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First-Round Draft Picks Who Won the Norris Trophy

The Norris Trophy goes to the NHL's best all-around defenseman, and a clear majority of winners since the award's inception have been first-round picks. That trend has only intensified in the modern era as teams increasingly invest high picks in mobile, puck-moving blueliners capable of driving offense and logging 25+ minutes per night. This article covers every first-round pick who won the Norris Trophy, showing the correlation between draft position and elite defensive play.

January 25, 2026

Norris Trophy and Draft Position

Understanding the connection between draft slot and best defenseman:

First-round picks dominate Norris Trophy wins, with roughly 50% of all winners coming from the opening round. The trend has intensified in recent decades, with almost all modern winners selected in the top 15.

Success Patterns:

Top 5 picks: 30% of Norris Trophies
Picks 6-15: 15% of Norris Trophies
Picks 16-30: 5% of Norris Trophies
Second round and later: 50% of Norris Trophies

The pattern shows elite defensemen can come from anywhere but first-round picks have highest success rate.

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1970s Norris Winners

Early era first-round defensemen:

Bobby Orr (1st, 1966 - Boston Bruins)

Eight consecutive Norris Trophies (1968-1975). Revolutionized defenseman position, archetype of offensive blue-liner. Validated spending first overall pick on defenseman.

Denis Potvin (1st, 1973 - New York Islanders)

Three Norris Trophies (1976, 1978, 1979). Captained Islanders dynasty while dominating both ends of ice.

Larry Robinson (20th, 1971 - Montreal Canadiens)

Two Norris Trophies (1977, 1980). Late first-rounder became elite two-way defenseman.

Larry Murphy (4th, 1980 - Los Angeles Kings)

Later won four Cups but never Norris (included for context as top-5 pick).

These early Norris winners established pattern of first-round defensemen becoming elite.

1980s Norris Winners

Scoring boom era defensemen:

Ray Bourque (8th, 1979 - Boston Bruins)

Five Norris Trophies (1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1994). Nineteen consecutive seasons with Norris votes, one of most complete careers ever by first-round defenseman.

Paul Coffey (6th, 1980 - Edmonton Oilers)

Three Norris Trophies (1985, 1986, 1995). Redefined end-to-end speed from back end, elite offensive production.

Rod Langway (36th, 1977 - Montreal Canadiens)

Two Norris Trophies (1983, 1984). Late first-rounder became shutdown defenseman.

Chris Chelios (40th, 1981 - Montreal Canadiens)

Three Norris Trophies (1989, 1993, 1996). Second-rounder who played like top-10 pick.

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1990s-2000s Norris Winners

Modern era elite defensemen:

Chris Pronger (2nd, 1993 - Hartford Whalers)

Two Norris Trophies (2000, 2004). Hart Trophy (2000), validating top-two pick on defenseman.

Scott Niedermayer (3rd, 1991 - New Jersey Devils)

Norris Trophy (2004), four Cups. True top-three pick who paid off completely.

Brian Leetch (9th, 1986 - New York Rangers)

Two Norris Trophies (1992, 1997), Conn Smythe (1994). Elite offensive defenseman from mid-first.

Nicklas Lidstrom (53rd, 1989 - Detroit Red Wings)

Seven Norris Trophies (2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011). Second-rounder became greatest defensive defenseman ever.

Duncan Keith (54th, 2002 - Chicago Blackhawks)

Two Norris Trophies (2010, 2014). Another second-rounder who dominated.

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2010s-2020s Norris Winners

Recent first-round elite defensemen:

Erik Karlsson (15th, 2008 - Ottawa Senators)

Three Norris Trophies (2012, 2015, 2023). Mid-first gamble on offense-heavy defense that paid off massively.

Victor Hedman (2nd, 2009 - Tampa Bay Lightning)

Norris Trophy (2018), multiple top-three finishes. Cornerstone for Tampa's Cups, elite two-way play.

Drew Doughty (2nd, 2008 - Los Angeles Kings)

Norris Trophy (2016), two Cups. Physical presence with offensive ability.

Cale Makar (4th, 2017 - Colorado Avalanche)

Two Norris Trophies (2022, 2025), Conn Smythe (2022). Elite puck-mover with 80-point seasons.

Quinn Hughes (7th, 2018 - Vancouver Canucks)

Norris Trophy (2024). Elite puck-mover and power-play quarterback.

Adam Fox (66th, 2016 - New York Rangers)

Norris Trophy (2021). Third-rounder acquired via trade became elite.

First Overall Picks Who Won Norris

Top selections who became best defensemen:

Bobby Orr (1st, 1966): Eight Norris Trophies, greatest defenseman ever.

Denis Potvin (1st, 1973): Three Norris Trophies, Islanders dynasty leader.

Only two first overall picks have won Norris Trophy, showing teams rarely use top selection on defensemen. When they do (Orr, Potvin), results are historic.

Top-Five Picks Who Won Norris

Elite early selections:

Top-Five Norris Winners:

Bobby Orr (1st): 8 Norris
Denis Potvin (1st): 3 Norris
Chris Pronger (2nd): 2 Norris
Drew Doughty (2nd): 1 Norris
Victor Hedman (2nd): 1 Norris
Scott Niedermayer (3rd): 1 Norris
Cale Makar (4th): 2 Norris

Top-five picks have strong Norris success rate when teams invest in elite defensive prospects.

Mid-First-Round Norris Winners

Picks 6-15 who became elite:

Paul Coffey (6th): 3 Norris Ray Bourque (8th): 5 Norris Brian Leetch (9th): 2 Norris Erik Karlsson (15th): 3 Norris Quinn Hughes (7th): 1 Norris

Mid-first round produces elite defensemen regularly, showing quality exists throughout first 15 picks.

Late First-Round Success

Picks 16-30 who won Norris:

Larry Robinson (20th): 2 Norris Rod Langway (36th): 2 Norris Chris Chelios (40th): 3 Norris

Late first-round can produce Norris winners but it's rare. These three represent exceptions rather than rule.

Modern Trend Analysis

Recent draft patterns favor first-round defensemen:

2010s Pattern: Teams now almost expect top-five defensive picks to contend for Norris votes within 4-6 years. Recent drafts reflect this priority.

Recent Winners: Almost all 2010s-2020s Norris winners were selected in top 15 (Hedman, Karlsson, Makar, Hughes, Doughty).

Development Time: First-round defensemen typically take 3-4 years to reach Norris contention, longer than forwards.

The Verdict

First-round picks dominate Norris Trophy wins, with roughly 50% of all winners coming from opening round. Bobby Orr (eight Norris) and Ray Bourque (five Norris) represent the pinnacle of first-round defensive excellence.

The modern trend shows teams increasingly invest top-five picks in mobile, offensive defensemen who can contend for Norris within their first contract. Cale Makar, Victor Hedman, and Quinn Hughes validate this approach.

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