The story of the NHL season so far, besides inexplicably bizarre off-ice injuries, has been the incredible performances from hockey's next wave of stars.
Players like Macklin Celebrini, Connor Bedard, Leo Carlsson and Matthew Schaefer are populating nightly highlight reels and leading their teams into unexpected playoff contention. Could flirtation with the postseason lead to postseason hardware for these young standouts? Or are the NHL awards still on lock for the league's established stars, like the ones leading the Colorado Avalanche to an historic start in the standings?
Welcome to the NHL Awards Watch for December. 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.
Keep 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.
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)
Click here for the updated point-scoring standings.
Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy
Click here for the updated goal-scoring standings.
Hart Trophy (MVP)
Leader: Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
Finalists: Connor Bedard, Chicago Blackhawks; Macklin Celebrini, San Jose Sharks; Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche are in the midst of one of the greatest starts to a season in NHL history. Through 26 games, they're 19-1-6 for a .846 points percentage. For context, the Boston Bruins had a .823 points percentage in 2022-23, when they amassed an NHL-record 135 points and 38 wins. They opened that season 20-3-0. Colorado went 17-1-5 in that span.
The primary reason Colorado sits upon the throne this season with a plus-50 (!) goal differential is MacKinnon, the NHL's leader through 26 games in goals (22), points (46) and plus/minus (plus-32). Heading into Wednesday night, MacKinnon had more even-strength points (35) than all but six players had total points this season.
MacKinnon earned 82% of the first-place votes after earning 10% of the votes last month.
"It's Nathan MacKinnon and by a commanding margin over anyone else I'd consider No. 2 at the moment," one voter argued.
"Best player on best team. Let's not overthink it," another concluded.
"Plus-32 only 26 games into the season is insane," another declared.
"I have tried justifying anyone else over him right now, and I can't make the case," another explained. "Because it's not just the goal scoring, it's his overall game. It's crazy."
"The Avs are head and shoulders above the rest of the league right now with Mackinnon and Makar leading the way," another voter added.
Makar was a finalist last month and earned around 5% of the support this time, well behind his teammate MacKinnon. Also clocking in around 5% was Blackhawks star Bedard, who led his team in scoring by 15 points after 26 games.
"MacKinnon has been unstoppable, but Celebrini has to be No. 2 with Bedard not far off either," one voter noted.
Celebrini was second to MacKinnon in first-place votes, finishing atop around 10% of the ballots. The second-year San Jose star led the league with 26 assists through 27 games, to go along with 14 goals for 40 points -- second only to MacKinnon.
"He's got points on 51% of the Sharks' goals. He's a legitimate two-way force. He's the definition of most valuable," one voter pointed out.
Among the Hart Trophy candidates that didn't receive first-place votes but ended up on our voters' ballots: Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson (35 points in 27 games) and Vegas Golden Knights star Jack Eichel (32 points in 26 games), who led this race in last month's Awards Watch.
"It's Nathan MacKinnon and then everybody else," one voter offered, "despite some of the kids excelling on bubble teams."
Norris Trophy (top defenseman)
Leader: Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
Finalists: Jakob Chychrun, Washington Capitals; Josh Morrissey, Winnipeg Jets
Call it "group think." Call it genuflecting to the best defenseman on the NHL's best team. Call it what you will, but it doesn't change the fact that Cale Makar was the unanimous choice for the Norris Trophy.
He was one vote away from being unanimous last month. (Montreal's Mike Matheson, who earned that other first-place vote, was nowhere to be seen on this month's ballots.)
Makar led all defenseman in points (32) after 26 games, just ahead of Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (26) and currently injured New York Rangers star Adam Fox (26). Werenski was second to Makar for the Norris last season. Fox won the award in 2020-21.
Fox had some fans this season.
"The hate for Fox because he played four so-so games in a tournament 10 months ago is so strange to me. He's still elite," one voter noted, referencing the 4 Nations Face-Off.
"Fox's defensive play has been notable this year, and the Rangers will sorely miss him. But Makar's play makes this a non-starter barring any sort of injury," another concluded.
"There are some fun stories out there this season, like what Jakob Chychrun is doing in D.C., but Makar is once again looking like the guy," another opined.
