Rookie defenceman Quinn Hughes deserves Norris Trophy consideration after he completely revolutionized the Vancouver Canucks’ blue line in less than a year.
One thing that shined brighter than most for the Vancouver Canucks this season was the utter domination and outer-world talent portrayed by their prized rookie defenseman, Quinn Hughes.
So much can be said about the 20-year-old kid, but to put it simply, he was nothing short of spectacular for Vancouver. With confidence, he said early on this year that his game would only improve and all throughout the 2019-20 campaign his consistent game only sharpened as he played more games and got more comfortable at the National Hockey League level.
Through 69 regular-season games, Hughes for the majority of the season was neck and neck with Cale Makar in the rookie scoring race. Late into the season, Hughes managed to surpass Makar to get a hold of the lead on top of all other rookies and up until the NHL freeze Hughes worked to tighten his grip on the Calder Memorial Trophy.
With Hughes tied for fourth in scoring amongst all defenders across the league with 53 points (8 goals and 45 assists) and only two points back of third place overall, you can’t help but consider the rookie a serious contender for a Norris Trophy nomination. Let’s dive into three supporting factors as to why Hughes could be considered a finalist.