Morgan Rielly – Toronto Maple Leafs’ fans must be happy that the organization found a way to get Morgan Rielly signed for another 8-years.

With $60million now coming his way, skeptics worried Rielly would feel burdened by the pressure of living up to his new contract while playing in hockey-crazy Toronto.

Rielly has responded as he often does, by scoring lots of points. Once again the 9-year veteran is on pace to record over 60 points in a season and he has an outside shot at reaching his personal best of 72.

The Longshots

Devon Toews– Only because Devon Toews plays in Colorado and is forced to share the spotlight with Cale Makar is he listed under the longshots.

If the Avalanche blueliner played in any other organization, he might just be their best defenseman.

So far this year, Toews is sixth amongst defensemen in points per game, despite not getting much power-play time.

At even-strength Toews trails only his teammate in total points among defenders. Where Toews doesn’t trail anyone is with his league-leading +44 rating.

Charlie McAvoy – After watching Bobby Orr, Raymond Bourque and Zdeno Chara combine to win 14 total Norris trophies, Boston Bruins fans know a thing or two about the good defenseman. It didn’t take Charlie McAvoy long to win over the Boston faithful.

The 2016 first-round pick is on pace to average over 24 minutes of ice time per game this season.

In fact, in each of his five seasons in the league, McAvoy has averaged at least 22 minutes of ice time per night.

The amount of young defenseman who is capable of coming into the NHL and playing 22 minutes per game right away is extremely small.

McAvoy may not hear his name called for the Norris trophy this season, but expect him to be in the conversation again next year.

Norris Trophy Futures Betting

Futures betting favors the bold and those who are rewarded are those who are well researched and ahead of the market.

At the beginning of the season, Cale Makar, Victor Hedman, and Adam Fox were all going off at very similar odds.

Obviously, those are three elite defensemen all of them capable of being the very best at their position. However, as the year has progressed, it has been Makar who has outplayed the others. Does this mean that he is the best bet to win the award?

Or will the final 25 games of the regular season be an opportunity for Fox and Hedman to catch the voters’ attention?

With the current odds as they are, some bettors might be tempted to put a half-unit on both Fox and Hedman, who are both paying out significantly better than Makar right now.

Where Can You Bet On NHL Norris Trophy Futures?

As the US sports betting landscape continues to legalize and expand rapidly, the competition by sportsbooks to earn your business has never been stronger. This means bettors have an advantage over the house.

The best thing that any sports bettor can do to give themselves a big edge is to exploit the many bonus offerings that are currently available by the legalized books.

The bonus offers are paid out in the form of free bets, increased odds, and oftentimes even free money for a bettor to play with.

All of the reputable sportsbooks currently operating legally in the US market will have NHL futures bets available.

As a bettor, check out the bonus page, set up accounts at the sportsbooks offering the bonuses that work best for you, and away you go.

How To Place An NHL Norris Trophy Futures Bet

To place an NHL MVP futures bet, here are the steps that you need to follow:

Choose a sportsbook with a bonus offer that excites you the most.
Click on NHL betting.
Once you are at the NHL betting section, go to “awards.”. This section might also be called “Futures” or “Player Futures”.
Click on the “Norris Trophy” market.
Select the defenseman that you think will win the Norris award.
Select your wager amount and confirm your bet.
We always recommend you track all your bets either with a spreadsheet or software designed to help you keep a record of your wagers.

NHL Norris Trophy History

Red Kelly was the first-ever recipient of the Norris Trophy, but the early years of the award were dominated by Doug Harvey.

Harvey won seven of the next eight Norris Trophies on his way to 6-Stanley Cups, 11 all-star teams, and the Hall of Fame.

Six years after Harvey won his last Norris Trophy, Bobby Orr won his first.

Orr would win a record eight consecutive awards as the league’s best defenseman and is also one of only two players ever to win a Norris and Hart Trophy in the same year. (Chris Pronger is the other.)

Imagine being a 5-time Norris Trophy winner and still not being the best defenseman to ever play for that franchise.

Ray Bourque is exactly that. Although nobody on any team in any era has been able to match what the great Bobby Orr accomplished, Bourque gave it his best shot.

Bruins fans were very fortunate to transition from the Orr era to the Bourque era and combined the two Boston Hall of Famers were named the NHLs best defenseman 13 times.

Not only did Nicklas Lidstrom win the Norris Trophy in three consecutive years, he actually accomplished that impressive feat twice.

All told the Detroit Red Wings legend won seven Norris titles over a 10-year stretch. Second alltime to Orr.

A list of the top defenseman who has recently won the Vezina Trophy

Season	NHL MVP	Team
2020-21	Adam Fox	New York Rangers
2019-20	Roman Josi	Nashville Predators
2018-19	Mark Giordano	Calgary Flames
2017-18	Victor Hedman	Tampa Bay Lightning
2016-17	Brent Burns	San Jose Sharks
2015-16	Drew Doughty	Los Angeles Kings
2014-15	Erik Karlsson	Ottawa Senators
2013-14	Duncan Keith	Chicago Blackhawks
2012-13	P.K. Subban	Montreal Canadiens
2011-12	Erik Karlsson	Ottawa Senators

Most Norris Trophy Awards

Player	Total	Team
Bobby Orr	8	Boston Bruins
NIcklas Lidstrom	7	Detroit Red Wings
Doug Harve	7	Montreal Canadiens
Raymond Bourque	5	Boston Bruins