Name: NHL Awards: Kaprizov, McDavid headline PHT midseason winners
Brand: nbcsports.com
SKU: nbcsports-com-1412
Availability: OnlineOnly

critic

NHL Awards: Kaprizov, McDavid headline PHT midseason winners

preview

There are less than two months to play in the 2020-21 NHL regular season. While we don’t have an All-Star break this year to take a look back at the first half, now is as good of a time to get a gauge on the front-runners for the major NHL awards.There’s been plenty of surprises and disappointments so far, and it’s never too early to begin discussing who could be up for the big trophies come summer time.The PHT team was asked for their midseason winners for the following NHL awards: Hart, Norris, Vezina, Calder, Jack Adams Award, and Selke.Let us know your winners of the midseason NHL awards in the comments.James O’Brien, NHL writer: . Sheesh, you think McDavid spent the offseason reading about how was the best player in the world. Along with the huge point totals, it’s McDavid’s ability to make the extremely difficult look sublimely simple. It’s not that easy; McDavid is just&nbsp;that good.Sean Leahy, NHL writer: Connor McDavid. His pal has his own strong case, but the Oilers captain has been incredibly dominant this season. In over 500 minutes at 5-on-5, his expected goals (27.82) leads all forwards, . Also, of Edmonton’s 103 goals scored, he’s had a direct hand in 53 of them (17 goals, 36 assists).Marisa Ingemi, NHL writer: Connor McDavid: I thought a lot about the Canadian division and if the wild goal scoring is kind of unfair to pick an MVP out of there, but each division is kind of a mess so whatever, McDavid is the best player.Adam Gretz, NHL writer: Connor McDavid. I am not really sure how it is not him at the moment. He is running away with the scoring title and could top 100 points in a 56-game season while helping to carry a flawed Oilers team to the playoffs. He is an unbelievable offensive force. The best we have seen since Mario Lemieux.Michael Finewax, : Connor McDavid. He is easily the NHL’s best player and this season he has been on fire with 53 points in 31 games. It’s hard to believe in a 56-game schedule but he has a realistic shot at 100 points.Jake Abrahams, Managing Editor, NHL content: . The surprising Blackhawks are getting unexpected contributions from a few unheralded rookies, but Kane is the driving force behind Chicago’s success. Let’s be clear: this is not in any way suggesting Connor McDavid isn’t the best player in the NHL.Michael Finewax, : . He has always been a very good defenseman defensively as well as offensively but this season he has taken his offensive game to a new level with 26 points in 27 games. He is outperforming everyone, with the surprising holding down second spot in the points standing as well as the Norris race.Adam Gretz, NHL writer: Victor Hedman. Honestly ,I think Hedman could win this award every year, he is that good and he never seems to slow down. Leading point man among defenseman at the halfway point and a shutdown defendere. He is the best player on the league’s best team.Marisa Ingemi, NHL writer: : The Bruins defense is kind of a nightmare. Who would have guessed? Luckily for them, McAvoy has progressed quickly and is absolutely carrying the load there, contributing on offense and playing on the penalty kill too. He stabilizes the rest of the mess.James O’Brien, NHL writer: Jeff Petry. With hurt, this field is wide open. Frankly, I expect the end-of-season pick to change, but Petry’s been a remarkable source of offense, without sacrificing defense. Wouldn’t be surprising if Charlie McAvoy overtakes Petry.Sean Leahy, NHL writer: . This might be Makar’s if he can stay healthy the rest of the way, but for now it’s been Girard. He’s the only defenseman with a Corsi of higher than 60% and has handled a heavier load with Makar out.Jake Abrahams, Managing Editor, NHL content: . This may not happen purely because a defenseman usually has to work his way up intto Norris contention before he can actually win the award, but Ekblad has been that good this season for the surprising Panthers. It may be difficult to unseat some of the incumbent contenders like Victor Hedman, but an upset could be brewing.Michael Finewax, : . The 23-year-old has been the best rookie to date with 24 points including 10 goals and is battling who is 10-6-4 this season for the Blackhawks in goal. I think that Tim Stützle is the best and most exciting rookie as the 18-year-old continues to amaze for the Senators but at this point in time it is Kaprizov who is deserving of the trophy.Adam Gretz, NHL writer: Kirill Kaprizov. We do not need to overthink this. He is the best rookie in the league&nbsp;by a wide margin and has completely transformed the Wild into a must-watch team. That alone is an accomplishment.James O’Brien, NHL writer: Kirill Kaprizov. Much like with McDavid, sometimes it’s best to take the K.I.S.S. (Keep it Simple, Stupid) approach. Complain about his age all you want, Kaprizov’s lived up to the hype — and then some.Marisa Ingemi, NHL writer: Kirill Kaprizov: He’s also the funnest player, if that is an award. He can have that one, too.Sean Leahy, NHL writer: Kirill Kaprizov. He’s going to face a battle with Stützle coming on, but the hype train is fast right now for the Wild rookie. He has 24 points in 26 games and has been an invaluable part of Minnesota’s rise this season.Jake Abrahams, Managing Editor, NHL content: Kirill Kaprizov. Unless his teammate sustains his current form and steals some votes, Kaprizov is