Evening Notes: Smith, Blue Jackets, Protas
Already having sent out Michael McCarron, another pending free agent Predator could be on the move soon. Forward Cole Smith took just a three second shift in tonight’s game against Columbus, at one point leaving for the locker room, but eventually returning to the bench, still not playing. Insider Frank Seravalli reported that Tampa Bay is showing interest.
The undrafted 30-year-old has become a mainstay on Nashville’s fourth line over the past four seasons, where he’s played a total 230 games with 62 points. At 6’3”, he is a relentless penalty killing winger likely to bring back later-round draft capital.
A high character player, the Minnesota native would be missed by Nashville, but cashing in on their depth pieces while keeping the bigger stars still gives them a shot in the playoffs, although they’ll have to overhaul their shorthanded unit.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Along with their opponents making news today, the Blue Jackets are missing two key pieces tonight as captain Boone Jenner and star Zach Werenski were inactive, as noted by Jeff Svoboda, official team reporter. Such news can raise eyebrows in early March, but it’s absolutely not for any suspicious reasons. Werenski is thought to be ill, while Jenner is day-to-day for maintenance, as confirmed by the team. Both could return as soon as Thursday, their Jackets set to host Florida as they continue their push toward the postseason. Until then, Kent Johnson, a scratch in recent days, re-enters the lineup.
- As another headline which could be misinterpreted, Capitals star Aliaksei Protas is absent tonight, but it’s due to personal reasons, as reported by Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. The 25-year-old has missed three games this year, otherwise posting 42 points in 59 games, and reaching the 20 goal mark last week. His Capitals, just shy of Wild Card range, are back in action Saturday in Boston, likely to welcome Protas back then.
Injury Notes: Werenski, Konecny, Gibson
The Columbus Blue Jackets announced today that star defenseman Zach Werenski has been sidelined for tonight’s game against the New York Rangers due to an illness. The exact nature of his absence, beyond that he is ill, has not yet been disclosed, but based on prior cases of players being sick for games, it is unlikely Werenski will miss too much time. Regardless, the news is still significant, as there are few players who are more valuable to his team on a nightly basis than Werenski. The 28-year-old has scored 65 points in just 54 games this season, and averages 26:26 time-on-ice per game, including 2:49 on the power play and 1:30 on the penalty kill. He ranks No. 2 in the NHL in scoring by a defenseman (behind only Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard, who quarterbacks a power play featuring Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl), and No. 2 in the NHL in time-on-ice per game, behind only Olympic teammate Quinn Hughes.
For as long as Werenski’s absence persists, the Blue Jackets will likely increasingly rely on veteran Ivan Provorov, who occupies a role that on other teams would be considered a No. 1 defenseman’s workload. Provorov, who has 20 points in 56 games this season, is averaging 25:11 time-on-ice per game, including playing on the second power play unit, and averaging 3:06 per game on the penalty kill. Despite not even leading his team in the stat, Provorov ranks No. 5 in the NHL in time on ice per game, ahead of several star No. 1 defensemen such as Cale Makar, Jake Sanderson, and Rasmus Dahlin.
Other injury notes from around the NHL:
- The Philadelphia Flyers announced tonight that forward Travis Konecny will miss tonight’s game with an upper-body injury, and will be sidelined on a day-to-day basis. Konecny occupies a first-line role in Philadelphia, playing alongside No. 1 center Christian Dvorak and star winger Trevor Zegras. While he was unable to parlay his spot on Canada’s victorious 4-Nations Face-Off team into a spot in the Winter Olympics, 2025-26 has still been a strong year for Konecny. Through 58 games, he has scored 23 goals and totaled 57 points, which gives him a chance to set a new career-high in scoring. Replacing Konecny on the top line, per Jackie Spiegel of the Philadelphia Inquirer, is speedy winger Owen Tippett, who has been elevated from the second line.
- Detroit Red Wings starting goalie John Gibson left today’s road win over the Nashville Predators with an upper-body injury, according to a team announcement. Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press relayed word from head coach Todd McLellan postgame, who told the media that he believes Gibson is “OK,” but added that he’ll be evaluated when the team returns to Michigan. Gibson has been a good fit in Detroit this season, his play helping lift the team into playoff position in the Eastern Conference. In 39 starts, Gibson has gone 23-12-2 with a .906 save percentage and 2.57 goals-against average.
