NHL Awards Watch: The top candidates for each major trophy

Just a week-and-a-half remains before we put this NHL regular season in the rear-view and shift focus to the playoffs.

But first, there’s the matter of looking back and appreciating what we’ve witnessed over the past seven months, of celebrating the individual greatness we’ve seen authored. Across the board, multiple awards races have been tightly contested this season as a crop of all-world talents produced no shortage of marquee performances.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the top candidates for five major trophies:

HART TROPHY
Awarded to the league’s most valuable player, as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association

Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche

Why he could win: The Avs talisman has been on a tear this season. Fresh off a Hart Trophy-winning 140-point season, he currently sits tied atop the league with 115 points through 78 games. Strip away the noise, and he leads the league in even-strength scoring too, with point-per-game production on that front alone. MacKinnon is the engine that drives this Colorado team forward, but it’s more than just the point totals. It’s the manner in which he leads, the method to his dominance, that makes him so pivotal to the Avalanche’s success — pushing forward relentlessly, dragging his team forward, wearing down the opposition. His elite performance has proven especially crucial in a season that saw Colorado start slow, retool much of its team on the fly and navigate a slew of injuries. Despite the tumult, Colorado remains on the cusp of 100 points, with a playoff ticket already locked up.

Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
Why he could win: The German pivot has faced the same knocks since he first rose to prominence in Edmonton — Draisaitl’s detractors have dismissed at least some portion of his success because he plays on the same squad as the game’s most lethal scorer. But what of this season, in which Connor McDavid has taken the kind of step back offensively we never thought would come while Draisaitl has still proved a dominant force in his own right? The 29-year-old is authoring one of the most prolific seasons of his career as the Oilers’ leading man. His 52 goals position him as the favourite for the Rocket Richard, and Draisaitl paces the league in even-strength tallies (36), power-play goals (16), overtime goals (six) and game-winners of all sorts (11). He remains a lethal facilitator too, his 106 points ranking him third in the overall scoring race. Through a middling Oilers season, with McDavid navigating injuries and a down year, No. 29 has been crucial.

Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets

Why he could win: Over the past two decades, only one netminder has taken home the Hart: Carey Price, back in 2015, after leading the league in wins, save percentage and goals-against average, and becoming the first goaltender to sweep all three categories in 24 years. A decade after Price, Hellebuyck’s flirting with that same rarefied air. The reigning Vezina winner — and the favourite to claim the trophy once again — currently leads the league with a .924 save percentage, a 2.02 goals-against average, 44 wins and seven shutouts. Perhaps most impressive is that Hellebuyck posted such sterling numbers while shouldering the league’s heaviest workload, tied with Andrei Vasilevskiy for the most appearances in the cage. It’s no coincidence the 31-year-old’s marquee campaign comes while the Jets sit atop the league’s standings.

Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning

Why he could win: After finishing as the runner-up to MacKinnon last year — having put up a league-leading 144 points, the second-most anyone has managed in decades — Kucherov finds himself back in a race against the Avs pivot. Sitting level with MacKinnon at 115 points, and two goals up on him in five fewer games, the Russian winger surely has a chance to claim the second Hart Trophy of his career. Aiding his case is the consistency he’s shown in carrying the Bolts offence in a season that saw the club’s forward group significantly reshaped, namely through the parting of ways with Steven Stamkos. Without the former captain, it’s been all Kucherov, a 32-point gap separating Kucherov’s point total and his next highest-scoring teammate — the biggest for any forward on this list.

Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights

Why he could win: The second-biggest discrepancy between an elite scorer and his club’s next-best producer resides in Vegas, where Eichel’s 93 points sit 26 above any of his teammates. It would be tough to make a case for the Golden Knights pivot over any of the four names above him here, but there’s no question the 28-year-old has come into his own and authored a career year, stringing together his most productive season and emerging as the most important cog in the Golden Knights machine. He’s been an important piece since he first arrived in Vegas — Eichel paced the Knights with 26 points in 26 games during their 2023 championship run — but the former Sabre has found a new level. Whether it’s enough to snag a Hart Trophy remains to be seen, but there’s no question it changes the complexion of Vegas’s hopes at a return to the Stanley Cup summit this spring.

NORRIS TROPHY

Awarded to the league’s top defenceman, as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association

Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche

Why he could win: Agree with it or not, there’s little doubt incredible scoring feats factor into the Norris Trophy voting — a fact made clear by Erik Karlsson’s 2023 win on the heels of his 101-point outburst. Makar’s current 30-goal season seems to fall in that same category — only nine defencemen have previously reached that mark. In total, it’d only been done 17 times, and never in the past decade-and-a-half. Of course, Makar’s game isn’t defined by his ability to put pucks in the net — he’s as lethal a facilitator as he is a sniper, and a quality defensive presence, too. With 91 points on the year — ranking him eighth overall, just between Kyle Connor and Connor McDavid — the Norris seems all but a lock for the smooth-skating Avs rearguard.

Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets

Why he could win: If the Norris doesn’t go to No. 8 in Colorado, it’s No. 8 in Columbus who seems best poised to take home the award. After a career year last season, the Blue Jackets veteran has found an even higher gear this season, collecting 20 goals and 74 points through 75 games. He logs the most minutes of anyone in the NHL — just a hair under 27 per night — and has made his name as an elite presence on both sides of the puck. There’s little question he’s been crucial to the Blue Jackets’ cause this season as he leads the team in points while his four game-winners are tied for the team lead, too. That Werenski managed to find a way to perform at this elite level amid such a difficult season in Columbus, and managed to lead his Blue Jackets to more success than anyone expected, is worthy of praise too.

Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks

Why he could win: The reigning Norris winner endured a roller-coaster of a season in Vancouver that saw a Canucks team seemingly on the verge of making some real playoff noise instead get sidetracked by contentious in-fighting, off-ice drama and a trade that sent one of the club’s highest scorers out of town. Still, through the tumult, Hughes has remained elite for Vancouver, and amid J.T. Miller’s exit and Elias Pettersson’s struggles, it’s the defenceman who emerged as the leader of Vancouver’s offence. Battling injury all season, the American blue-liner has still managed 72 points through 63 games to lead the Canucks, outpacing his forward teammates by 23 points. He might not have put together as dominant a campaign as the two names above him, but it’s tough to argue any other defenceman is as vitally important to his team’s success.

Josh Morrissey, Winnipeg Jets

Why he could win: Realistically, the odds are long for anyone not among the three names above. But beyond the leading trio, the top blue-liner on the top club seems a worthy No. 4. Morrissey has finished among the top seven in Norris votes for two straight since establishing himself among the league’s elite. Amid what’s been a picture-perfect Jets season, he’s put in another quality campaign, collecting 56 points, averaging more than 24 minutes of ice and contributing as a key a leader for a Jets team that’s been rolling through the league since October. An all-situations contributor who leads the way for Winnipeg through his competitiveness and elite understanding of the game, the Jets likely aren’t in the running for the President’s Trophy in April without No. 44’s steady greatness.

Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning

Why he could win: The Bolts’ elder statesman remains in the conversation of the game’s best rearguards. He doesn’t dominate the blue-liner scoring race, and at age 34, he isn’t pushing 25 minutes a night like he once was, but Hedman’s still averaging over 23 minutes a night in his 16th year, and he has 14 goals and 60 points in what’s been one of his most productive seasons. There’s a reason Hedman has found himself in the Norris conversation so many times before — aside from winning once, in 2018, the Bolts captain has been named a finalist five other times — and it’s the unwavering, all-around elite play he brings to the table every year. Like Kucherov, Hedman has been key in leading a Bolts group that navigated some key changes in the off-season, and the captain has them on track to finish second in the Atlantic for the first time since 2020, the year their annual Cup Final tour began. 

VEZINA TROPHY

Awarded to the league’s top goaltender, as voted by the league’s 32 general managers

Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets

Why he could win: The fact that Hellebuyck’s accolades have already been lauded in the Hart Trophy section up top should make clear how locked up his Vezina chances are. After claiming the award last season, the 31-year-old has managed to best his own performance with a career year. His .924 save percentage matches a career high, his seven shutouts are a career-best, and the Jets veteran leads the league with 30.45 goals saved above average at 5-on-5, per Natural Stat Trick. He hasn’t just been a crucial piece of the Jets’ dominant season — he’s arguably been the most important one, and he should become the first back-to-back Vezina winner since Martin Brodeur in 2008.

Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning

Why he could win: It’s tough to see anyone wrestling the Vezina away from Hellebucyk this season, but Vasilevskiy slots in as a quality No. 2. After earning four straight nominations between 2018 and 2021 — including winning in 2019 — the Bolts netminder saw his numbers take a tumble over the past three seasons. But after a career-worst season, Vasilevskiy has righted the ship and finds himself back among the game’s best. His .923 save percentage ranks second among ‘tenders who’ve suited up as bona fide No. 1s, playing at least half of their club’s games to this point, and he sits second behind Hellebuyck in wins (37), shutouts (six) and 5-on-5 GSAA (29.21). 

