Roman Josi’s Norris Odds Improve to +400, Can Also Still Be Found at +1100
- Capitals defenseman John Carlson has 51 points through 42 games, and is the clear Norris Trophy betting favorite
- Nashville captain Roman Josi leads defensemen with 14 goals, 1 more than both Carlson and Dougie Hamilton
- 2018 Norris Trophy winner Victor Hedman is the fourth favorite to win the trophy once again – check our odds and prediction below
Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano won the 2018-19 Norris Trophy in a landslide, capturing all but six of 171 first-place votes, and so far, John Carlson looks equally poised to be a runaway winner.
The Washington Capitals blueliner has 51 points through 42 games, becoming the first defenseman since Paul Coffey in 1994-95 to record 50 points in a team’s first 40 games. Consequently, and with a 10-point lead over Nashville captain Roman Josi in the blueliner scoring race, it’s no surprise that he also leads the way in the 2020 Norris Trophy odds.
2020 Norris Trophy Odds
| Player | Odds 1 | Odds 2 |
|---|---|---|
| John Carlson, Washington Capitals | -500 | -600 |
| Roman Josi, Nashville Predators | +400 | +1100 |
| Dougie Hamilton, Carolina Hurricanes | +600 | +1000 |
| Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning | +800 | +1200 |
| Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche | +1600 | +2200 |
| Shea Weber, Montreal Canadiens | N/A | +2600 |
| Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues | +3300 | N/A |
| Keith Yandle, Florida Panthers | +3300 | N/A |
| Erik Karlsson, San Jose Sharks | N/A | +3500 |
| Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks | N/A | +4000 |
| Morgan Reilly, Toronto Maple Leafs | N/A | +4000 |
Odds taken January 4
Carlson’s to Lose
With a 10-point edge in the scoring race and playing for the league-leading Capitals, who just became the first team to hit the 60-point mark in the standings, it’s very much Carlson’s trophy to lose.
John Carlson (@JohnCarlson74) had an unreal first half of the season, but will he win the Norris come June? @NHLdotcom has more ➡️ https://t.co/U6bvV5tC3v pic.twitter.com/rcwykfkC7K
— NHL (@NHL) January 3, 2020
However, it must be pointed out that points aren’t everything. Giordano’s 74 points last year trailed the 83 put up by Brent Burns, and the Calgary man still walked away with the hardware in dominant fashion.
But with Carlson on pace to become the first D-man to surpass 100 points since Brian Leetch in 1992, it would take an epic effort for someone to overhaul him over the second half of the season.
Josi on the Rise
The Nashville blueliner has improved to +400, making him the second favorite with that bookie, but he can still be found at +1100 elsewhere, which places him third behind both Carlson and Hamilton.
With two assists in the first period of the #WinterClassic, Roman Josi extended his career-high point streak to 8 games and became the first defenseman in @PredsNHL to reach the 40-point mark in a season in fewer than 40 games. #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/d8u8fivFTh
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 1, 2020
One issue with his candidacy is the struggles his team is currently undergoing, with the Predators currently out of the wild-card spots and likely facing a tough fight just to make the playoffs. Not helping matters is the fact that the team is currently giving up an average of 3.31 goals per game, good for the eighth-worst mark in the NHL.
Hamilton a Hit?
Anchoring the Carolina blueline, Hamilton has been instrumental in helping this “Bunch of Jerks” rise up the Eastern Conference standings, where they are currently occupying the first wild-card spot.
Dougie Hamilton from downtownnnn… 😲 pic.twitter.com/IE3RaiYuMW
— NHL (@NHL) December 11, 2019
Hamilton’s 37 points are tied with Hedman for third-most amongst blueliners, while Carolina’s average of 2.83 goals against is the eighth-best mark in the NHL.
Elsewhere…
Others in contention include 2018 winner Victor Hedman, who has 37 points through 37 games as he attempts to get the reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners firing on all cylinders again. However, the Tampa blueliner is heating up of late, registering two goals and six assists in three games to win NHL First Star of the Week on Monday.
With 8 points in 3 outings, including a career-high four-assist game, Victor Hedman showed why he's one of the league's elite defencemen as he contributed to his career-year pace.
https://t.co/YQPHf1NGSw Player of the Week in review 👉 https://t.co/Wohl9wmPbr pic.twitter.com/D85RwZW57W— NHLPA (@NHLPA) December 30, 2019
More performances like that, which included a career-high four-assist game, could see the Swedish defenseman moving firmly back into the conversation.
Cale Makar of the @Avalanche became the eighth defenseman in NHL history to record his first 30 career regular-season points in 33 games or fewer – and second to do so with a Colorado-based team.
More #NHLStats: https://t.co/M1TUXmTfxO pic.twitter.com/GoUCD4yowD
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 3, 2020
Other than him, rookie Cale Makar is having a season for the ages, becoming just the eighth defenseman in NHL history to record his first 30 career regular-season points in 33 games or fewer. Meanwhile in Montreal, Shea Weber is enjoying a resurgent season, with the healthy-again Habs captain putting up 12 goals and 19 assists in 41 games.
Pick: Carlson (-550/-600)
For the last 20 years, Paul Attfield has worked in sports media. Starting out in his native Britain with the likes of The Independent, he eventually switched continents, with his work appearing in the likes of the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and Yahoo Sports since.
