Flames and Oilers at the bottom for sure, which doesn't hurt my feelings, LA - Canucks - Coyotes- SJ are top four.

No matter how you slice it, LA SJ Van & Anaheim will be fighting it out for the top three playoff spots.
- LeftCoaster

I have a feeling Anaheim's taking a small step back this year. They won't be able to keep up with the other 3 over the course of a full 82 game season.

It's LA, Van, SJ, Pho, Ana, Cal, and then Edm.

If MayRay signs with any of these teams though, they instantly move to #1 due to his extreme defensive abilities as a forward, and just his pure grittiness and ability to stay on his feet.

We seem to be losing posts here?

It's LA, Van, SJ, Pho, Ana, Cal, and then Edm.

If MayRay signs with any of these teams though, they instantly move to #1 due to his extreme defensive abilities as a forward, and just his pure grittiness and ability to stay on his feet.
- mxgsfmdpx

Is this Corrado love like the Richard Park thing?
- abware

more like a Lidstrom thing

most of us aren't of the same mind set as Cloutier either...do I think Klefbom/Shultz/Nurse will win the Norris?..no idea, the potential is there though...
- yakattack

This is the biggest homer post I have ever seen lol none of the young oiler d are touching the Norris... Tell me how they are going to beat out
Suter
Weber
Chara
Subban
Karlsson
Doughty
Ekman-Larsson
Pieterangelo

And lots of those guys are pretty much as young as the oilers d...iirc Karlsson is younger than Schultz...and to the person who said Schultz was on a 100 pts pace he was also playing with elite players who are good in the NHL

In J. Shultz & N. Shultz, Smid & Petry, Ferrence & Belov you have 6 players that all really should be able to handle top 4 resposibilities on any team in the NHL.
- Aerchon

Not sure a single one of those names would be top 4 on the Blues. Prolly Smid instead of Leopold. Some of the left handed guys would have a shot, but the right hander's wouldn't even be dressed half the time, with us having Petro, Shatty, and Polak on the right already.

That "among others" including people who have already won, or been close to a Norris like Alex Pietrangelo, Erik Karlsson, Drew Doughty....
- Antilles

Exactly

If you were to get odds on the guys who will win the next 10 Norris', my guess is the Oilers D have fairly long odds.


and can't leave off Subban.

7. Edmonton Oilers - Pretty much agree. Shultz defensive abilities will improve over time. As for Ference, if Claude Julien has enough faith to play Ference on the 2nd pairing in the playoffs he is good enough for 2nd pairing on any/most teams.

6. Calgary Flames - I like Giordano as well but I think Goaltending is going to be such a question mark for them this year that it effects my analysis of them and I put them at 6th.

5. Anaheim Ducks - Beauchemin just seems to excel playing in Anaheim and the D seem to just get things done. Plus having Hiller\Fasth as the starter and backup helps them out.

4. San Jose Sharks - Pretty much agree with what you said.

3. Vancouver Canucks - Totally agree about Hamhuis and if I could nab any of the Nucks D for the Oilers it would be him. Interested to see if Garrison's totals increase this year.

2. Phoenix Coyotes - Really like OEL but not as big of a fan of Yandles as most people on this site, I would like him to be better defensively. Play a defensive system which gets them farther then you would think considering their offense.

1. Los Angeles Kings - Deepest core of the bunch and some good experience with this group. Emergence of Voynov last year just makes them that much more better.

On the whole Norris thing.

If PK Subban can win the Norris last year anyone can win it. Weak Norris award.

Nurse and Klef are long shots atm because they have zero NHL experience. No reason to even talk about them being Norris Candidates right now. 5% chance is very generous. I think both have a legit chance at becoming true top pairing D-men but a Norris is a big step over that typically.

Shultz really wore down as the season went along but for the first 20 games or so but it was his defensive awareness that had people raving. His offense out of the gate was actually slower than expected.

I don't want to put a jinx out there but I got to call it as I see it. There are a lot of similarities between J. Shultz and Erik Karlsson's first season in the NHL.

Shultz is the whole package. Needs to bulk up a bit and get used to the grind of the NHL a bit but otherwise he has true top pairing written all over him.

But still, realistically speaking, while obviously having the best chance for the Oil to win a Norris, it is still way too early to say it's even remotely likely.

This is the biggest homer post I have ever seen lol none of the young oiler d are touching the Norris... Tell me how they are going to beat out
Suter
Weber
Chara
Subban
Karlsson
Doughty
Ekman-Larsson
Pieterangelo

And lots of those guys are pretty much as young as the oilers d...iirc Karlsson is younger than Schultz...and to the person who said Schultz was on a 100 pts pace he was also playing with elite players who are good in the NHL
- 6Karlsson5

And outscoring them



But that was just responding to Ian's assertion that he'd be in the AHL for a couple years had the Canucks signed him like they really really wanted to.

Which is almost as perplexing as him saying Ference is a bottom pair on every team but the Oilers.

so, you don't think any of those players have a shot at winning the Norris?..if so, you're a bigger idiot than I had ya pegged for...
- yakattack

You toss around the term Norris potential like an idiot. In the past 30 years only 14 guys have won the Norris Trophy, which includes first time winners in 4 of the past 5 seasons (that means only 10 in the 25 seasons prior).