Chychrun has 23 points in 27 games, skating to a plus-19 for the Capitals. That isn't Makar's plus-29, but it is still impressive. More impressive: The Capitals are averaging just 1.55 goals against per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 with Chychrun on the ice. He was the next most prominently mentioned defenseman on our voters' ballots.
Next up was Josh Morrissey, who was a finalist last month as well. The Jets defenseman continues to produce offensively (24 points in 25 games, skating to a plus-11), and Winnipeg is averaging over 4 goals per 60 minutes with Morrissey on the ice. (Sharing the ice with Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor doesn't hurt). The Jets are giving up only 2.2 goals per 60 minutes with Morrissey out there.
Werenski was on a handful of ballots. Vancouver's Quinn Hughes and the Islanders' Matthew Schaefer are also on the voters' radar. But it's Makar, unanimously, that leads the Norris race.
"Start engraving now," one voter declared.
Calder Trophy (top rookie)
Leader: Matthew Schaefer, New York Islanders
Finalists: Yaroslav Askarov, San Jose Sharks; Jesper Wallstedt, Minnesota Wild
Islanders phenom Matthew Schaefer is first in the Calder voting for the second straight month, increasing his margin from 81% to 88% of the first-place votes.
"Eighteen-year-old defensemen are not supposed to step into the league and make this kind of an impact," one voter argued.
"Young defenseman rarely look good, and he looks reallllly good," another voter noted.
Schaefer, the first overall pick in the 2025 NHL draft, was second in rookie scoring through 27 games, with 19 points. That included eight goals, which led all rookies. Just as impressive is his ice time, having jumped into the deep end immediately for the Islanders at 23:22 per game. No other rookie is playing more than 20 minutes per contest on average. Defensively, the Islanders are averaging under 2 goals per 60 minutes with the rookie on the ice.
"He plays more than 23 minutes a night and earned a spot on Team Canada's long list as an 18-year-old. Ridiculous," one voter quipped.
"The guy has played himself into Olympic contention and the outskirts of the Norris conversation. We're rapidly approaching the discussion of whether or not it will be unanimous," another voter declared of the Calder race.
It's not unanimous, however. Over Schaefer's shoulder are two young goaltenders who were the only other rookies to earn first-place votes from our panelists this month.
Minnesota's Jesper Wallstedt earned just under 10% of the first-place votes thanks to a startling first 10 games for the Wild: 8-0-2, a. 944 save percentage and a 1.74 goals-against average.
Four of his wins have been shutouts. For what it's worth, the expansion era record for shutouts by a rookie is 15 by Chicago's Tony Esposito in 1969-70. Stathletes has him leading the NHL in goals saved above expected (10.24) through those 10 games.
It's a limited sample vs. the other two finalists, but "The Wall of St. Paul" is making his mark early.
The last time two goaltenders finished in the top three for the Calder Trophy was in 1964-65, when Detroit's Roger Crozier won the award and Chicago's Denis DeJordy was third. It could happen again this season with how Wallstedt and Yaroslav Askarov are rolling. The only other rookie to receive a first-place vote, Askarov has played well (.910 save percentage, 2.96 goals-against average) for the surprising Sharks, ranking fourth in goals saved above expected among goalies who have played at least 10 games.
"It's Schaefer, but Askarov is catching up," one voter observed.
Montreal rookie star Ivan Demidov was the most prominently mentioned player down the ballot, after earning first-place votes last month. He has 19 points in 25 games, putting him right behind Beckett Sennecke of the Anaheim Ducks (20 points) for tops among rookie forwards entering Thursday night. Sennecke was mentioned on several ballots. Also earing attention from the voters was Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin.
"Strong class, but we really have some commanding early leaders in awards balloting this year," one voter pointed out.
Vezina Trophy (top goaltender)
Note: The NHL's general managers vote for this award.
Leader: Scott Wedgewood, Colorado Avalanche
Finalists: Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins; Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
The Vezina race was turned on its head last month when Winnipeg Jets star Connor Hellebuyck, seeking his third straight trophy win, elected to have a minor arthroscopic procedure on his knee that put him out for at least a month but perhaps longer. That opened the door to other goalies to stake their claim to the Vezina -- including one that no one saw coming.
Before joining the Avalanche last season, Scott Wedgewood played for four different franchises. He was a dependable backup to goalies ranging from Antti Raanta to Jake Oettinger, putting up solid numbers in limited appearances. He never received a single vote for the Vezina in his career.
