The 2026 October Norris Trophy race

The heavy hitters

Evan Bouchard leads the 2026-27 Norris Trophy race with 16 points in 8 games. He has 6 goals and 10 assists. I see him as the frontrunner with +250 odds. He leads all defensemen in goals. Cale Makar sits at +300 odds. He has 3 goals and 3 assists in 8 games. Makar holds a +3 rating. He won the trophy in 2022 and 2025. Zach Werenski won the award last season. He scored 81 points in 75 games, including 22 goals and 59 assists. He currently has 6 points in 7 games. His odds are +650. I find his production has slowed. Makar remains a threat because his scoring is consistent. He has finished as a finalist in six of his seven NHL seasons. He is 26 years old and has 57 points in 55 games. This includes 15 goals and 57 points. He is top 10 in plus-minus with a plus-28 rating. He is tied for fourth in scoring among defensemen. Makar is 26 years old. Werenski is the Blue Jackets leader in goals and points. He averages 26:22 ice time per game. Rasmus Dahlin sits at +750 odds.

The Quinn Hughes momentum

Quinn Hughes remains a top candidate after his trade from the Vancouver Canucks to the Minnesota Wild. He has 12 points in 9 games. This includes 2 goals and 10 assists. Hughes has 67 points in 60 games total. He has 60 assists and 7 goals. His scoring pace is 1.10 points per game. Quinn Hughes maintains his elite pace following the trade to the Minnesota Wild, where he has recorded 12 points in 9 games while logging an average of 27:02 of ice time per game throughout this season. You should watch his impact in Minnesota. He has 14 points in 12 games this season. His 67 total points include 2 goals and 10 assists in 9 games. He is 26 years old. He has 26 power-play points and 2 shorthanded points. He has 1 game-winning goal. He has 148 shots. He has 61 blocks. He has 27 penalty minutes. He has 90 takeaways. He has 27 hits. He has 15 expected goals. He has 27:44 average ice time. He sits at +400 odds.

Workload and rising stars

Lane Hutson has 8 points in 8 games. He has 2 goals. He is 22 years old. He has 19 shots and 7 blocked shots. He has 1.02 points per game. He has 58 points in 57 games. Hutson is fourth-best in expected goals against per 60 minutes at 2.49. He has the second fewest giveaways among the top five scoring defensemen. Matthew Schaefer has 7 points in 8 games. He is 19 years old. He had 23 goals last season. He is the Islanders franchise player. He was an elite offensive player. He was above average on the defensive side of the puck. Moritz Seider sits at +1400 odds.

Can Hutson overcome his lack of size to win?