Norris: the Habs have two of the 12 favorites (according to the bookies)

Dose
Crédit:

In 2024-25, Lane Hutson broke all records in his first year in the NHL. The Habs defenseman racked up 66 points in 82 games, and in the process won the Calder Trophy, awarded to the best rookie.

That said, he also made some noise in the voting for the Norris Trophy, awarded to the best defenseman in the Bettman circuit. He finished ninth in the standings… and beat out some big names.

So it makes sense to see Hutson as a good candidate for the trophy in 2025-26, but he won’t be the only one. In fact, he might even have some competition… from within his own team.

According to FanDuel, a sports betting site, Hutson is the eighth favorite to win the Norris next season. A little further down the list is Noah Dobson, tied for 12th.

(Credit: Screenshot/FanDuel)

Note that the Habs aren’t the only team with two defensemen in the top-12: the Dallas Stars, who are betting on Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley, also have two… but Hutson is the biggest favorite among these four.

We all know that offensive defensemen usually have the best chances of winning the trophy. There’s a reason why Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes are (by far) the two favourites: they’re in a class of their own.

That said, the Habs have two defensemen with a real chance should Makar and Hughes stumble. And with Dobson saying he can’t wait to learn from Hutson (which is pretty cool considering Dobson has quite a bit more experience than his young teammate), it’s clear the two guys could help each other get to the next level.

Obviously, it’s a safe bet that it’s going to be tough for both of them to be at the peak of the race. It’s far from impossible that one of them won’t get any time on the first powerplay wave(though the Habs’ second wave won’t be ugly either), so that would limit their point totals.

But the most important thing for the Canadiens is that both players help the club win games. And when you see how respected they are for their skills on the ice, you realize that the Habs really do have two star defensemen in their lineup.

Overtime

– Can’t wait?

– If he was that keen, it seems to me he would have announced his decision sooner, wouldn’t he?

– Indeed.

– They’re not a bad team.

– Nice gesture.