Originally posted on The Score
This is the 13th and final in-season edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2023-24 campaign. Check back for updated rankings before the playoffs begin.
In this edition, we break down each team's best hope to win an individual award at the end of the season. Note that most awards are legit, but some have been creatively thought up.
Previous rank: 2
Artemi Panarin (Hart Trophy). The "Bread Man" has been on the fringes of the MVP discussion or better for most of the season. He's not going to win it, and he may not even be a finalist. But Panarin has carried the Blueshirts in 2023-24 with nearly 40 more points than his next-closest teammate.
Previous rank: 6
Miro Heiskanen (Norris Trophy). Much like Panarin's quest for the Hart, Heiskanen isn't a favorite to win the Norris, but he's been a down-ballot contender. He's had a stellar season defensively - staking his claim as arguably the best blue-liner in the league in that regard - along with being strong offensively.
Previous rank: 7
Jim Montgomery (Jack Adams Award). Nobody has won the award in consecutive years since Jacques Demers from 1987-88, but Montgomery is as deserving as any. He more than likely won't win, but the job "Monty" has done keeping the Bruins a powerhouse after losing Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, and others in the offseason is truly remarkable.
Previous rank: 3
Frederik Andersen (Bill Masterton Trophy). Andersen was sidelined for four months due to a blood-clot issue but has been outstanding between the pipes since his return, sporting an 8-1-0 record with a .954 save percentage. There may be no better candidate for the NHL's perseverance award.
Previous rank: 1
Nathan MacKinnon (Hart Trophy). MacKinnon has long been the bridesmaid, but never the bride. That should change this year when the three-time finalist - and two-time runner-up - takes home the award for most valuable player. Others have compelling cases, but we get the feeling voters will skew toward a first-time winner. "Nate Dogg" is more than deserving, too.
Previous rank: 8
Connor McDavid (Art Ross Trophy). Look, McDavid is always the Oilers' best shot at winning an individual award, and this season is no different. We easily could have put him down for the Hart Trophy, but we've pegged him to win his fourth straight Art Ross Trophy. The superstar leads the league with 120 points in 63 games since Edmonton's coaching change.
Previous rank: 4
Quinn Hughes (Norris Trophy). Hughes is the favorite to win, leading all defensemen with 86 points. He's also morphed into a true 200-foot player by cleaning up his defensive game. Cale Makar and Roman Josi make strong cases, but expect Hughes to take home his first Norris after a career year.
Previous rank: 10
Connor Hellebuyck (Vezina Trophy). The Jets' workhorse goaltender is primed to win the award for the second time in his career, leading all netminders with 35.9 goals saved above expected. His .920 save percentage is also the best among goalies with at least 30 starts.
Previous rank: 5
Aleksander Barkov (Selke Trophy). The Panthers captain leads all NHL centers in defensive goals above replacement, putting him on track to win the award for the second time in his career. With Bergeron out of the picture, Barkov could have a few more Selkes in his future.
Previous rank: 13
Auston Matthews (Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy). Matthews has it locked up for the third time in four years with a staggering 64 goals in 75 games. He has six games left to reach 70 goals, a feat that hasn't been accomplished in over 30 years. If he gets there, he'll have a compelling Hart Trophy case. Matthews could also be a Selke Trophy finalist after killing penalties for the first time in his career.
Previous rank: 14
Most Annoying Team Award. At least according to all the other fan bases. The Golden Knights have come under fire for their crafty usage of LTIR, which allowed them to add Noah Hanifin, Tomas Hertl, and Anthony Mantha. Nothing fishy is happening here, if you ask GM Kelly McCrimmon. Don't hate the player, hate the game.
Previous rank: 11
Jekyll and Hyde Award. It's been a tale of two seasons for the Kings. They lost more games than they won (23-15-10) before firing Todd McLellan on Feb. 2 but have gone 18-10-1 since the coaching change with largely the same roster. The Oilers would probably win this if it were real, but Los Angeles would definitely have a shot at it.
Previous rank: 12
Nikita Kucherov (Art Ross Trophy). Kucherov's poor defensive game should prevent him from making a serious run at the Hart Trophy - especially compared to two-way centers MacKinnon, McDavid, and Matthews - but he has a good shot to take the Art Ross, as he leads the league with 136 points.
Previous rank: 9
Gustav Nyquist (Lady Byng Trophy). Josi has a chance at the Norris, but we thought it would be fitting to highlight Nyquist, who would be a good choice for the award that goes to the player who displays sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct, and high-level playing ability. The 34-year-old shattered his previous career high in points and has only tallied eight penalty minutes.
Previous rank: 25
Sidney Crosby (Mark Messier Leadership Award). Sid likely won't be a Hart finalist, but if he drags the Penguins to the playoffs, he'll get some down-ballot love and could finish fifth. The Penguins captain is also a strong candidate for the Messier, which he previously won in 2009-10. Sid hit the 40-goal mark for the third time on Saturday and recently became the second player in NHL history with 19 straight point-per-game seasons.
Previous rank: 20
Noah Dobson (Norris Trophy). He won't win, but Dobson is in line for a top-five finish for the league's top defenseman honor. The 24-year-old has been the Islanders' most valuable player, ranking second on the team with 68 points in 77 games.
