Giordano, Burns, Hedman named Norris Trophy finalists
Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano, San Jose Sharks blue-liner Brent Burns, and Tampa Bay Lightning rearguard Victor Hedman are the finalists for the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman for 2019.
The finalists for the Norris Trophy are in.
— NHL (@NHL) April 21, 2019
Find out who wins at the 2019 #NHLAwards presented by @Bridgestone! pic.twitter.com/b8KmmrSA16
Hedman (2018) and Burns (2017) are recipients of the last two Norris Trophies, while Giordano is a first-time nominee.
Giordano enjoyed the best year of his career in his age-35 season. He finished second among all defensemen with 74 points and led the league with a plus-39 rating.
Burns once again provided forward-like production from the blue line, leading all rearguards with 83 points. It's the highest point total from a defenseman since Brian Leetch's 85 points in 1995-96.
Hedman missed 12 games due to injury this season but still managed to collect 54 points. The 6-foot-6 Swede was an invaluable member of the Lightning during their historic regular season.
Here's how the three blue-liners stack up metrically at five-on-five, courtesy of Natural Stat Trick:
| Player | OZS% | CF% | SCF% | HDCF% | xGF% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giordano | 48.7 | 57.3 | 56.5 | 54.1 | 57.8 |
| Burns | 68.1 | 57.1 | 53.6 | 53.8 | 55.9 |
| Hedman | 55.3 | 52.5 | 53.1 | 54.0 | 53.7 |
OZS% = Offensive zone start percentage
CF% = Shot attempt share
SCF% = Scoring chance share
HDCF% = High-danger scoring chance share
xGF% = Expected goals share