And now he's the leader to win the award for the NHL's best goaltender, two months into the season.
Wedgewood earned 46% of the first-place votes for his stellar start for the first-place Avs. Through 19 games, Wedgewood went 13-1-3 with a .920 save percentage and a 2.07 goals-against average. He played brilliantly while Mackenzie Blackwood was out with an injury. Analytically, he leads the Avalanche in goals saved above expected (5.7) per Stathletes.
"A surprise entry but he's earned it," one voter declared.
But with Blackwood back, Wedgewood's time on the throne could be fleeting.
"As impressively as Scott Wedgewood has performed for the Avalanche this year, Mackenzie Blackwood has been even better in fewer outings. Which speaks to the well-rounded machine steamrolling almost all comers in Denver these days," one voter explained. "Whereas Tampa isn't even sniffing top spot in the Atlantic without their No. 1 in net."
Vasilevskiy won the Vezina in 2019 and has been a finalist five times, including finishing second last season to Hellebuyck. He's 11-6-1 through 19 games, with a .917 save percentage and a 2.31 goals-against average. He has 9.9 goals saved above expected per Stathletes, which supports the theory from many voters that he deserves a massive amount for credit for the Lightning being atop the Atlantic.
"It's Vasilevskiy ... just like old times," one voter quipped.
The Lightning goalie and Swayman each earned around 14% of the first-place votes. The Bruins goalie has been brilliant during Boston's surprising start, posting strong traditional numbers (11-7-0, .910, 2.80) and leading the NHL with 10.8 goals save above expected -- which is very impressive when you consider his crease-mate Joonas Korpisalo is underwater (minus-2.38) analytically.
He's also working hard for those numbers: Only the Rangers' Igor Shesterkin (612) had faced more shots than Swayman (554) entering Wednesday's action.
Shesterkin was among the other goalies to receive a first-place Vezina vote from our panelists. Others included Spencer Knight of the Chicago Blackhawks; Logan Thompson of the Washington Capitals, who led this category last month and "should be Team Canada's guy" according to one voter; and Ilya Sorokin of the New York Islanders.
"The Islanders are one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL by expected goals against. The only reason they are within striking distance of a playoff spot is Sorokin," a Sorokin voter said.
Selke Trophy (best defensive forward)
Leader: Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens
Finalists: Anthony Cirelli, Tampa Bay Lightning; Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
Much like Hellebuyck's absence from the Vezina race, Florida Panthers star Aleksander Barkov's preseason injury -- which is expected to cost him the entire regular season -- has made the Selke Trophy race wide open. Barkov was seeking his third straight win as the NHL's best defensive center and fourth Selke overall.
With Barkov out, Canadiens center Nick Suzuki has become the established frontrunner, earning the most first-place Selke votes in the NHL Awards Watch for a second straight month.
"The tightest race, with Suzuki narrowly in front," one voter concluded. "With Barkov's absence, it was to be expected. To stay in front, Suzuki will need to remain a consistent penalty killer."
Suzuki earned around 43% of the first-place votes from our panel. That's notable since he's placed 13th for the award in consecutive seasons. He's got the numbers, whether it's the surface level Selke stuff like winning faceoffs (51.7%) or his on-ice impact analytically, as the Canadiens are giving up just 1.32 goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 when he's on the ice.
He also has 30 points in his first 25 games, and we'll just say the quiet part out loud for the Selke: Historically, players have needed solid offensive totals to win best defensive player.
Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli earned around 14% of the first-place votes to place second. He finally broke through as a Selke finalist last season after receiving votes in his previous six seasons. Cirielli plays significantly more on the penalty kill (2:44 per game) than Suzuki (0:38). His faceoff numbers are below average (48.1%), while his goals against at 5-on-5 (2.19) are far better than his expected goals against in the same scenario (3.42).
The Athletic's Dom Luszczyszyn doesn't have Circelli in his current top 10 for the Selke based on his model. There seems to be some disconnect here between the player's reputation as a Selke contender and his actual numbers for the Lightning.
Speaking of reputation, the defensive prowess of Edmonton star Leon Draisaitl has gotten much more attention lately, as he finished sixth for the Selke last season. He earned around 10% of the first-place votes to place third in this edition of Awards Watch. Draisaitl kills penalties, is dominant in the faceoff circle (56.8%) and the Oilers have a 2.38 expected goals against with him on the ice.