Blue Jackets Activate Zach Werenski, Place Brendan Smith On IR
Saturday: Werenski’s activation is now official, per a team announcement. The team also revealed that they’ve converted Dysin Mayo‘s emergency recall to a regular one.
Friday: Blue Jackets star Zach Werenski will return to the lineup Saturday against the Sabres, he told reporters today (including Aaron Portzline of The Athletic). The team also announced they’ve placed defenseman Brendan Smith on injured reserve, opening the roster spot for Werenski’s pending IR activation.
Werenski, a reigning Norris Trophy finalist, hasn’t played since Dec. 20 against the Ducks. He took a hard shot to the ankle late in the third period after racking up two points in the loss, leaving him unable to get to the room without assistance.
Four games later, he’ll be back in the lineup. With Columbus also down Smith, Sean Monahan, Miles Wood, Isac Lundeström, and Erik Gudbranson, their top player missing any more time would be even more problematic than usual.
The languishing Jackets did well not only to tread water without Werenski but even gained ground in the Eastern Conference wild card race. They’ve gone 3-1-0 in their last four to get themselves back over .500, although they’re still second-last in the conference ahead of the Rangers by points percentage (.513).
While he won’t get much consideration if Columbus doesn’t sniff the playoffs, Werenski has built a solid MVP case yet again after getting votes for the first time last season. He’s the Jackets’ leading scorer, tracking for his second season over a point per game with a 14-26–40 scoring line in 35 games. Only Cale Makar has been more productive this season among defensemen, and he’s done so while posting a team-high +6 rating.
Smith’s IR placement is both expected and solely procedural. He’s already been listed as week-to-week with a lower-leg injury and will miss more than the seven-day IR minimum.
Blue Jackets To Activate Mathieu Olivier
As he signaled would be the case yesterday, Blue Jackets head coach Dean Evason told reporters that winger Mathieu Olivier will come off injured reserve and be available for tonight’s tilt against the Islanders (via Jeff Svoboda of NHL.com).
Evason also confirmed star defenseman Zach Werenski will miss a second straight game with the right foot/ankle injury he sustained on Dec. 20 against the Ducks, but reaffirmed he isn’t expected to miss significant time and is still listed as day-to-day. Since he’s already missed more than a week, he can go on injured reserve retroactively to create the roster spot for Olivier’s activation.
Also unavailable tonight for the Jackets is center Isac Lundeström, Evason said. Lundeström sustained a lower-body injury in Columbus’ first post-holiday practice session Saturday and has not yet finished being evaluated.
The 6’2″, 210-lb Olivier returns after missing more than a month with an upper-body injury. The 28-year-old grinder forced his way into the Jackets’ top nine last year with a career-high 18 goals, 32 points, and 306 hits, earning himself a six-year, $18MM extension in the process.
So far, the Mississippi native has at least kept up the pace from last season’s emergence. His goal-scoring is down, but his total production – a 3-6–9 scoring line in 23 games – mirrors his 0.39 points per game output from 2024-25. He’s doing that while averaging 14 minutes per game, averaging over three hits a night for the third straight year, and seeing some occasional shorthanded deployment.
Per yesterday’s practice, Olivier is ticketed to return as the Jackets’ third-line right wing alongside Boone Jenner and Charlie Coyle, a spot on the depth chart he’s held all season long.
Lundeström’s performance in Columbus since signing a two-year, $2.6MM deal in free agency has been par for the course. A first-round pick by the Ducks in 2018, he profiled as a high-end, bottom-six two-way center but never found his stride offensively. That’s continued in 2025-26, with the Swede posting only one goal and five points through 35 appearances.
He’s been fine in a shutdown role, posting a -5 rating and 43.3% shot attempt share while starting 32.8% of his even-strength shifts in the offensive zone. Either Zach Aston-Reese or Brendan Gaunce will relieve him as Columbus’ fourth-line center in the interim.
Metropolitan Notes: Blue Jackets, Horvat, Miller, Lizotte
Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski is listed as doubtful for tomorrow’s game against the Islanders due to a lower-body injury, per team reporter Jeff Svoboda (Twitter link). The veteran missed the final game before the break due to the injury as well. Werenski has been nothing short of dominant for Columbus this season, leading the team in scoring with 14 goals and 26 assists in 35 games while his ATOI of 26:48 is the second-highest in the NHL.
