2023-24 NHL Awards Race: Mid-season check-in
With every NHL team rapidly approaching the halfway point of their seasons, we’re at the point where we can start to make some educated judgments on the campaign thus far. Which teams are contenders, who are the pretenders, who have surprised and who has flattered to deceive?
Today we’re going to focus on the NHL awards races as we begin to see genuine front-runners emerge.
Whilst these awards leaders are purely the opinion of this writer, there are a couple of awards that are not at all subjective – let’s begin with those.
Art Ross Trophy – regular season points leader:
Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning): 67 points in 40 games
Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche): 65 points in 40 games
Artemi Panarin (New York Rangers): 55 points in 38 games
David Pasternak (Boston Bruins): 55 points in 38 games
Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers): 54 points in 34 games
It’s tight at the top, with a recent push by MacKinnon seeing him just about catch long-time leader Kucherov for the league lead. Keep an eye on that image speeding up in the rear view, though. Connor McDavid is on a tear.
Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy – Regular season goals leader:
Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs): 30 goals in 36 games
Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning): 28 goals in 40 games
Sam Reinhart (Florida Panthers): 28 goals in 39 games
Matthews has a slight lead for the Rocket, though he has played in fewer games. Can he maintain his current 69-goal pace, a total that would tie for the 16th greatest goal-scoring season in the history of the NHL? It’s unlikely but it would be nice if he could.
Hart Trophy – MVP:
Leader: Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche)
In the mix: Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning), Artemi Panarin (New York Rangers), Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks)
There may be a hint of recency bias in handing this award to MacKinnon over Kucherov, given the former is on a tear with 31 points in his last 24 outings, including a 19-game point streak. MacKinnon, as is his wont, is beating opponents with a devastating combination of skill and sheer brutality, as he keeps the Avalanche hot on the heels of the Winnipeg Jets for Central Division honours.
As the old saying goes, all empires crumble. The Tampa Bay Lightning that are living proof. Kucherov, though, is raging valiantly against the dying of the light. His is practically the only reason that the Lightning are still within reach of a playoff spot. The 30-year-old winger sits a full 25 points ahead of Tampa’s next-best scorer, Brayden Point.
Panarin has at long last realised that you don’t score when you don’t shoot the puck. With 25 goals in 38 games, he’s on course to smash his career best of 32 goals back in 2020. Whilst he is shooting the puck more, Panarin’s masterful playmaking hasn’t slipped. He’s the clear catalyst for all that is good with the resurgent New York Rangers.
The upstart Vancouver Canucks are led by their baby-faced D-man Quinn Hughes. The 24-year-old leads all defenders with 49 points, ranking 10th overall in the NHL. Whilst you could rightly hand credit to Thatcher Demko and JT Miller, as well as coach Rick Tocchet, Hughes is clearly the man in Vancouver.
Norris Trophy – Best defenseman:
Leader: Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks)
In the mix: Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche), Noah Dobson (New York Islanders)
Let’s tip our collective hat to Noah Dobson, the third entry in the most two horsed race of all time. This isn’t to disparage the 24-year-old; he’s been fantastic in his own zone for the under-the-radar Islanders whilst posting a point per game. He’s had an excellent season to date.
The Norris, though, will go to either Makar or Hughes, with Hughes just slightly edging it at this stage. The pair are only a point apart in offensive production with Makar doing it in fewer games, though with more ice time per match.
Whichever one misses out, come season’s end, will have every right to feel just a little bit aggrieved.
Vezina Trophy – Best goaltender:
Leader: Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets)
In the mix: Thatcher Demko (Vancouver Canucks), Cam Talbot (Los Angeles Kings)
*A quick note, here: the Boston Bruins Frankenstein’s goalie that is Jerenus Swaymark has taken too much away from each other to make the top three, though Swayman came mighty close.
After somewhat of an off-color start to the season, 2019-20 Vezina winner Hellebuyck has been stellar. His 2.28 GAA is second amongst starting goalies. Remarkably, he only has six regulation losses to his name, his play being the primary driver behind the Jet’s conference-topping record.
The one man with a better GAA amongst starters is Cam Talbot at 2.10. With three teams in the past three seasons and his appearances dropping, the 36-year-old must have feared becoming a backup journeyman. Time will tell if he’s put that to bed or if this is just an Indian Summer, but he’s been magnificent for the Kings.