Filip Gustavsson, Minnesota Wild

Why he could win: Gustavsson deserves to be in the wider conversation of the game’s best this season. After a dominant 2022-23, the young netminder saw his numbers dip last season, but he’s rebounded with a quality campaign that has Minnesota back in the playoff picture following a 2024 miss. At 5-on-5, he’s put up a .928 save percentage, sixth-best among bona fide starters, and he ranks fourth in the league with 21.15 goals saved above average at 5-on-5. If not for Gustavsson’s bounce-back effort, the Wild likely aren’t preparing for a return to post-season hockey, particularly given the key injuries they’ve had to navigate all season.

Logan Thompson, Washington Capitals

Why he could win: Speaking of bounce-back performances, how about Logan Thompson’s debut in D.C.? After seeing his numbers fall in Vegas and getting shipped out of town by the Golden Knights, Thompson established himself among the season’s best and has been a key component of the club’s resurgent effort. The 28-year-old boasts a middling .910 save percentage, but rewind to the middle of the season and he looked unbeatable for a hefty stretch of the campaign, ranking third-best league wide from November to late February with a .926 over that span before a late-season stumble sunk his averages. It won’t be enough to knock off Hellebuyck, but for much of this season, Thompson deserved a spot in the conversation.

Darcy Kuemper, Los Angeles Kings

Why he could win: It’s been a bit of a roller-coaster for Kuemper since backstopping Colorado to its 2022 championship. After an unsuccessful run in Washington that saw the veteran’s numbers plummet, a trade to California has the 34-year-old back among the league’s elite. At 5-on-5, only Hellebuyck has posted a better save percentage than Kuemper’s .934, and he ranks third behind Hellebuyck and Vasilevskiy with 21.38 goals saved above average at 5-on-5, too. Like Thompson, he’s played fewer games than the rest of the crop — still, after navigating injury issues, adjusting to a new club and working through the worst season of his career, Kuemper’s come out the other side as a top-tier No. 1 option again.

CALDER TROPHY

Awarded to the league’s top rookie, as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association

Dustin Wolf, Calgary Flames

Why he could win: If the Flames manage to claw their way into the playoffs, Wolf should have as good a case for the Calder as anyone. While his efforts have flown under the radar among the high-flying names below, make no mistake: the 23-year-old is doing something special. Playing out his first season as a starter, the undersized Wolf has been pivotal for Calgary, and undeniably the central reason they’ve been close to the playoffs at all. At 5-on-5, the Flames netminder boasts a dominant .929 save percentage, a mark bested only by three of his position’s elite veterans: Hellebuyck, Kuemper and Vasilevskiy. He ranks fifth-best in terms of GSAA and high-danger save percentage at 5-on-5, too. But really, there should be no other reason than this: the Flames score the third-fewest goals per game of any NHL club — only basement-dwellers San Jose and Nashville tally less — and yet Calgary still finds its playoff dream alive in April. That wouldn’t be the case without Wolf’s heroics.

Lane Hutson, Montreal Canadiens

Why he could win: For many, it’s Montreal’s Lane Hutson who’s already locked up the award — and whether Wolf guides Calgary to a playoff berth or not, Hutson seems a worthy choice. The dynamic blue-liner has looked flat-out dominant for the Habs, collecting 64 points and emerging as a key reason the Canadiens have charted their own path back to the post-season. You have to rewind more than three decades to find a rookie defender who amassed more points in his first campaign — the last would be Brian Leetch’s 71 points for the Rangers, back in 1989. Hutson’s 64-spot already ranks as the seventh-highest sum ever posted by a rookie defender — just a handful more and he could unseat third place all-time (currently held by former Flame Gary Suter and the 68 points he managed back in ’86). Regardless of where his season lands, the Canadiens rearguard has proven he’s capable of greatness just one year into his big-league career.

Macklin Celebrini, San Jose Sharks

Why he could win: The 2024 first-overall pick has had much stiffer competition to deal with in his rookie year compared to the phenom that came before him. Still, Macklin Celebrini has performed roughly on par with Connor Bedard’s rookie year — the Sharks pivot has collected 57 points through 65 games, good for .88 points per game. Bedard managed 61 points in 68 games during his own rookie campaign, producing at a .90 points-per-game clip. Like his Chicago counterpart, Celebrini is doing what he can with what he has at his disposal, navigating injuries and a woeful Sharks team that ranks last as he looks to establish himself. He’s had a fine season, but to this point he’s done little to outperform Hutson or Wolf.

Matvei Michkov, Philadelphia Flyers

Why he could win: Michkov finds himself in much the same boat as Celebrini. The much-hyped Flyers winger leads all rookies with 24 goals through 75 games this year and ranks second, behind Hutson, with 58 points in that span. He also leads all rookies with 43 even-strength points, and 17 even-strength goals. It’s been a fine first-year campaign in all — Michkov’s 58 points are more than any rookie not named Bedard posted over the past two seasons — but again, amid a tumultuous 2024-25 that’s seen his Flyers fall into the league’s basement, Michkov’s campaign seems a step behind the two Calder front-runners.

