Is Quinn Hughes becoming the favorite for the Norris Trophy this season?

Once again, Quinn Hughes is looking like one of the best defensemen in the NHL. However, is it enough to get him some hardware at season’s end?

The Minnesota Wild blueliner has been an impact player since being traded to Minnesota by the Vancouver Canucks earlier this season. Overall, he sits tied for third in scoring among blueliners with 66 points in 60 games. Since joining the Wild, he has registered 43 points in 34 games, and has helped the team become one of the best teams in the NHL, let alone the Western Conference.

Along with his offensive play, Hughes has become a better and better true defender, making him a standout in the race for the Norris Trophy, an award he won two years with the Canucks.

On Friday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and Colby Cohen discussed whether Hughes’ performance this year is enough to win the Norris.

Tyler Yaremchuk: Am I insane for thinking Cale Makar might not even be in my top three? If I had to cast a ballot, I might go with Werenski, Bouchard, Hughes, top three.

Colby Cohen: Let me tell you something. I think Cale Makar is one of the two best defensemen in the world, but I do not believe he’s having that type of season…But I would agree with you. I think by the logic of points, Evan Bouchard would be your frontrunner for the Norris Trophy. He’s got 76 points in 66 games. … I do think Bouchard has quieted some of the noise around him with some of the high-risk, high-reward plays. But again, they’re all high-risk, high-reward when we’re talking about guys who put up those types of numbers. So, I would agree with you, with your top three. I’d probably have Quinn Hughes at number one, maybe somewhat based on recency bias. To be fair, I’ve watched Minnesota probably more than any team in the last two and a half months since the trade. 

You can watch the full segment and entire episode here…