The NHL trade deadline has passed, which means the stretch run to the Stanley Cup playoffs is here.
Is there enough time left to change the NHL awards race dynamics? Many of last month’s front-runners are still in the lead for these awards.
Welcome to the NHL Awards Watch for March. We’ve polled a wide selection of Professional Hockey Writers Association voters anonymously to get a sense of where the wind is blowing for the current leaders. We’ve made sure it’s a cross-section from the entire league, trying to gain as many perspectives as possible.
Bear in mind that the PHWA votes for the Hart, Norris, Calder, Selke and Lady Byng finalists; broadcasters vote for the Jack Adams; and general managers handle the Vezina. Also keep in mind the unofficial “you have to be in it to win it” protocol for the Hart and the Jack Adams.
All stats are from Hockey-Reference.com, Natural Stat Trick and Evolving Hockey.
Jump ahead:
Ross | Richard | Hart
Norris | Selke | Vezina
Calder | Byng | Adams
Art Ross Trophy (points leader)
Current leader: Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers (122 points through Sunday’s games)
Watch out for: Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers (96)
Longer shot: Let’s be real, no one is catching McDavid.
Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy (leading goal scorer)
Current leaders: Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers (52 goals)
Watch out for: David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins (44)
Longer shot: Tage Thompson, Buffalo Sabres (42)
Hart Trophy (MVP)
Leader: Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Finalists: David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins; Tage Thompson, Buffalo Sabres
It wasn’t unanimous, but McDavid is the clear favorite to win his third Hart Trophy as NHL MVP.
“Even if he doesn’t play another shift this season,” one voter said.
“As Larry Bird once said, ‘Who’s coming in second?'” another voter noted. “A first-place vote for anyone but Connor McDavid would be a disgrace at this point.”
Records are starting to fall during the most dominant season of McDavid’s dominant career. His 58 points on the power play (18 goals, 40 assists) passed Wayne Gretzky for the most in a single Oilers season. He nearly became the third player in NHL history to record six straight multigoal games, falling just short at five in a row.
“The Oilers have had defensive struggles and it’s why they cannot pull away in the West,” another voter said. “If not for McDavid, this is probably a team that is struggling to get into the wild-card race, let alone be in a place to win the Pacific.”
He’s on pace for 156 points this season. That would be the 14th-highest point total in NHL history and the highest by a player not named Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux. That’s the pantheon McDavid is entering right now. He might never catch Gretzky’s nine Hart Trophy wins, but he can match Mario’s career total.
“He has nearly a 30-point lead on every other NHL player and the Oilers have all but locked up a playoff spot,” a voter said. “This vote should be unanimous.”
The two players keeping our Hart ballots from being unanimous are Pastrnak and Thompson.
The Bruins winger signed an eight-year, $90 million contract extension this week for performances like the ones we’ve seen from him this season. The man they call Pasta has 44 goals and 40 assists in 62 games. While McDavid’s 26-point gap to the Oilers’ next-highest scorer (Leon Draisaitl) is incredible, Pastrnak is up 30 points over the second-best scorer on the Bruins (Brad Marchand).
“Pasta is on pace for 57 goals, which would be the most in franchise history by any player not named Phil Esposito,” one voter said. “He had no reason to accept the Boston discount.”
That was the gap between Nikita Kucherov and the second-highest scorer on the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2018-19 when he won MVP honors. That’s the lane for Pastrnak to win the Hart, if he has one: Best player on the best team, one that’s chasing regular-season records for wins and points. That might not be enough given McDavid’s offensive pyrotechnics. Pastrnak probably needs to win the Rocket Richard to really state that case.
Thompson leads Rasmus Dahlin by 19 points for the Sabres’ scoring title, but it’s his goal total that has him in the Hart conversation. The center’s 42 goals in 61 games is 14 more than any other Buffalo player and ranks him second in the NHL this season. He has 32 goals in their 32 wins, including 63 of his 82 points in those wins.
“I’m still on the Tage Thompson train,” a voter said. “I mean, look at the Buffalo Sabres and how they’re still in it this late. Team Tage.”
I’ve said for months that Thompson might have a Hart case if he’s the reason the Sabres make the playoffs for the first time since 2011. As of Sunday, there was a 22% chance of that happening.
There were a few other players in consideration for Hart nomination. One of them was Draisaitl, McDavid’s teammate on the Oilers. “It’s not his fault that he plays alongside one of the 10 greatest players in NHL history,” one voter said. “He is no ordinary sidekick. With the league’s second-highest point total, Draisaitl at least warrants a mention.”
Another was Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche, who has 41 goals on the season. “I think he’s a hair ahead of Tage Thompson, who would move up if Buffalo makes it,” another voter said.
Finally, one of our other voters had an eye on Kirill Kaprizov: “He’s carrying the Minnesota Wild of late. They win low-scoring tight games and he scores an inordinate percentage of their goals.”
