<![CDATA[I figured the James Norris Memorial Trophy, given to the best defenseman, would be an interesting vote. Considering that the bloom is off the rose for both Jack Johnson and James Wisniewski; reigning winner 2013 tUB Norris winner Fedor Tyutin had a slightly down year; and the emergence of youngster Ryan Murray, this vote could have gone any number of ways. Instead, we had a runaway winner, with unanimous across the board first place votes. That was surprising enough in itself, but then we also had a dead even tie for the runner up spot. Without further ado, the winner of the Norris is…..
WINNER: James Wisniewski
AlisonL (1): “It’s amazing what a healthy season can do. Wiz broung home the second most points on the team going 7-44-51 in 75 games. He was 9th in the league with rel Corsi of +5.5%, had the most blocked shots on the team with 64 and had the most minutes during the power play of the entire team – an assignment during which he brought home 28 of his points. He had a less than stellar playoffs but the body of work 21 brought to the ice this year bodes well for the Jackets blue line.”
Canadan (1): “Overlooking a very underwhelming playoff performance, Wiz managed 51 points during the regular season (albeit 28 on the powerplay). There is a great deal of value in a defenseman who can go +/-0 on the season playing solid minutes and performing breakout passes that move the puck forward rather than idle in the neutral zone.”
CBJProspects (1): “Okay, this is totally based on the regular season because we all know Wiz was bad in the playoffs, even he acknowledged it. But Wiz led the CBJ in defenseman points and was even during the regular season.”
GregIn120 (1): “The man gets paid to put shots on net. He did that, finishing tied for 8th in the NHL among D-men with 51 points. Yes, his lapses in in the defensive and neutral zones are maddening at times, which led some fans in Nationwide (yours truly included) to yell, “C’mon Wiz!” more than on a few occasions. But what Wiz brings to the table with his shot more than atones for his shortcomings, especially on the PP. For my money (and his), Wiz gets the nod here.”
The Coach (1): “James Wisniewski is pretty awesome. Yes, he occasionally makes stupid passes, he’s not the strongest skater, and he can’t always stay healthy. He’s a little overmatched defensively against the very best hockey players in the world. But aside from that, he is awesome. He’s a top ten offensive defenseman in the entire league, and that point can’t even really be argued. He’s a powerplay weapon that has brought Columbus up from being a perennial bottomfeeder with the extra man, to a respectable unit. He also was superb when used properly, as an offensive weapon matched up in the offensive zone against opponents weakest players.”
Co-Runner Up: Jack Johnson
Canadan (3): “I’m not sure this is so much a vote for the top three as it is a vote for the next best option. Obviously an incredible start to the Penguins series gave him a boost, but there are very few games where I don’t get tired of his decision making and propensity to either wait to long or wait only to make a bad play with the puck. There is a sense of redundancy in Columbus with this style of play on the blueline.”
CBJProspects (3): “If this was before his Olympic snub, Jack is not here. But after the snub JJ became the JMFJ we all know, throwing hits and scoring points along with being the Jackets top d-man in the playoffs.”
GregIn120 (2): “JJ averaged 24:41 minutes of ice time, good for 16th in the league among blueliners. He also hit just about anything that moved in front of him, registering 182 hits, which ranked him 16th in the NHL among d-men. If a rock-solid horse of a d-man is what you are looking for in your Norris Trophy winner on this team, then Johnson should get the nod. ”
The Coach (2): “JJ is much maligned, and even his play after he didn’t make the Olympic team (NOT a snub, he didn’t deserve it) kind of hid what Johnson actually is. He’s such a fascinating study in perception versus reality. He’s been shouted out as overrated for so long, he’s now underrated. A big part of that underratedness is what kind of player he actually is. He’s NOT an offensive dynamo, a powerplay bomb, or anything of the sort that people think he is. He’s a mid-level defensive defenseman, who is prone to brainfarts. That doesn’t sound like a compliment, but I swear I mean it as one.”
Co-Runner Up: Ryan Murray
AlisonL (2): “Ryan Murray is just so good at the hockeying. He has a hockey sense beyond his years, and was second in Blue Jackets defensemen in relative Corsi (of all NHL defensemen) for of +3.3% which made him 20th in the league this season. He also notched a more than respectable 4-17-21 in 66 games played. Ryan had two unfortunate injuries but an off season to get stronger and faster only means more and more greatness from him.”
Canadan (2): “Considering the meteoric rise we all anticipate Murray to have in the next five years, I felt natural placing him in a position of recognition based on his first season with Columbus. Poise on the puck for days, seemingly effortless skating, and quality decision making provided me with a ton of optimism moving forward.”
CBJProspects (2): “Almost feel like this should be an 1a/1b, because it was the calming presence of Murray that most think let Wiz let loose and do what the CBJ signed him for. Oh and has anyone mentioned he’s 20?”
The Coach (3): “I love Ryan Murray, but he’s just not quite there yet. He was all around very solid, he made some amazing plays, and his skating is my spirit animal. There wasn’t the consistency there needed to win this award. For a rookie though? Sweet mother he’s ahead of the curve. Defensemen are notoriously slow developing, and Murray missed the prior season. This is probably the last year he doesn’t win this award for the next century.”
Honorable Mention: Fedor Tyutin
AlisonL (3): “Fedor just continues to be his ol’ reliable self. He went 4-22-26 in 69 games played and was the frequent steady force in front of his countryman Bobrovsky. He also played for Team Russia this year – part of the 4 Russians that the Jackets sent to Sochi.”
GregIn120 (3): “Tyutin made steady, if not spectacular, contributions throughout the year. He finished third in ice-time, third in power play points, third in penalty minutes, third in assists and third in shots among CBJ d-men, all of which adds up to a third place vote for the team’s Norris Trophy on my scorecard. ”
So let us know your thoughts on our picks, along with your own ballot, in the comments. Stay tuned, as coming up on Thursday is the much anticipated Vezina Trophy.]]>
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