There are rumblings that Phaneuf is in the running for the Norris trophy this year. And while I still think such considerations are bit pre-mature, they are certainly a good deal less absurd than they were during his rookie season. Which is really all we can ask for from a 22 year-old kid.
Why even consider him?
Besides the obvious stuff (17 goals, 57 points, +11), here are some of Dion's advanced stats:
0.93 ESP/60, 2.85 GF/60 and 2.36 GA/60.
The most encouraging number for Flames fans is the last one. I wrote in the summer that getting scored on (ie: pure defense) was the main area of concern in Phaneuf's game, and he's improved by 0.65 goals against per hour over last season (3.01 GA/60). While he still doesn't see the toughest match-ups (that's reserved for Reggie), Dion has clearly taken a step forward in this area, particularly considering the quality of his partners this year versus last (Eriksson/Aucoin versus Hammer/Regehr) and the quality of goaltending behind him versus last year*.
*(I don't know Kippers SV% with Dion on the ice this year...Im assuming Miikka's relatively lackluster numbers apply, but that may not be the case as goalie's SV% can often fluctuate depending on who's skating in front of them. Sometimes it's the play of the skaters in question and sometimes its luck).
Something else brought by James Mirtle recently was Phaneuf's ability to draw penalties: his 1.4 PD/60 is the best in the league among regular defensemen right now. Course, part of that is his speed and strength on his skates...and part of that is his...uh..."aggravating disposition". Now, if he could just take a few less penalties himself (1.5/60)...
Some of this Norris hype has less to do with numbers and more to do with how he looks on the ice: since his contract extension, Phaneuf has simply looked dominant for long stretches. He's done things that aren't merely highlight material, but that simply can't be done by any other defender on the team. Many people remember the end-to-end rush against the Wild or the GWG blast over Luongo's shoulder, but there have been other, less pronounced but equally impressive feats recently.
For example, there was a particular series of events against the Canucks the other night that stood out to me. On the play, the Flames had Vancouver pinned inside their zone for a good span of time. Eventually, the puck was worked up to the blueline where Phaneuf managed to jam it against the boards. He was set upon by more than one Canuck for several seconds and they simply COULD NOT force him to relinquish possession...
So the puck stayed in the zone and more pressure ensued. Eventually, the Canucks managed to work it back up near the blueline again, and this time it seemed a certainty to exit the zone. In fact, most of the Vancouver players and half the Flames players were flying into neutral ice in anticipation of the transition.
The Vancouver skater with the puck approached his blueline, seemingly unchallenged. Before he could skate it out, however, Phaneuf entered the picture (he hadn't even been on screen), swept the guy aside like he was a plastic grocery bag, grabbed the puck off his stick, and passed it to a suddenly very alone Alex Tanguay. The result was a high quality scoring chance for Alex against a stunned and befuddled Luongo and lone Canuck defender.
I don't know if anyone else noticed this series of events, but it was close to revelatory to me. It was just sheer, unadulterated DOMINANCE that couldn't have been orchestrated by any other player on the ice. It was a "can anyone stop this guy?" kind of moment - the sort only Jarome Iginla has been able to give Flames fans over the last few years.
Of course, despite all this good stuff, Phaneuf has no chance at a Norris this season. Lidstrom is just simply on another planet: he faces the toughest competition and still promotes scoring for his own team while deterring goals against like no one else in the league. He'll win it again and he deserves to.
But there is certainly no shame in being nomiated and losing to a guy like Lidstrom, especially for a 3rd year player 3 or 4 years away from his prime years. The potential nomination itself, and everything Phaneuf's done to evoke it, are great signs and are high-five material on their own.
