So, why should Al MacInnis win the 2003 Norris Trophy?

	GM Larry Pleau thinks Al MacInnis deserves consideration for the Hart Trophy, as well.

"You're asking the wrong guy,'' said the Blues captain with a smile. "You can build a case for three, four, five guys. But when you get older, you worry less about that stuff and more about winning championships.''

MacInnis didn't lobby when he won his only Norris Trophy, in 1999 with St. Louis, and he's not about to start now. His teammates have no such compunction. So, why should the man called "Chopper'' win the Norris Trophy?

"Because he's the best defenseman,'' said Blues winger Keith Tkachuk. "End of story.''

Well, maybe not for fans of Nicklas Lidstrom of Detroit, the apparent co-favorite in this apparent two-horse race.

A sampling of a half dozen NHL scouts turned up the names of Rob Blake, Sergei Gonchar, Sergei Zubov and Ed Jovanovski. But MacInnis and Lidstrom dominated the Norris discussion, with the scouts basically splitting 50-50 between the two Central Division rivals.

MacInnis, with his booming shot and control of the puck, gets the edge on offense. He leads NHL defensemen with 64 points and 49 assists.

"And he doesn't take chances to get his points,'' said an NHL scout. "That's impressive.''

But Lidstrom is no slouch on offense. He ranks second among D-men with 61 points on 17 goals and 44 assists.

Lidstrom, with his uncanny positioning and rink sense, gets the edge in his own zone. He is plus-42, second overall and first among defenders.

But MacInnis is no slouch on defense. He is plus-20 while playing in front of a team record-tying seven goalies.

And MacInnis had to adapt to the NHL's obstruction crackdown. He can no longer use his stick to tug across the tummy of a speedy opponent.

"That was his move,'' said an NHL scout. "He was good at taking his man out.''

Disabled Blues captain Chris Pronger, a former Norris winner, pooh-poohs the plus-minus differential.

"The year Blake won the Norris, I led him and Liddy in plus-minus -- and I still got gonged,'' said Pronger with a wry smile. "So don't kid yourself. It's points that everybody looks at, and it's a popularity contest.''

If the Norris were a lifetime achievement or handicap award, MacInnis would win in a walk.

He will turn 40 in July. And he has adjusted to playing with a visor after an errant stick a couple of years ago left him with about 30-percent vision in his left eye.

But this is not a sympathy campaign. And none is needed.

As teammate Bryce Salvador, a former partner, put it, "Al's 40 years old, and he's playing with one eye, and he's STILL better than every D in the league. And he looks like he's got 10 more years in him.''

Blues coach Joel Quenneville, a former NHL defenseman, said, "I think this year is very comparable to the year Al won his Norris. Game in and game out, he's been our best player.''

For the record, the Blues respect Lidstrom. They concede that the two-time Norris winner is having another monster season. But the Blues say MacInnis holds the tiebreaker, one that only a teammate can best appreciate.

"People don't realize the leadership he has, on the ice and off the ice,'' said assistant coach Mike Kitchen, who runs the Blues defense on the bench. "He's kept everything afloat here.

"He helps the coaches so much. He's played so consistent, and he's got a young defense that he's grooming at the same time.''

	“	Look at the turmoil around the team. Al's been the glue on the blue line and in the room. And he's had an outstanding season, start to finish. ”
		— Chris Pronger

Alternate captain Doug Weight, who came aboard last season from Edmonton, quickly joined the MacInnis fan club.

"I'm in the dressing room with him every day,'' said Weight, "and I really feel he's been the best defenseman game in and game out. Especially with the pressure he's got with Prongs being out.''

Pronger has missed the entire season due to major knee and wrist surgeries.

"Before,'' said Weight, "Prongs took a lot of pressure off Al in key situations, where Al could get some rest.''

Defenseman Jeff Finley was a part-time partner of MacInnis during the Norris season four years ago.

"I was thinking about that season,'' said Finley, "and I remember how much Al controlled the play in all areas. And he still does that.

"And remember, Prongs and whoever his partner was were always getting matched up against the other team's No. 1 line.