Other players who received first-place votes included:
Panthers forward Sam Reinhart, who finished second to Barkov last season
Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto, who has never earned a Selke vote
Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek, whose highest Selke finish was fourth in 2020-21
Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin, whose only Selke love came when he finished 20th in 2018-19
Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis, who was eighth for the Selke in 2023-24
Bo Horvat of the New York Islanders, whose highest Selke finish was 22nd in 2022-23
Other players mentioned down the ballot: Calgary's Mikael Backlund, Seattle's Matty Beniers and Colorado's Brock Nelson and Nathan MacKinnon.
Please note that two of last month's finalists -- Nico Hischier of the New Jersey Devils and Jordan Staal of the Hurricanes -- weren't even mentioned by our voters in this canvassing. Such is the chaotic nature of the Selke race early in the season.
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 instead of the PHWA. Traditionally, this award goes to a player with a top-20 point total and the lowest penalty minutes among those players.
Through 27 games, Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars had 35 points and two penalty minutes, with a hooking penalty against the Islanders on Nov. 18. Not an illegal check or an elbow or roughing or fighting or high-sticking -- just some light obstruction, the most gentlemanly of penalties, in our estimation.
Jack Adams Award (best coach)
Note: The NHL Broadcasters' Association votes on this award.
Leader: Jon Cooper, Tampa Bay Lightning
Finalists: Jared Bednar, Colorado Avalanche; Joel Quenneville, Anaheim Ducks
Jon Cooper has won a Calder Cup in the AHL, two Stanley Cups in the NHL and led Team Canada to gold in the 4 Nations Face-Off ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics, where he'll coach the Canadian national team again. Which is to say that Jon Cooper is a bit accomplished as a professional hockey coach, save for one glaring omission from his bio: The Jack Adams Award.
He's been a finalist twice, losing to Colorado's Patrick Roy in 2014 and Washington's Barry Trotz in 2019. His .639 points percentage is the second best in NHL history for coaches with at least 700 games behind the bench, trailing only Scotty Bowman (.657).
This season, Cooper has coached a Lightning team ravaged by injuries and underperformance to the top of the Atlantic Division, despite starting the season 1-4-2. He's leading the Jack Adams race so far, earning around 46% of the votes.
"He never gets the credit he deserves, but maybe now with so many key pieces missing, people see there's a reason he's been there for 150 years," one Cooper voter joked.
"Seriously, can we give this man his due? He's missing his top three defensemen [Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh and Erik Cernak] for significant time. For one game in November they were missing 35-percent of their salary cap to injury," another pointed out. "They turned the worst start in franchise history through seven games around in less than a month despite all the injuries It is time to give Jon Cooper his flowers. He has gone from a poor start to among the top in the East."
Trailing Cooper with around 27% of the first-place votes was Quenneville, who has helped turn the Ducks from a .488 points percentage non-factor last season into a .635 points percentage division leader so far this season.
"Hands up: Who had the Ducks leading the Pacific in December?" one Quenneville voter asked.
"I don't think anyone thought the Ducks were going to be this fun or this good. He's allowing the kids to learn from mistakes and they're developing," another noted.
Of course, there are other factors at play for Quenneville, who is coaching for the first time since October 2021 due to what the NHL said was an "inadequate response upon being informed in 2010 of allegations that Chicago Blackhawks player Kyle Beach had been assaulted by the team's video coach."
"Quenneville should probably be in the conversation, but I don't think he deserves recognition because of his past," one voter argued.
Jared Bendar of the league-leading Avalanche was third with around 18% of the vote. He was a finalist in 2018, losing to Vegas Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant.
"Hearty applause for what Boston's Marco Sturm, Pittsburgh's Dan Muse, and Joel Quenneville have accomplished thus far this season -- well done, really. But there's only one team with a single regulation loss and not one of them is running that outstanding show," a Bednar backer boasted.
Muse was the leader for this award last month. Andre Tourigny of the Utah Mammoth was among the top three vote getters. They were among the coaches earning honorable mentions down the ballots, along with Spencer Carbery (Washington Capitals), Travis Green (Ottawa Senators), Patrick Roy (New York Islanders) and Rick Tocchet (Philadelphia Flyers).
But right now, it's Coop's to lose.
