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Rejoint: juill. 2017
Messages: 3,268
Mentions "j'aime": 977
I usually hate these lists like crazy, but I think you actually at least fit the best candidate in your top 5 for every single category, so I'm super happy.
Maybe Selke is the one exception, but as per how the award is usually handed out you have som great candidates. Niederreiter and more importantly Nichuskin would look really good on there too, but whatever.
Now, finally, for all the Norris-chatters in here. I have no idea why you throw out the usual arguments for playing in a good environment except when it comes to Makar. Colorado just puts him in maybe *the* best position for a defenseman in this league to succeed. Hamilton, Fox and McAvoy are absolutely amazing. Even Spurgeon thanks to his level of defensive play should probably be a nominee. I am *so* comfortable with Makar being behind every single one of them. Theodore and even guys like Orlov too.
Now, Hamilton and McAvoy play a lot with some pretty great players as well. But the difference is the relative effect. The Bruins and Canes top lines with McAvoy and Hamilton are absolutely tearing teams apart. Without those two, not at all as much. This just isn't true for Makar. This is why I don't enjoy Rantanen being on here either. MacKinnon has the best offensive output in the league without being poor defensively. It's okay. We can just credit him with that. Landeskog is an incredible defensive forward. Devon Toews is an incredible defensive defenseman. Makar and Rantanen are really good complementary pieces. I wish, I really wish, we could see them in any other environment to prove my point, but the next best thing is using isolated metrics. These tell us that Makar and Rantanen are really, really good, but that they don't belong in these types of conversations.