Meanwhile, it appears that the Blue Jackets could get Mathieu Olivier back on Sunday. Svoboda mentions (Twitter link) that the winger feels ready to return and is merely waiting to get clearance from team doctors. He has missed the last month due to an upper-body injury. However, the news up front isn’t all good as Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that center Isac Lundestrom suffered what appeared to be a left leg injury during practice today. He left and did not return; no update was available after practice.
More from the Metropolitan:
- As expected, Bo Horvat will return to the lineup tonight for the Islanders, the team announced. He missed the last five games with a lower-body injury and while the initial thought was that he might miss three weeks, he’s able to beat that timeline by a few days. The 30-year-old has 19 goals and 12 assists in 32 games this season, leading the team in goals and points. Horvat remained on the active roster while out of the lineup so no corresponding moves need to be made.
- Hurricanes defenseman K’Andre Miller is listed as a game-time decision tonight against Detroit, relays team reporter Walt Ruff (Twitter link). He blocked a shot late in Tuesday’s loss to Florida and is being evaluated by team medical staff today. Miller is in his first season with Carolina and has played a big role when healthy, picking up 13 points in 29 games while averaging a career-high 22:31 per night of ice time.
- Penguins center Blake Lizotte returned to a full practice with contact today, notes Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Twitter link). He has missed the last nine games with an undisclosed injury and is a possibility to return on Sunday which would necessitate another roster move first. The 28-year-old is in a contract year but was rather quiet offensively before being injured, tallying just three goals and two assists in 27 games although he was being used in a very heavy defense-first role. If Pittsburgh falls out of the playoff race, he’s a candidate to be moved before the March 6th trade deadline.
Blue Jackets’ Zach Werenski Out Day-To-Day
The Columbus Blue Jackets suffered a tough loss to the Anaheim Ducks last night, falling 4-3 after a late game-winning goal by Ducks center Mason McTavish. But perhaps even worse than the final result was an apparent injury suffered by Zach Werenski, the Blue Jackets’ best and most important player.
Werenski blocked a shot from Anaheim’s Troy Terry with a little over two minutes left in yesterday’s game, and he needed to be helped off of the ice while in what appeared to be quite a bit of pain. After the game, Blue Jackets head coach Dean Evason did not have any update on Werenski’s status, but this morning The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline reported that “X-rays late Saturday in Anaheim confirmed” that there were “no broken bones” in Werenski’s right leg, and as a result, he is “considered day-to-day.”
It goes without saying that any longer-term loss of Werenski would have dealt a significant blow to Columbus’ hopes of staying in the Eastern Conference’s playoff race. At the moment, the Blue Jackets sit last in the conference with 34 points in 35 games, and are seven points behind the New Jersey Devils for the final wild-card spot.
Werenski is a force for the Blue Jackets, someone whose presence is felt in all aspects of the game. Last season’s Norris Trophy runner-up leads the team in scoring this season with 40 points in 35 games. His 40 points are tied with Cale Makar for the scoring lead among blueliners this year. The two are in a league of their own when it comes to offense this year. The No. 3 defenseman in terms of scoring this season, Edmonton Oilers blueliner Evan Bouchard, is seven points behind Makar and Werenski.
Werenski’s value to the Blue Jackets is more than just his scoring. He averages almost 27 minutes of ice time per game, quarterbacking the team’s efforts on the power play and playing a secondary role on the penalty kill. Werenski is No. 2 in the NHL in time on ice per game.
Columbus plays tomorrow in Los Angeles, and if Werenski can’t dress against the Kings, he’d be extremely difficult for Columbus to attempt to replace. His role on the top power play unit would likely be filled by veteran Damon Severson, who has 10 points in 35 games this season, and second-year blueliner Denton Mateychuk figures to see a bump in overall ice time in the event Werenski is sidelined.
That Werenski appears to have avoided a longer-term injury is great news for not just Columbus, but also USA Hockey. He’s expected to be one of the key defensemen on the United States’ team for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina. With the tournament now under two months away, any longer-term injury would have seriously threatened his availability for those games. Based on today’s reporting, it appears Werenski’s availability for those games is not under any threat.
Snapshots: Fox On IR, Ekman-Larsson, Blue Jackets
1:00 PM: Further updates have come on Rangers defenseman Adam Fox, as per Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic, the star will be placed on long-term injured reserve. Fox is expected to miss multiple weeks due to the shoulder injury. ESPN reporter Emily Kaplan shared that, at least, a longer term injury was avoided, and Fox should be set for the Olympics. However, it is a major blow to the struggling team nonetheless, to trudge into December without their #1 defenseman.