"Now it's Al and a rookie -- a pretty good rookie, but still a rookie. And Al's still putting up the numbers.''

That rookie, Barret Jackman, just turned 22. He is a Calder Trophy contender despite being a defense-first defenseman. When asked if the Calder chatter would be heard alongside a different partner, Jackman just laughed.

"I doubt it,'' he said. "He's made everyone around him better, especially me. He's made my transition not as difficult. His presence on the ice makes me comfortable.

"When he's got the puck, you just have to get your stick open and he'll hit it. And he gives me tips all the time. He gets me prepared before the game, but also shift by shift.

"What to watch for, plays that are developing, tendencies of other players. Things I'd have to learn the hard way. Like he'll tell you that a forward likes to draw the D-man in, and then chip the puck to a guy coming from behind with speed.

"There's no way you'd know something like that until the guy beat you with it once. Al's got all those options in his head, and he processes them so fast out there.''

Salvador, who has blossomed into a top-four defenseman alongside Alexander Khavanov, can verify that.

"I played with Al my first two years in the league,'' Salvador said, "and the little things that he teaches are invaluable. You could play a hundred games and not learn that stuff.''

Weight is afraid that MacInnis's experience will actually count against him.

"You talk to some guys about Al,'' Weight said, "and they go, 'Well, he's 39.' Well, so what?''

When asked about his mentor's age, Jackman grinned and said, "I've got to step carefully here. Seriously, he doesn't pace himself. If we're on the power play the puck gets iced, he's the first one back there to get it.''

The two people who appreciate MacInnis the most are Quenneville and general manager Larry Pleau. They could be barbecued now at the end of what, for most teams, would be a lingering disaster.

Pronger, their longtime captain and best player, has yet to hit the ice. Starting goalie Brent Johnson and backup Fred Brathwaite were injured and then ineffective.

Three rookie goalies won games as emergency fill-ins, including a parolee from the East Coast Hockey League. Two veteran goalies were scrounged up, with Tom Barrasso found wanting and Chris Osgood now the goalie of choice as Brathwaite was let go.

Injuries decimated the forwards. All-Stars Weight and Tkachuk missed large chunks of time, as did impressive rookie Petr Cajanek. And grinder Jamal Mayers was lost for the season.

Yet until last weekend, the Blues threatened Detroit in the Central and are still pushing for fourth in the rugged Western Conference.

"Look at the turmoil around the team,'' Pronger said. "Al's been the glue on the blue line and in the room. And he's had an outstanding season, start to finish.''

Quenneville, a candidate for the Jack Adams Award, made his best move of the year by handing Pronger's "C'' to MacInnis in camp.

"Al let the team know the importance of every game,'' said Quenneville. "No matter who's in our lineup, he finds a way to stay with it and finds a way to win. That's very healthy for our team.

"Even if you get to the point where you can't win the game that night, he'll continue to play for something. He'll play everything out.''

Pleau, to be honest, thinks MacInnis was slightly more consistent when he won the Norris, but has hit a new high in this campaign.

As Pleau put it, "Al's reached back as the captain and said, 'I'm going to do a little more.' And his leadership has had a very calming effect on the team.

"The greatest motivation is self-example, and Al gives you that. Khavvy, Sal and Jax, they've all gotten better on D because of Al.

"His quiet composure, which he has in all situations, makes that group of defensemen feel good about themselves.

"I'm prejudiced, but I don't think there's a better defenseman in the league. And as far as MVP, why can't you consider him? Who's the most valuable to his team? I'd put his name down there for the Hart, too.''

As for Lidstrom, he also helped stabilize a Detroit team in flux with a new coach, injuries to key players and a new goalie.

"Yeah,'' said Pronger, "but look at the forwards around Liddy. He's got like six All-Stars up front.''

Lidstrom has had much more stable goaltending behind him, but he also had his problems along the way. As Blues scout Bobby Plager said, "He didn't get off to a good start this year. He started out very slow.''

So, who should win the Norris Trophy?

"It's Al and Lidstrom,'' Weight said. "They each bring a lot of the same things. But I'd go with Al by a nose.''

Tom Wheatley of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is a frequent contributor to ESPN.com.