Norris Trophy (top defenseman)
Leader: Erik Karlsson, San Jose Sharks
Finalists: Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres; Adam Fox, New York Rangers
What was a tight vote in previous Awards Watch installments finds Karlsson increasing his advantage. The Sharks defenseman now owns over two-thirds of the first-place votes for the Norris, seeking the third of his career and first since 2015.
“Because who else?” one Karlsson voter quipped.
A few voters wondered about the one-sided nature of Karlsson’s game this season, as well as the Sharks’ lack of success.
“You could see this coming down to voters choosing between the defenseman who had one of the most prolific campaigns we’ve seen over the last 20 years or do they take a defenseman who did everything for a playoff team?” one voter wondered.
Others were willing to put those concerns on the back burner to celebrate Karlsson’s incredible season.
“Karlsson is still on pace to top 100 points,” another Karlsson voter said. “I don’t care about his defensive deficiencies. I don’t care that the Sharks suck. One hundred points by a defenseman is so incredible that I am blinded by the heat.”
Karlsson had 80 points in 63 games through Sunday, which is 14 points better than Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey for the NHL’s leading scorer among defensemen. The NHL hasn’t had a 100-point season from a defenseman since Brian Leetch in 1992-93.
“This is one of the all-time offensive performances from a defenseman,” a voter said.
But Karlsson still has some competition, including a previous Norris winner in Adam Fox of the Rangers. He was the clear second choice among the voters.
Fox is sixth among defensemen with 57 points in 63 games. He skates 24:54 per game and is one of the best all-around defensemen in the NHL.
“I’m still leaning Fox for his overall game, but it’s getting tougher to ignore Karlsson, Morrissey and [Rasmus] Dahlin, among others,” a Fox supporter said.
Dahlin was the third choice for our voters. The Sabres defenseman has been a revelation this season, setting career highs across the board (14 goals, 49 assists, 63 points and a plus-23) while skating 25:50 per game.
A few voters mentioned that their support of Dahlin was tied to Buffalo making the postseason. Other voters felt that no matter what the Sabres do, Dahlin’s season should be celebrated.
“Only Drew Doughty and Cale Makar are logging more average ice time than Dahlin, who is on pace for 86 points this season,” one voter noted. “That would break Phil Housley’s franchise record [81].”
Other defensemen who were mentioned included Morrissey, Makar and Hampus Lindholm of the Boston Bruins.
Calder Trophy (top rookie)
Leader: Matty Beniers, Seattle Kraken
Finalists: Mason McTavish, Anaheim Ducks; Owen Power, Buffalo Sabres
There was only one unanimous choice for an award winner in this month’s Awards Watch, and it was Beniers for the Calder.
“He wins by default,” one voter said.
The 20-year-old center leads all rookies with 44 points in 60 games this season. His 19 goals is also tops among rookies. He’s averaging 16:59 per game and has skated to a plus-7. Few rookies have been as vital to their teams as Beniers has been to the Kraken.
“This year’s rookie class has seen a number of contributors make an impact on their teams,” a voter said. “As of now, it looks like Beniers has had the biggest impact on a team that went from the lottery and possibly into the playoffs in one season.”
McTavish is second in points among rookies, with 37 points in 62 games this season.
“With steady production throughout the season in a ‘meh’ rookie class, he has inserted himself into the Calder conversation,” added another voter, who added that McTavish is challenging for the Calder “despite the Ducks being horrid.”
Power rounded out the top three. He has 23 points in 53 games this season, skating to a plus-12 for the contending Sabres. Most importantly, he leads all rookies with 23:43 of ice time per game.
What’s interesting about this Calder vote: None of the rookie goalies was given a push. Logan Thompson of the Vegas Golden Knights, Stuart Skinner of the Edmonton Oilers, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen of the Sabres, Dan Vladar of the Calgary Flames … none of them was prominently mentioned by our voters.
“The goalies who were once in this conversation no longer warrant a mention,” a voter concluded. “I can’t remember being this underwhelmed by an NHL rookie class [of goalies].”
Vezina Trophy (top goaltender)
Note: General managers vote for this award.
Leader: Linus Ullmark, Boston Bruins
Finalists: Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets; Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders
Last month’s top three remains intact, with Ullmark as the clear favorite.
The Bruins goalie is 32-4-1 with a .938 save percentage and a 1.89 goals-against average. He’s No. 1 in goal saved above expected, adjusted save percentage and wins above replacement. Boston is on a different level than every other team in the NHL, and its starting goalie is a primary reason why.
“We focus a lot on wins, goals-against average and save percentage — as we should. But he’s only lost five times. Five times. Four in regulation and once in overtime,” a voter said. “He’s got a really strong cast around him. But he also makes some saves and has had a number of nights when he is the reason the Bruins win games.”
Another voter found one flaw in his game, albeit a cheeky one: “He has to catch up in the Rocket Richard race too. I mean, only one goal? C’mon.”
Sorokin was the clear second choice among voters, with 20% of the vote. While he’s only 21-18-6 on the season, the Islanders goalie has a .926 save percentage and a 2.34 goals-against average. He’s tied for the NHL lead with five shutouts. He’s second to Ullmark in goals saved above expected, adjusted save percentage and wins above replacement.