The 27-year-old alternate captain is tied for the Rangers’ team lead in points, with 26 in 27 games. In a season which has certainly not gone to plan, Fox has been a bright spot, playing at a franchise level, right on track with his best production to this point, which has been the 70+ point level.
Now, eyes may turn to GM Chris Drury to make a move to help out a seriously deflated defense corps, which has come at such an inopportune time. While questions exist on if Rangers can even keep up healthy or not, the franchise is at a serious crossroads. Now with Fox going down, Drury’s hand could be forced to try and provide reinforcements, although further mortgaging the future in an attempt to right the ship would be risky, as prior such moves to this point have already not panned out as initially hoped.
10:00 AM: The New York Rangers have not played up to expectation thus far in 2025-26, and their chances of making a serious push to climb the Eastern Conference standings may have taken a serious hit yesterday. Fox left yesterday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning with an injury, and head coach Mike Sullivan told the media after the game, including Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic, that Fox has suffered an upper-body injury and is still being evaluated.
While we are still waiting on official word on the extent of Fox’s injury, Daily Faceoff’s Arthur Staple cited sources this morning who said that Fox’s injury situation “doesn’t look good.” If Fox does indeed miss any kind of extended time, the Rangers would be left in an even more perilous position. Fox, the 2020-21 Norris Trophy winner, quarterbacks the Rangers’ top power play unit, a unit that the team has been heavily reliant on during its most recent competitive period. The team’s third-leading scorer, Mika Zibanejad, has been highly reliant on the power play for most of the offense he generates, so in the absence of Fox, it’d be fair to wonder where the Rangers’ offensive production will come from. The club doesn’t have another player with clear-cut power play quarterback ability. The team’s No. 2 defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov scored 30 points last season, but would be an imperfect fit in that role. Prospect Scott Morrow has gotten into some NHL games and has that kind of natural offensive ability, but Mercogliano wrote on Nov. 15 that “the early whispers” he’d heard from AHL Hartford regarding Morrow’s play were not “overly positive.” Morrow, who was ranked as the Rangers’ No. 2 prospect by Elite Prospects entering the season, has three points in 12 AHL games this season and one point in four NHL games.
Other notes from around the NHL:
- Toronto Maple Leafs blueliner Oliver Ekman-Larsson couldn’t finish yesterday’s win over the Pittsburgh Penguins due to an upper-body injury, head coach Craig Berube told the media yesterday. (via The Hockey News’ David Alter) Berube added that Ekman-Larsson would be evaluated today and that the injury isn’t expected to be serious. If the Maple Leafs lose Ekman-Larsson for any time due to this injury, it would cost them a very valuable player. Ekman-Larsson has been stellar in 2025-26, scoring 20 points in 25 games. That’s a 66-point pace over 82 games, a steep increase from the 29 points he scored in all of 2024-25. Ekman-Larsson also contributes on the penalty kill, albeit on a less regular basis compared to his contributions on the man advantage. The 34-year-old has two seasons left on his deal beyond this one at a $3.5MM AAV rate.
- Columbus Blue Jackets team reporter Jeff Svoboda reported today that veterans Zach Werenski and Sean Monahan did not participate in today’s practice, and that the two players “have been battling through some things of late.” Werenski has been managing an upper-body injury, but thus far it hasn’t impacted his ability to dress for games. Werenski is Columbus’ most important player, skating in 26:30 per game with 24 points in 25 contests. Monahan dealt with an upper-body injury earlier in November, but it’s unclear at this time if his current ailment is related to what he was managing earlier this month. The 31-year-old pivot has had a slower-than-expected start to 2025-26, scoring just 11 points in 25 games. He scored 57 points in 54 games last season and was awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy for 2024-25.
Snapshots: Werenski, Olivier, Karmanov
The Columbus Blue Jackets suffered a tough 5-1 loss to the Washington Capitals on Monday night, and a further blow was dealt to the team when veteran Zach Werenski was forced to leave the game due to an injury. The club announced tonight that Werenski suffered an upper-body injury during the game, and after, Columbus head coach Dean Evason told the media (including NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti) that it was too early to tell the extent of the injury. Evason did say that the team will evaluate Werenski’s status tomorrow.
