Norris Trophy Race: Makar vs Werenski

0:00It's March 12 for the NHL, let's get into it. Follow and subscribe for more team news every day. The Norris Trophy race is heating up at the 3-quarter mark of the 2025-26 NHL regular season. Kale McCarr of the Colorado Avalanche still leads, but just barely, with 70 voting points from 7 first place votes out of 16. Zach Wernsky of the Columbus Blue Jackets is right behind at 69 points and also 7 first place nods. Earlier polls had McCarr as the unanimous pick at the quarter and halfway points. Now it's neck and neck, with Quinn Hughes of the Minnesota Wild and Evan Bouchard of the Edmonton Oilers, grabbing the other first place votes. Team mates rave about both guys. McCarr's partners highlight his two-way game, strong defense and elite skating despite his size. Wernsky gets props for his size, puck skills, speed, and bold play that lifts his team. Wernsky ranks second in defense points with 68, while McCarr is third at 66.

1:02McCarr edges him in plus-minus at plus-33, power play points, block shots, and takeaways. Wernsky leads an ice time at 26 minutes, 26 seconds per game, and shots on goal. Meanwhile, the Avalanche topped the league's standings at 43 wins, 11 losses, and 9 overtime losses. The Blue Jackets sit at 33, 21, and 10 as playoff surprises. Playoff stars shown at the Milano Cortina, 2026 Olympics, helping Canada to silver and the U.S. to gold. The race stays wide open with games left. This episode is brought to you by our sponsor. See the episode description. What is cooler than cool? A pillow that plays your sound, S-O-L-I, solely pillow.com.