Just prior to the season starting, this writer published his top five players by position in the NHL. Thatcher Demko wasn’t among the top five goalies. He wasn’t on the 12-player long list. If this list had been compiled a month ago, Demko may have indeed led the Vezina race. He’s been that good.
Selke Trophy – Best defensive forward:
Leader: Aleksander Barkov (Florida Panthers)
In the mix: Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins), Anze Kopitar (Los Angeles Kings)
With Patrice Bergeron and his Selke hoovering ways a thing of the past, it appears that Aleksander Barkov will add this year’s Selke – and likely many more in the future – to his 2021 award. At even strength, Panthers opponents average just 1.8 goals against per 60 minutes. When the stakes are high, Barkov just gets better: Those numbers drop to 0.8 in close games and 0.5 when the score is tied, per Hockey Reference.
Like Barkov, Kopitar would likely have more than two Selke’s on his mantle if not for the existence of Bergeron. Kopitar has been magnificent in the faceoff circle this season and his combination with Phillip Danault has seen the Kings control centre ice far more often than not this campaign.
Whisper it, but Sid the Kid has been an exemplary defensive forward for quite a few years now, though doesn’t have the same penalty-kill responsibilities as either Barkov or Kopitar. Of all the skaters to take a minimum 100 faceoffs this season, Crosby’s 61 percent win rate ranks 6th on the NHL.
Lady Byng Trophy – Gentlemanly play:
Leader: Elias Pettersson (Vancouver Canucks)
In the mix: Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs), William Nylander (Toronto Maple Leafs), Jesper Bratt (New Jersey Devils)
Both Elias Pettersson and Auston Matthews have just a single minor penalty to their respective names to this point of the season. Pettersson leads this race by virtue of his 48 points sitting narrowly ahead of Matthews’ 45.
Likewise, Matthews’ linemate William Nylander and New Jersey’s Jesper Bratt have eight penalty minutes each. Nylander leads Bratt by 10 points on the season.
An aside, here: How on Earth can you have a name like Bratt and play for a team called Devils and be in contention for an award for gentlemanly play? A failure in nominative determinism. That’s how.
Jack Adams Award – Best coach:
Leader: Rick Tocchet (Vancouver Canucks)
In the mix: John Tortorella (Philadelphia Flyers), Peter Laviolette (New York Rangers), Jim Montgomery (Boston Bruins)
Rick Tocchet’s lack of overall success, combined with a, let’s call it less-than-player-friendly demeanour, at his previous coaching stops in Arizona and Tampa saw many heads scratched when the Canucks hired him to helm their rebuild. Now sitting atop the Pacific division and second overall in the Western Conference, it appears that this version of Coach Tocchet has the locker room in the palm of his giant hands.
Another who isn’t known for putting his arm around his players, John Tortorella has the Flyers sitting in sixth in the east, about 32 positions higher than most predictions had them. Ol’ Torts, of course, has made a career out of turning sad sack teams around, only to lose their ear within about two or three years. Enjoy it whilst it lasts, Flyers fans. Still, this is an award for this season and this season only and it would be churlish not to give the man his due.
There’s a hint of the late Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan to Peter Laviolette, with the exception of a championship ring. Both are straight-down-the-line personalities who focus only on controlling what you can control and maximising effort. It’s kind of astounding that he hasn’t won the Jack Adams before. In his first season as a Ranger, he has the team playing with a pace and intensity that this talented group has sorely lacked.
A very quick note on Jim Montgomery: Weren’t the Bruins supposed to fall back to the pack this season?
Calder Trophy – Best rookie:
Leader: Connor Bedard (Chicago Blackhawks)
In the mix: Daylight. Oh, you want names anyway? Fine. Marco Rossi (Minnesota Wild), Brock Faber (Minnesota Wild)
The consensus first-overall pick has lived up to the hype with 15 goals and 18 assists for 33 points in 39 games. He’s at the top of the rookie rankings in all three, whilst his ice time leads all rookie forwards.
In any other year, Faber would be the hot favourite to take home the Calder. He is in the top 10 in ice time in the NHL (not amongst rookies, the entire NHL) whilst putting up close to a half-point a game. Bedard’s dominance has also robbed us of a teammate battle for the award with centre Marco Rossi posting 24 points in 38 games which, in any other season, would be excellent for a rookie.
Rossi is technically in his third campaign, but having only played 21 games over two seasons is still eligible for this award. Not that he’s going to win it, mind…
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