Josh Norris has always been a difficult player to break down for a variety of reasons. The injuries, of course, have been a factor; he’s a good skater, but does he have elite offensive skills?

I feel like this season has been even more of a conundrum. We have the injuries once again, but when he is in the lineup, it feels like he has been relatively unnoticeable. I decided to dig into it a little and see if I could identify where he’s making an impact this season for the Buffalo Sabres.

Solid On-Ice Numbers

The on-ice numbers this season for Norris are quite good. At 5 on 5, he leads the team in expected goal share in the Hockey Stats model. He has a 62% on-ice goal differential and grades out well at both ends of the ice in expected goals and against per hour.

All public models grade him out as a net positive on-ice impact player.

From a raw production standpoint, he’s producing at a 23 goals and 59 points per 82-game pace. Those numbers are not bad, but that’s the current pace on total points, which is around what Ryan McLeod is giving them. Ideally, you’d like your top paid forward to give you more in that regard. In particular, the goals.

At the end of the day, if I’m getting a 60-point player that grades out positively at both ends of the ice, there isn’t a lot to be upset about.

Shooting

Even acknowledging that as a data-driven hockey analyst, I can’t help but feel I’m not getting enough there. I’m fully aware that there are players who don’t have that flash but make the little plays that matter. That’s one of the main points I push with Owen Power.

I try to remember that when I’m evaluating Norris. Having said that, I’m going to keep returning to it. I need to see it appear more often when I’m watching from game to game.

After reviewing his on-ice numbers, I started looking at his individual data points over the last few years. What jumped off the page immediately was how low his shot attempts were this season compared to previous years.

You’ll see below that Norris has been trending down in 5-on-5 shot attempts over the last few years, but this season is a career low in shot attempts and shots on goal.

Since the Olympic break, when Norris returned from his most recent injury, he has had the third-lowest shot attempts per hour rate among forwards on the Sabres roster at 5 on 5. The low shooting rates show up in the microstat data from All Three Zones as well.

What is coming through in his production and the microstat data is an unexpected shift towards being a more puck distributor. His assist rates were rather low in all situations coming from the Ottawa Senators, but he’s having a career season in that regard this year.

Above, you can see his goals-per-hour rate is down to 5 on 5, but his assists-per-hour are well above his career average. That has resulted in his points-per-hour rate at 5-on-5 being a career high as well.

There are two theories I can generate from what I’m seeing. First, Norris is dealing with an injury that is affecting his shot, and he is taking fewer shots. Therefore, he has focused more on being a playmaker. The other theory is that we could be seeing a player shift in how they want to impact the game, given the makeup of this roster and system.

Only Norris and the Sabres know the answer to that.

I don’t have any issue with him developing this part of his game. It makes him a more lethal threat offensively. He has the vision and ability to distribute the pucks to teammates in scoring areas.

My only point of contention is that it shouldn’t be one or the other. Norris has to find a way to be a goal scorer while allowing the play to go through him at times as a distributor. He has high-end finishing skills that I don’t want to see go away.

Transition

One of the other areas of his game that I started to get a feel for, of how impactful it is when I attended the game against the Boston Bruins earlier this week, is the transition game. This is something that, at times, can be difficult to catch with the eye as the game goes along.

It’s noticeable how much teams respect his speed when he’s on the ice. The Bruins were backing off, giving his line space to attack, wary of getting beaten in behind. He’s one of the best on the team at forward, from getting the puck into the offensive zone from the defensive end.

I think that contributes to his strong defensive numbers this season, and why Lindy Ruff leans on him in those situations. Quickly flipping the game on the opponent is what makes the Sabres who they are. Norris is a big part of that.

Josh Norris breakaway goal, nice touch pass from Benson, 5-1 #LetsGoBuffalo #GoJetsGo pic.twitter.com/htemhWOu8L

— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) December 2, 2025

After going through all of this and watching some recent games, I have a better understanding of the player this year. There are certain areas where he is a key piece to what they do. He’s developing another weapon for his offensive attack.

I have a greater appreciation for that now. I still think there is more for him to give this team with his shot. He needs to find more opportunities to shoot the puck. I would like to see him make more plays in critical situations of games, especially as we get closer to the postseason.

Data via: All Three Zones, Evolving Hockey, and Hockey Stats

Photo Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images