SAN JOSE, Calif. — Erik Karlsson will undoubtedly finish this season as the NHL's highest scoring defender.
Following a two-goal performance Monday in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers, the San Jose Shark has recorded 22 goals and 65 assists, leading all defenders in each category.
His 87 total points put him 18 clear of second-ranked Josh Morrissey of the Winnipeg Jets.
"I think he puts the finishing touches on a Norris Trophy campaign," argued Locked on Sharks host JD Young. "If he gets anywhere close to 100 points and if he ends the season at 25 goals, I don't know how you can't give it to Erik Karlsson."
Naysayers will point to Karlsson's -14 rating (meaning he's been on the ice for that many goals against in relation to for at even strength), or the fact the Sharks are a near last place team with a team goal differential of -70.
As Young points out, though, consider how much worse this team would be without Karlsson in the mix, or how much better his numbers would be on a contending club.
Still, it raises questions about whether the NHL should institute a Bobby Orr Award for the most prolific offensive defender, while reserving the Norris Trophy for the a player most proficient at preventing goals.
But, as the old adage goes, “the best defense is a good offense” and no one has been better this season at producing from the blue line.
As Young concludes, "If your job is to keep teams from scoring goals, what better way to do that than by continually scoring goals and keeping the puck out your own zone?"
According to Natural Stat Trick, Karlsson - who's averaging well over 20 minutes of ice time at even strength - has been on the ice for 1575 shot attempts for the Sharks. That represents 54.4 percent of all shot attempts while he's on the ice, meaning the puck is indeed away from San Jose's net more when he's on the ice.
Until there's another award instituted, you can't deny Karlsson is the best defender in the league once again.
Karlsson is a two-time winner of the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defender, winning the award in 2012 and 2015.