One Sorokin voter conceded that it’ll be hard to overcome Ullmark. “It’s still Sorokin when taking into account the team quality in front and the shot quality against, but I’m hardly going to be upset when Ullmark wins it. What a ridiculous season he’s having,” they said.
The other goalie to receive a first-place vote is Hellebuyck. He’s 27-19-2 in 48 games, with a .919 save percentage and a 2.62 goals-against average. The 2020 Vezina winner is arguably the Jets’ MVP in their push for the playoffs. He’s second to Anaheim’s John Gibson in both shots faced and saves made this season.
Other goalies mentioned by voters were Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars, Alexandar Georgiev of the Colorado Avalanche and Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators.
“Saros probably won’t be dragging the Predators into the playoffs, but that’s what happens when your team is scoring like a lottery team,” a voter said. “He is among the top five in every meaningful analytic.”
Selke Trophy (best defensive forward)
Leader: Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins
Finalists: Mitchell Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs; Jordan Staal, Carolina Hurricanes
Bergeron is well on his way to extending his NHL record for Selke wins to six, as the Bruins captain earned first-place votes on all but two ballots.
“He’s Patrice Bergeron. Next question,” a voter concluded.
The Bruins give up 1.16 goals every 60 minutes at 5-on-5 with Bergeron on the ice. Their goalies have a .956 save percentage when he’s out there. He’s a contributor to the best penalty kill in the NHL (86.6%). He wins over 60% of his faceoffs.
“I want to be cool and bold and pick Jordan Staal or Mikael Backlund here, but it’s Bergeron. It’s always Bergeron,” another voter said.
As the Bruins chase history in the regular season, Bergeron is a key reason why.
“It would be so deserving for Bergeron to get another Cup to cement his astounding and unconventional legacy,” another voter noted.
The other players to receive first-place votes for the Selke were Staal and Marner.
The Hurricanes allow 2.09 goals per 60 minutes when Staal is on the ice. He’s the fulcrum for one of the NHL’s best defensive lines (with Jesper Fast and Jordan Martinook). He wins 54.3% of his faceoffs.
The Leafs give up 2.10 goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 when Marner is on the ice. He plays on the team’s penalty kill and adeptly uses his speed to make plays defensively.
One voter just wanted to see Marner win in order to break the stranglehold centers have had on the Selke since 2003. “Time for a winger to win,” the voter who put Marner first said.
Other players mentioned by our voters were Nico Hischier of the New Jersey Devils, who was in the top three last month, Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks, and Brandon Hagel of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Lady Byng Trophy (gentlemanly play)
This is the part where I mention that the Lady Byng Trophy for gentlemanly play should be voted on by the league’s on-ice officials or by the NHL Players’ Association.
Once again, we’ll have to give the nod to center Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils, who has 76 points in 58 games and just four penalty minutes. But Jaccob Slavin of the Hurricanes, who won the Byng in 2021, has just eight penalty minutes while averaging 22:14 per night of tough defensive play.
Jack Adams Award (best coach)
Note: The NHL Broadcasters’ Association votes on this award.
Leader: Jim Montgomery, Boston Bruins
Finalists: Bruce Cassidy, Vegas Golden Knights; Lindy Ruff, New Jersey Devils
One of our voters put it best: “What an awesome story to watch.”
Montgomery was fired by the Dallas Stars in December 2019 for “unprofessional conduct.” He announced he had checked into rehab for alcohol abuse in January 2020. That September, he was hired as an assistant coach with the St. Louis Blues. In June 2022, he was hired as the head coach of the Bruins and has been credited for turning them into the juggernaut that’s challenging NHL regular-season records.
“Boston has not slowed down, and after the trade deadline, the team is even more stocked for a Cup run,” a voter said.
Another voter had Montgomery first, but conceded that “Lindy Ruff isn’t far away.”
Ruff was one of three coaches to receive first-place votes other than Montgomery. The Devils coach has overseen one of the most dramatic turnarounds in recent memory: New Jersey tallied just 63 points last season, and Money Puck projects them to finish with around 112 points this season.
“No matter what happens in ‘The Eastern Octagon,’ Ruff belongs in this conversation,” another voter said.
The next coach to receive the most support was Cassidy, who has kept the Golden Knights on track despite their early goaltending concerns and a series of injuries during the season.
The other coach to receive a first-place vote was Dean Evason of the Minnesota Wild.
“Look at the goal differential. They have to play close games in order to win,” another voter said. “They have a defensive system that, if it came with goals to go with it, we’d be talking about them in another way. That is not to take away from Jim Montgomery, who has been damn near perfect. But there is also something to be said about what Evason is doing with the Wild.”
Other coaches who received attention included Dave Hakstol of the Seattle Kraken, Rod Brind’Amour of the Carolina Hurricanes and Andre Tourigny, who made the Arizona Coyotes better than anyone anticipated this season.