my heavy favorite.James O’Brien, NHL writer: . Speaking of the K.I.S.S. approach, I probably should’ve just gone “chalk” with my preseason Vezina pick. Vasi was impeccable last season, including during a Conn Smythe-level playoff run, and he really hasn’t stopped. He’s a workhorse who brings quality with all of that quantity.Sean Leahy, NHL writer: Andrei Vasilevskiy. Three shutouts and an NHL best .944 even strength save percentage, a 13.26 goals saved above average, and a .900 high-danger save percentage make the Lightning ‘tender a clear front-runner.Marisa Ingemi, NHL writer: Andrei Vasilevskiy: Not to be boring but he’s been the best goalie this season and has honestly been the most reliable goalie for a long time. He plays a ton and he doesn’t really slump.Michael Finewax, : Andrei Vasilevskiy. He is the best goalie in the NHL. He is 17-3-1 with 1.85 goals-against-average and a .934 save percentage. Fleury is right behind him but Vasilevskiy’s win total gives him the edge.Jake Abrahams, Managing Editor, NHL content: Andrei Vasilevskiy. With all due respect to ’s fantastic start, Vasilevskiy is the best goalie on the planet and deserves the Vezina once again. It would take a serious second-half slump to remove him from my Vezina perch.Adam Gretz, NHL writer: Marc-Andre Fleury. What a redemption story this is. After losing his starting job in the playoffs and looking like he was on his way out of Vegas, he has come back this season and played what is probably the best hockey of his career. He has never received much attention in Vezina voting in his career, but that is definitely going to change this year. I am not sure if he will beat Andrei Vasilevskiy, but he would get my vote at the moment.Marisa Ingemi, NHL writer: Joel Quenneville: Almost picked Barry Trotz because the Islanders are still overlooked, but I do not believe anyone honestly thought the Panthers would be competing with literally Tampa. Real impressive stuff in South Florida.Sean Leahy, NHL writer: Joel Quenneville. There are a few worthy contenders at the halfway point, but let’s give the Cats some love. Quenneville’s stamp is being put on this franchise and turning them into a competitive bunch in the Central with the third-best points percentage in the NHL (.750) and points in five of six games against Tampa and Carolina.Adam Gretz, NHL writer: Joel Quenneville. Hard to ignore how good the Panthers are right now, and unlike most Jack Adams contenders he is not relying on all-world goaltending to get his wins. His team is just really good and exceeding every expectation anybody could have had for it in a pretty good division.Jake Abrahams, Managing Editor, NHL content: Dean Evason. There are always good arguments to be made for multiple coaches, so I’m not suggesting Evason is the runaway favorite. Jeremy Colliton, Todd McLellan, Rod Brind’Amour, Joel Quenneville, and Barry Trotz are also contenders in my book. But Evason gets my first-half vote because he’s taken a historically mediocre team, and turned them into legitimate contenders.James O’Brien, NHL writer: Barry Trotz. The feeling was that, eventually, the Islanders would run out of steam — possibly once their goalies regressed. Instead, this team keeps getting better. I’m not saying that’s all Trotz but … maybe, I don’t know, 90%?Michael Finewax, : Jeremy Colliton. I think the job he has done in Chicago is tremendous. I thought the Blackhawks would be fighting it out with Detroit for the basement and possible first overall pick in the NHL Draft but lo and behold, Colliton has them in the thick of the Central playoff race and that’s without his top two centers and all season.Marisa Ingemi, NHL writer: : One of the most underlooked players in the entire league and he’s had a solid Selke reputation for a bit, but this feels like the year he gets fully recognized.James O’Brien, NHL writer: Aleksander Barkov. For a while, Barkov’s Selke-worthy reputation overtook his recent reality as more of an offensive play-driver. This season, Barkov’s converting that perception to an all-around impressive reality.Adam Gretz, NHL writer: . Wingers almost never get attention for this award unless they are Jere&nbsp;Lehtinen. So you have to be great to get serious consideration for it. Stone is that great. He is probably the best two-way winger in the NHL right now and you could probably even put together a strong MVP argument for him. He would be in my top-five for sure.Sean Leahy, NHL writer: . Second in the NHL in expected goals for percentage (65.14%), tops on the Wild in goals (11), and has excelled against top line competition all season. He’s been a integral part in Minnesota’s success this season.Michael Finewax, : . You can never go wrong with the Bruins forward, although he should get a battle from the Blues’ .Jake Abrahams, Managing Editor, NHL content: . There is simply no better two-way center in the NHL. He never makes a mistake, is an elite faceoff guy, leads a top-10 penalty kill unit…and by the way, is in contention for the scoring title* (*for all players not named McDavid or Draisaitl).As a reminder, this award should be voted on by NHL referees and NHL referees only.————Sean Leahy&nbsp;is a writer for&nbsp;. Drop him a line at&nbsp;&nbsp;or follow him on Twitter&nbsp;.DENVER — The Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche added more depth at forward by signing to a one-year, $2 million deal.The move comes on the heels of losing Nazem Kadri in free agency to Calgary. The Avalanche are banking that Rodrigues can help fill the void.Rodrigues arrives in the Mile High City after a season in Pittsburgh, where he set career highs with 19 goals and 24 assists. Rodrigues was the lone Penguins player to skate in every game last season.