Scott Niedermayer: 1 Norris
Chris Pronger: 1 Norris
Zdeno Chara: 1 Norris
Al MacInnis: 1 Norris

Shea Weber, Scott Stevens, Mark Howe, Larry Murphy, Phil Housley, Sergei Gonchar, Mike Green, Dan Boyle, Sergei Zubov, Borje Salming: 0 Norris Trophies

Winning a Norris trophy is even harder than getting into the Hall of Fame.

Not sure a single one of those names would be top 4 on the Blues. Prolly Smid instead of Leopold. Some of the left handed guys would have a shot, but the right hander's wouldn't even be dressed half the time, with us having Petro, Shatty, and Polak on the right already.
- Antilles

You have J-bo on your top pairing...

Although it's too early I would seriously say Belov could replace that guy on your top pairing.

Blues have a great D and system. They might not be the best example of any teams top 4 but I would still think any of those Oiler names could fit on the blues top 4 and do well in that system.

You have J-bo on your top pairing...

Although it's too early I would seriously say Belov could replace that guy on your top pairing.

Blues have a great D and system. They might not be the best example of any teams top 4 but I would still think any of those Oiler names could fit on the blues top 4 and do well in that system.
- Aerchon

Meh, if you are this completely unreasonable of a homer, suggesting a player who has never played a game in the NHL would be top pairing on one of the league's best defenses, or that one of the worst teams in the league has 6 defensemen who would be top 4 on one of the best teams in the league, you just aren't worth responding to.

Calgary was just 28th in GA. Nice try.

And if Justin Schultz had signed in VAN you'd be calling him a #1D, Norris candidate

You toss around the term Norris potential like an idiot. In the past 30 years only 14 guys have won the Norris Trophy, which includes first time winners in 4 of the past 5 seasons (that means only 10 in the 25 seasons prior).

Scott Niedermayer: 1 Norris
Chris Pronger: 1 Norris
Zdeno Chara: 1 Norris
Al MacInnis: 1 Norris

Shea Weber, Scott Stevens, Mark Howe, Larry Murphy, Phil Housley, Sergei Gonchar, Mike Green, Dan Boyle, Sergei Zubov, Borje Salming: 0 Norris Trophies

Winning a Norris trophy is even harder than getting into the Hall of Fame.
- KB3Point0

good lord people, all I said is they have a chance..would you have picked Subban to win it when he was drafted? or Karlsson?..

Calgary was just 28th in GA. Nice try.

And if Justin Schultz had signed in VAN you'd be calling him a #1D, Norris candidate
- TheNugeIsHuge

No no... Project player in the AHL for a while.

Might have got a few games in, but after watching his defensive play he would have been sent down in a hurry.
- IanEsplen

yes, we know. It's evident you didn't watch any games, but looked up his +- on the internet and assumed away. 95% of posters know you have nothing knowledgeable to say on the subject on any team that isn't VAN and when it is VAN, you're being a homer.

no one in Edmonton is winning a Norris as long as Frankie Corrado is in the league.
- IanEsplen

Corrado'll be a 3/4. Played like dog sh*t in his stint in the NHL

Calgary was just 28th in GA. Nice try.

And if Justin Schultz had signed in VAN you'd be calling him a #1D, Norris candidate
- TheNugeIsHuge

He would have been No. 5 at best last season and playing 12-16 minutes a game like Tanev.

Chances are he would have found himself in Chicago playing big minutes to help his development instead of being stuck behind 4 better players.

Calgary was just 28th in GA. Nice try.

And if Justin Schultz had signed in VAN you'd be calling him a #1D, Norris candidate
- TheNugeIsHuge

Stupid statement. You know that is not true, and tbh he isn't your top pairing d, and he shouldn't be. He may be in the future, and I agree he can run your PP.

But he's not a top pairing d man YET.

so, you don't think any of those players have a shot at winning the Norris?..if so, you're a bigger idiot than I had ya pegged for...
- yakattack

none of them will ever be nominated for a Norris. Regardless. Schultz will be a top Dman. The geniuses that post here look him up on hockeydb and think he's bad based on his +-. That's an absolute joke. Proves my theories on the posters here and bc bud correct

Yes, none of those players have a shot. That's exactly what I'm telling you. Pieterangelo, OEL ad Doughty will always be better not to mention Eklblad being drafted soon. They have virtually no shot. The sooner you starter realizing that the sooner you can come back to reality.
- Boinker

do you have any other predictions? How about Friday's lottery numbers, they sure would be useful.

And outscoring them



But that was just responding to Ian's assertion that he'd be in the AHL for a couple years had the Canucks signed him like they really really wanted to.

Which is almost as perplexing as him saying Ference is a bottom pair on every team but the Oilers.
- robin_steele264

By perplexing do you mean stupid?

He would have been No. 5 at best last season and playing 12-16 minutes a game like Tanev.

Chances are he would have found himself in Chicago playing big minutes to help his development instead of being stuck behind 4 better players.
- IanEsplen

doubtful.

Doesn't change my point. You think Frank Corrado will be a top pairing D. You'd be praising Schultz every blog for a year.