Zack Bolduc, St. Louis Blues

Why he could win: You could go in a few different directions to round out the group, but how about Blues rookie Bolduc, who’s emerged as a solid goal-scorer for a resurgent St. Louis squad. The 22-year-old’s 18 goals rank third among rookies behind Michkov and Celebrini and fifth among Blues. Of note is the young winger’s performance since St. Louis began picking up steam and turning its season around. Over the course of the club’s 12-game win streak, which began in mid-March, Bolduc collected six goals, tied for the second-most on the team and first among all rookies.

JACK ADAMS AWARD

Awarded to the league’s top head coach, as voted by the NHL Broadcasters Association

Spencer Carbery, Washington Capitals

Why he could win: The second-year Caps coach has long seemed a lock for the Jack Adams, and it’s tough to look any other direction when it comes to this year’s crop. Rewind to two seasons ago, and the Capitals missed the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade. Carbery came in the next year and got the club back to the post-season, but just barely. Now, in his second season holding the reins, he has the club looking like a Cup favourite. Washington’s 107 points are already 16 better than the sum the Caps finished with last season, and the most the franchise has managed since its pair of high-flying Presidents’ Trophy seasons from 2015-17. The club made the playoffs last year with a paltry goal differential of minus-37 — worst among all playoff participants, by far. This year? The Capitals are barrelling towards the post-season with a plus-66, the third-best mark in the league. The Jack Adams tends to favour coaches who guide clubs to drastic turnarounds, and Carbery’s Caps certainly seem to fit that bill. 

Jim Montgomery, St. Louis Blues

Why he could win: If there’s one man who could realistically push Carbery off the throne, it’s Montgomery, the 2023 winner. Fired by Boston on Nov. 19, Montgomery was hired by the Blues five days later. When he took over the team’s bench, St. Louis sat well out of a playoff spot, with four clubs sitting between them and a wild-card ticket. Then the Blues started stringing together wins — by the new year, St. Louis was just three points out, with just one team separating it from the two wild-card clubs. In mid-March, things truly turned as Montgomery guided the Blues through a 12-game win streak that only ended at the hands of the league-leading Jets. The dominant 24-point stretch moved the Blues into the top wild-card slot and has them on track to end their two-year playoff drought.

Scott Arniel, Winnipeg Jets

Why he could win: And then there’s the likely Presidents’ Trophy winners in Winnipeg. The Jets were already among the league’s best before Arniel took over, finishing second in the West last year before pushing for the top spot this season. Still, continued success was far from a certainty last May when head coach Rick Bowness retired in the wake of the club’s first-round defeat. Stepping from associate coach to the top job, Arniel’s not only kept the Jets rolling, he’s helped them find a new level — the team’s 53 wins are a franchise record, they’ve already matched last year’s 110 points with a handful of games to go, and they’ve improved last season’s plus-60 goal differential to an even more dominant plus-83 this season. It likely won’t be enough for Arniel to unseat either of the bench bosses above him, but the Jets leader deserves credit for the seamless transition.

Travis Green, Ottawa Senators

Why he could win: If we’re talking turnarounds, the Senators should be in that mix, too, led by the newly appointed Green. After a half-decade run in Vancouver and a brief stint in New Jersey, Green arrived in Ottawa with the task of turning potential into performance. The pieces were seemingly all there — what’s been missing in Ottawa is consistency, and the ability to keep the puck out of its own net. As Sportsnet’s Alex Adams pointed, the Sens’ defensive play has improved significantly under Green, going from allowing the fifth-most goals in the league last season to the 10th-fewest now. Their goal differential, which sat at a paltry minus-26 last season — fourth-worst in the East — has flipped too, to plus-7. That’s good for sixth-best in the conference, and a key reason why the Sens sit comfortably in the first wild-card slot, on track to end their seven-year playoff drought.

Dean Evason, Columbus Blue Jackets

Why he could win: Few NHL coaches have ever navigated a situation as difficult as the one Evason faced this season. In the wake of the unimaginable Johnny Gaudreau tragedy that hit the Blue Jackets in late August, there eventually came the question of how this group could move forward and play out a hockey season — how they could focus on the game at all while navigating such immense grief. Evason, in his first season with the organization, has seemed to handle the situation with grace, his patient approach allowing the club to accomplish far more than expected. A late-season slide pushed the Blue Jackets back to the outside of the East’s wild-card race — still, as recently as a month ago, Columbus held onto a playoff spot and remained in the thick of the race. Regardless of where it all finishes, there’s no question the Jackets have managed something special this season, and Evason’s guidance seems at the core of that effort.

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