Werenski has a strong argument as the Blue Jackets’ best player. The 28-year-old is a Norris Trophy-caliber all-around defenseman who scored 82 points in 81 games last season and finished as the Norris Trophy runner-up. He has 21 points through 23 games this season, good for second on the team in scoring. He plays just over 26 minutes per night, and is relied-upon by Evason in just about every key situation. While it’s too early to tell if Werenski’s injury is anything serious, if the Blue Jackets have to go without their most important player for any extended amount of time, that absence would likely deal a significant amount of damage to their ability to keep pace in a hotly-contested Eastern Conference Wild Card race.
Other notes from around the hockey world:
- Werenski wasn’t the only Blue Jackets player to leave the game with an upper-body injury; the team also announced that forward Mathieu Olivier would miss the rest of the game with his own upper-body ailment. While Olivier isn’t nearly as crucial to the Blue Jackets’ lineup as Werenski is, his loss would also be felt by the team should his injury sideline him for any notable period of time. Olivier is one of the game’s more intimidating physical wingers, and he also showed some goal-scoring touch last season, scoring a career-high 18 times. The Blue Jackets will evaluate Olivier’s status tomorrow, as they will with Werenski.
- The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler reported tonight that prospect blueliner Alexander Karmanov will sign with the OHL’s North Bay Battalion tomorrow, registering as the team’s third import player. Karmanov, 17, is notable as he stands 7’0″ tall and weighs 278 pounds, according to Elite Prospects’ listing. There are no defensemen in the NHL (or AHL, for that matter) with that kind of size profile, and in an NHL that has become increasingly focused on size and strength for defensemen, that alone is enough to help Karmanov garner interest as a pro prospect. A Penn State commit who is repped by Dan Milstein’s Gold Star Sports Management, Karmanov’s reported signing in the OHL gives him a greater platform to raise his stock as a prospect in advance of the 2026 NHL Draft, which he is eligible to be selected in.
NHL Announces 2024-25 All-Star Teams
Shortly after announcing this year’s All-Rookie Team, the NHL shared this year’s First and Second All-Star Teams. There are few surprises, with several of the recipients receiving votes for major awards around the league. The teams are as follows:
First Team
LW Kyle Connor (Jets) – Connor arguably completed the best season of his career, scoring 41 goals and 97 points, barely eclipsing his 93-point campaign in 2021-22 (although he did score 46 goals). Being the offensive leader for the Presidents Trophy-winning team made him a lock for All-Star Team honors, and he beat out Hagel by 100 votes.
C Nathan MacKinnon (Avalanche) – In the closest vote, MacKinnon nearly beat out Draisaitl as the league’s top center from the 2024-25 season, with Draisaitl receiving more First Team votes than MacKinnon. Still, the 2023-24 Most Valuable Player scored 10 more points than Draisaitl this year, while arguably being a larger part of his team’s success without having Connor McDavid as a teammate.
RW Nikita Kucherov (Lightning) – The reigning Art Ross Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award winner was a near-unanimous selection for First Team honors, with only two voters assessing he wasn’t worthy. Although he couldn’t match his 100-assist output from last year, Kucherov was again dominant for the Bolts, scoring 37 goals and 121 points in 78 games.
D Cale Makar (Avalanche) – This year’s James Norris Trophy winner received the most First Team votes of any player on the 2024-25 All-Star Teams with 189. Makar has been on one of the best offensive runs from a defenseman in recent memory, scoring 51 goals and 182 points in his last 157 games, with another six goals and 20 points in 18 postseason contests.
D Zach Werenski (Blue Jackets) – As one of the more unheralded members of the All-Star Team, Werenski came into his own during the 2024-25 campaign. He scored 23 goals and 82 points in 81 games, averaged 26:45 of ice time per game, and finished with 131 blocked shots. Being one of the prime reasons that the Columbus Blue Jackets nearly qualified for the postseason, it’s unsurprising Werenski received so many Norris votes and was named one of the league’s top defensemen.
G Connor Hellebuyck (Jets) – Despite tying with Kucherov with the second-most First Team votes, there was no clearer choice for the league’s top netminder than Hellebuyck. The American netminder secured the Vezina Trophy and Hart Memorial Trophy this season, leading the league in wins (47), GAA (2.00), shutouts(8), Goals Saved Above Average (41.6), and Adjusted Goals Against Average (2.13).
Second Team
LW Brandon Hagel (Lightning) – Hagel narrowly beat out Alex Ovechkin for Second Team honors despite the latter receiving more First Team votes. Regardless of Ovechkin’s impressive season, there’s no question the right decision was made with Hagel. The six-year veteran scored 35 goals and 90 points in 82 games for Tampa Bay this season, besting his career-high last season by 15 points. Additionally, unlike Ovechkin, Hagel finished ninth in Selke Trophy voting as one of the league’s top defensive forwards.
