Torey Krug received a second-place Norris vote

Torey Krug is a great defenseman. He’s smart with the puck, can skate like the wind and is reliable in his own zone.

His value to the Bruins became all the more obvious in the playoffs this season, where the Bruins had no one even close to good enough to replace him.

That first-round series vs. Ottawa likely has a different outcome if Krug is in the lineup, but I digress...

Last night, Brent Burns of the San Jose Sharks won the Norris Trophy as the league’s best defenseman. It was well deserved, as Burns is great and had a monster season.

Once the award was given out, the voting results became public and, well...

Torey Krug?!!?!

Yes, that is Torey Krug finishing 15th in Norris Trophy voting, thanks to a single, seven-point, second-place vote.

Huh.

The Norris is voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association, so some media member thought Krug was the second-best defenseman in the league this year.

That Krug received a vote isn’t exactly surprising (look at some of the other names on the list, including Dougie Hamilton at...9th?!?), but that he received a second-place vote is pretty odd.

But hey, writers are quirky. It’d be interesting to talk to the person who made the vote and understand the reasoning behind it.

Hopefully, at some point over the next few years, Krug puts together a season worthy of receiving more than a single vote.