Previous rank: 19
Dylan Larkin (Red Wings-Specific Hart Trophy). Detroit's captain doesn't have any hope of winning the actual MVP award, but the Red Wings have shown this season that they really need him in the lineup. They're 34-21-8 with Larkin and 4-10-0 without him in 2023-24. He's healthy now, and that makes a difference for a team fighting for a wild-card spot.
Previous rank: 15
Alex Ovechkin (Old Man Strength Award). Ovi's still got it at 38 years old. He's just one goal away from notching 30 for the 18th time in 18 unabbreviated seasons (the lone time he fell short came in the COVID-19-shortened 2021 campaign). Ovechkin needs just 43 tallies to tie Wayne Gretzky's all-time record for a career, and it would be unwise to bet against him.
Previous rank: 17
Joel Hofer (You're Dead To Me Award). Hofer's been a solid streaming option in fantasy this season, boasting comparable numbers to starter Jordan Binnington. But those rightfully expecting him to notch two wins against the atrocious San Jose Sharks in a seven-day span this past week instead got a pair of defeats, which undoubtedly affected numerous fantasy playoff matchups.
Previous rank: 18
Brock Faber (Calder Trophy). The rookie defenseman has been a revelation for the Wild this season, and he's been admirably pushing Connor Bedard for the hardware. Faber ranks third among all first-year players with 43 points in 77 games while averaging over 25 minutes of ice time per contest.
Previous rank: 16
John Tortorella (Jack Adams Award). The only reason the skidding Flyers even have a chance at the playoffs is because of the tremendous job Torts has done behind the bench. His hard-nosed demeanor rubs certain people the wrong way, but it's hard to argue with the results. A third Jack Adams win for Tortorella is unlikely, though a top-five finish is in the cards.
Previous rank: 24
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Exceeded Expectations Award). As a team, the Sabres would be in the mix for the Failed To Meet Expectations Award, if such a thing existed. But Luukkonnen has been one of the lone bright spots for Buffalo this season. He grabbed the reins in goal with surprisingly reliable play, buying Sabres goalie of the future Devon Levi some time to develop in the AHL.
Previous rank: 21
Most Baffling Choices Award. Few teams have left us as befuddled as the Devils this season. Yes, they eventually made the right choices in firing head coach Lindy Ruff and trading for a couple of goaltenders, but those moves happened in March with the Devils largely out of the playoff race. Who knows where New Jersey would be if GM Tom Fitzgerald acted sooner?
Previous rank: 23
Matty Beniers (Sophomore Skid Award). Beniers certainly isn't the first Calder winner to stumble in the following season. The 2021 second overall pick is playing almost a minute more per game in 2023-24 than he did a year ago, but that hasn't helped him build on his hardware-worthy exploits of 2022-23.
Previous rank: 27
Michael Carcone (Cy Young Award). Carcone's goal-to-assist ratio of 21-to-8 most closely resembles a Cy Young-winning MLB pitcher's win-loss record. The 27-year-old journeyman has been a nice story for the Coyotes, as he only had six goals in 30 career games entering the season.
Previous rank: 29
theScore's Award for Excellence in Drama. The Senators' season hasn't been short on theatrics. They were docked a first-round pick, they fired their GM and head coach, a player was suspended half the season for violating gambling rules, that slap shot happened, and their captain just threw a fit over an empty-netter. It's been messy, OK?
Previous rank: 26
Juraj Slafkovsky (Most Improved Player Award). Yes, we are stealing this from the NBA, but if the NHL gave out a similar trophy, the 2022 first overall pick would certainly be in contention. Slafkovsky has racked up 16 goals and 45 points in 77 games this season, a vast improvement from the 10 points he managed in his injury-riddled rookie campaign.
Previous rank: 22
The "Extreme Makeover" Award. The Flames arguably underwent the most amount of change this season, dealing Nikita Zadorov, Elias Lindholm, Chris Tanev, and Hanifin. The makeover didn't make them prettier, but they aren't downright awful, either.
Previous rank: 28
Most Dysfunctional Franchise Award. Among teams that actually play in NHL-sized arenas, the Blue Jackets would be a shoo-in for this award. Columbus is in line for its second straight last-place finish in the Eastern Conference and has made the playoffs just six times in its 23-season history. This season was full of negative headlines, with the Mike Babcock saga, multiple trade requests, injuries, and a GM firing.
Previous rank: 30
Connor Bedard (Calder Trophy). The 2023 first overall pick has come as advertised with 22 goals and 59 points in 63 games in his first NHL season, and he's undoubtedly a front-runner for the hardware despite missing time with a broken jaw. Bedard is already the Blackhawks' main source of offense, and he's only 18.
Previous rank: 31
Cam Fowler (Green Jacket). Masters week is here, so it's only fitting to note that Fowler (minus-37) is in contention for the Green Jacket, awarded to the NHL player with the worst plus-minus rating. It'll most likely go to somebody on our No. 32-ranked team, but we've seen epic comebacks at Augusta before.
Previous rank: 32
Michel Therrien Award. Remember when the former Pittsburgh coach famously said, "I really start to believe their goal is to be the worst defensive squad in the league" about the 2005-06 Penguins? That screams 2023-24 Sharks, who rank last in virtually every important defensive statistic this season and have no chance of winning an individual award.
(Analytics sources: Evolving-Hockey, Natural Stat Trick)
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Originally posted on The Score
Published: 7 months ago
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