C Leon Draisaitl (Oilers) – As previously mentioned, the vote between Draisaitl and MacKinnon came down to the wire. Draisaitl finished with an equally impressive season, scoring 52 goals and 106 points in 71 games, securing the Maurice Richard Trophy as the league’s top goal-scorer. Furthermore, in a solid argument for Draisaitl, he finished sixth in Selke Trophy voting, far higher than MacKinnon, who placed 29th.
RW David Pastrňák (Bruins) – In another close vote, Pastrňák narrowly bested Toronto Maple Leaf Mitch Marner for the second-best right winger from the 2024-25 campaign. Despite a lackluster year from the Boston Bruins, who finished with the 28th-ranked offense, Pastrňák didn’t notice. The Czech winger scored 43 goals and 106 points in 82 games, and brought up his production over the last three years to 151 goals and 329 points in 246 games.
D Victor Hedman (Lightning) – The captain of the Lightning was also in a close vote, beating Winnipeg Jets’ Josh Morrissey by a few votes. There are arguments for both sides, but Hedman finished the year with more goals (15), assists (51), points (66), blocked shots (133), and CorsiFor% at even strength (53.5%) compared to Morrissey.
D Quinn Hughes (Canucks) – Hughes rightfully received the most Second Team votes of his counterparts. As the primary reason the Vancouver Canucks had any sense of competitiveness this year, Hughes scored 16 goals and 76 points in 68 games, averaging 25:44 of ice time a game. Had Hughes remained healthy for the entire 2024-25 campaign, he likely would have presented a bigger challenge to Makar and Werenski as the league’s top blueliner.
G Andrei Vasilevskiy (Lightning) – After a down 2023-24 campaign (comparatively to his career), Vasilevskiy returned to form in 2024-25. The former Vezina Trophy winner finished with a 38-20-5 record in 63 starts, with a .921 SV% and 2.18 GAA. It wasn’t enough to beat out Hellebuyck, but Vasilevskiy easily would have been named the league’s top netminder in any other year.
Quinn Hughes, Cale Makar, Zach Werenski Named Norris Trophy Finalists
The Canucks’ Quinn Hughes, the Avalanche’s Cale Makar, and the Blue Jackets’ Zach Werenski are the 2024-25 Norris Trophy finalists for the NHL’s top defenseman, per a league announcement.
There are no surprises in this triumvirate. While it’s likely to be a closer race than yesterday’s Vezina Trophy announcement, Makar’s the frontrunner after setting a new career high with 30 goals and 92 points in 80 games. Now a Norris finalist five times in six years to begin his career, the 26-year-old became the first rearguard since Mike Green in 2008-09 to hit the 30-goal mark. He was the first to also eclipse 90 points in the same year since Paul Coffey in 1988-89.
Makar’s defensive impacts also rebounded after a strikingly pedestrian 2023-24 season in his own end. He posted a 56.6 CF% at even strength and a 59.4 xGF%, the latter standing as a career-high over a non-shortened season. He’s finished third in Norris voting the last two years after winning the award in 2022, but he’s almost certainly set to get back into the top two.
If not for an oblique injury taking a bite out of his campaign, Hughes would have more of a chance to win back-to-back Norris Trophies for the first time since Nicklas Lidström‘s three-peat from 2006 to 2008. The 5’10” lefty matched the 1.12 points-per-game rate that won him the honors last year and finished the year with 16-60–76 in 68 games, his fourth straight campaign above the 60-assist mark. Hughes’ 25:44 time on ice per game trailed only Werenski among skaters.
As for Werenski, he becomes the first defenseman in Blue Jackets franchise history to earn a Norris nomination. The 27-year-old finished eighth in voting in 2019-20 but hasn’t received any consideration since then. He exploded back onto the scene in 2024-25, driving Columbus’ resurgent seventh-ranked offense with a team-high 82 points in 81 games. His 1.01 points per game were third in the league behind Makar and Hughes, but a higher percentage of his offensive production came at even strength. 35 and 29 of Makar’s and Hughes’ points came with the man advantage, while Werenski had only 25 power-play points and matched Makar’s 54 even-strength points to lead defensemen. Werenski also led defensemen with 298 shots on goal and ranked third in the league overall.