“We are excited to add a two-way player with Evan’s versatility to our group,” Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland said in a statement. “He is coming off his best offensive season and has shown he can play in a variety of roles and help a lineup in many ways.”It’s been a busy offseason for the Avalanche since beating the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final in June as they hoisted the trophy for the first time since 2001. Among the moves, they brought back defenseman , along with signing left wingers and . They also signed right winger to a contract extension, retained forward and traded for goaltender .The 29-year-old Rodrigues has played in 316 career NHL games in his time with Pittsburgh and Buffalo, the team that signed him as a free agent in April 2015. Before turning pro, he played at Boston University, where he helped the Terriers to the 2015 NCAA championship game before losing to Providence.After spending time hanging out with the Stanley Cup all summer, the Avalanche get back to work this week with rookie camp.OTTAWA, Ontario — The Ottawa Senators have locked up another one of their top young players.Center Tim Stutzle agreed to an eight-year, $66.8 million contract extension, the team announced.The deal, which carries an average annual value of $8.35 million and kicks in following the 2022-23 season, is the latest move by general manager Pierre Dorion to solidify Ottawa’s core.Selected No. 3 overall at the 2020 draft with the pick received in the trade with the San Jose Sharks, Stutzle has 34 goals and 87 points in 132 NHL games.The 20-year-old German finished second on the Senators with 58 points (22 goals, 36 assists) in 79 appearances in 2021-22.The Senators previously signed captain , center , winger and defenseman to long-term deals.“Tim is a dynamic offensive player who utilizes an exceptional blend of speed and skill to be a consistent difference-maker,” Dorion said in a statement. “He’s electrifying and has quickly become a fan favorite for good reason.”Ottawa, which has failed to make the playoffs since reaching the 2017 Eastern Conference final and has gone through a major rebuild, made news earlier this summer by acquiring forward in a trade the Chicago Blackhawks and signing veteran forward in free agency.The Senators, who finished with 73 points last season, also traded goaltender to the Toronto Maple Leafs before acquiring from the Minnesota Wild as his replacement.BROSSARD, Quebec — has agreed to a four-year, $13.45 million contract with the Montreal Canadiens.The 21-year-old center, who was a restricted free agent, had 26 points (nine goals, 17 assists) in 70 games with the Chicago Blackhawks last season.Dach’s contract carries an average annual value of $3.625 million per season.In a corresponding move to get under the NHL’s offseason salary cap, Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes told reporters star goaltender would be put on long-term injured reserve.The 35-year-old played just five games last season because of a knee injury after leading Montreal to a surprise berth in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final.Price, who won last season’s Bill Masterton Trophy as the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication, is heading into the fifth season of an eight-year deal that carries an annual cap hit of $10.5 million.“Carey’s knee has not responded to any kind of treatment and rehab that’s been attempted since he had the surgery after the (2021) playoff run,” Hughes said. “We’re not very optimistic that, short of some kind of intervention, that things will change.”Dach, meanwhile, was acquired by the Canadiens on July 7 for first- and a third-round picks at the 2022 NHL draft as part of Chicago’s rebuild that also saw dealt to the Ottawa Senators.Dach had 59 points (19 goals, 40 assists) in 152 games with the Blackhawks after being selected No. 3 overall in 2019.VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The Vancouver Canucks signed forward to a seven-year, $56 million contract Friday.The 29-year-old Miller was Vancouver’s leading scorer last season with 99 points on 32 goals and 67 assists in 80 games. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2022-23 season.The Canucks acquired Miller from the Tampa Bay Lightning at the 2019 NHL draft for goalie Marek Mazanec, a third-round pick in the 2019 draft and a conditional first-round pick in the 2020 draft.Drafted 15th overall by the New York Rangers in 2011, the 6-foot-1 American has 169 goals and 285 assists in 637 regular-season games with New York, Tampa Bay and Vancouver.Powered by

There are less than two months to play in the 2020-21 NHL regular season. While we don’t have an All-Star break this year to take a look back at the first half, now is as good of a time to get a gauge on the front-runners for the major NHL awards.There’s been plenty of surprises and disappointments so far, and it’s never too early to begin discussing who could be up for the big trophies come summer time.The PHT team was asked for their midseason winners for the following NHL awards: Hart, Norris, Vezina, Calder, Jack Adams Award, and Selke.Let us know your winners of the midseason NHL...

NHL Awards: Kaprizov, McDavid headline PHT midseason winners

No article scores yet.

CRITIC REVIEWS

PUBLIC REVIEWS