With the NHL season reaching its halfway point, it’s high time for award predictions. Which of my predictions will be correct, and which will blow up in my face? Only one way to find out.

Hart Trophy: Connor McDavid 

In what is a shock to absolutely nobody, Connor McDavid is having an MVP-caliber season. “McJesus”, as he’s known to fans, has been on an absolute tear so far this season, with 41 goals and 51 assists for an absurd 92 points. There’s literally nothing you can say about McDavid that hasn’t already been said. Statistically, he’s by far the best hockey player since the days of Gretzky and LeMieux. McDavid has a ridiculous 789 points in 537 games, and he’s just entered his prime. The list of best-in-class attributes McDavid has is unquantifiable, from his 25 MPH skating speed to his otherworldly shot and hockey IQ. Nobody even comes close to McDavid in terms of this award, and if he stays healthy throughout his career, McDavid could become the greatest player of all time. Simply put, McDavid is an unstoppable force, and I’m looking forward to see how many more highlights he’ll put up the rest of this season. 

Runner-up: David Pastrnak 

With all due respect to McDavid’s linemate Leon Draisaitl, Pastrnak gets the nod here. The Czech sniper has had a season to remember in 2022-2023, punctuated by a superb 38 goals and 71 points in 50 games. He’s done this all on an impressive 23 +/- rating, and he’s arguably the main engine behind the Bruins historic season. He’s just 2 goals and 6 points back of his impressive 2021-2022 season, and he has a shot at a most improved player award if the NHL decides to implement that (I genuinely don’t see why they haven’t when half of their awards are redundant). Pastrnak is one of the few players with no true holes in his game, and his defensive effort has looked good this season despite not being expected to play superb defense on the same line as Patrice Bergeron. He’s an amazing player, and it’s a shame that his outstanding season likely won’t net him a Hart trophy. 

Norris Trophy: Erik Karlsson 

What an incredible comeback season it’s been for Karlsson, who bounced back from an awful 2021-2022 campaign to nearly double his point total midway through this year. A year ago, Karlsson had just 35 points and looked like a surefire trade-away candidate for a reeling Sharks squad. Fast forward to this season and Karlsson already has 66 points, capitalized by an astounding 50 assists. Ironically, he’s still heavily involved in trade rumors, but you can chalk that up to the Sharks being terrible regardless of how well Karlsson is playing. He has a good amount of competition for the Norris and he’s by no means guaranteed to keep up his awesome pace, but he’s 11 points ahead of the 2^nd ranked defenseman in scoring, and his efficiency is great despite his massive 25 minute on the ice every night. He’s also managed a –2 +/- rating this season, which is impressive considering the fact that he plays on a team whose best goalie has a .895 save percentage. Additionally, Karlsson’s 56 blocks and 46 takeaways are impressive for an offensive defenseman. The race might be close with this one, if Karlsson can keep amassing points at the rate he has been, he should be a lock to take home the Norris trophy for a third time in his illustrious career. 

Runner-up: Rasmus Dahlin 

Right behind Karlsson is Rasmus Dahlin, who’s arguably played better two-way hockey than Karlsson. Since his 1^st overall selection in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Dahlin has been a consistent candidate to be a breakout star, and he’s finally fulfilled that potential this season. Simply put, Dahlin is a force on the ice. He has 14 goals and 41 assists for 55 points, which is a new career high for him despite only having played in 48 games this season compared to 80 last season. The biggest catalyst for Dahlin’s superb campaign has been his shooting percentage, which has ballooned from 7.6% last season to 9.9% this season. While this pace might taper off a bit, Dahlin’s bread and butter attribute isn’t his shooting, but rather his ability to make an impact in every facet of the game. Dahlin’s superb season has been bolstered by 87 blocked shots and 28 takeaways, which are on pace to smash his previous career bests of 91 and 38, respectively. No matter what he’s doing on the ice, Dahlin is an absolute stud. If he can separate his point totals from the rest of the NHL and get close to Karlsson, he should absolutely win the award. His matchup with Karlsson is certainly one to keep track of. 

Vezina Trophy: Linus Ullmark 

One look at Ullmark’s stat sheet this season tells you all you need to know about what he’s done. On top of a jaw-dropping 25-4-1 record, Ullmark has posted a league-leading .936 save percentage and a 1.90 goals against average. He has 2 shutouts this season for good measure. Ullmark has been the key factor in the Bruins’ dominance this season, and he’s done so on an especially consistent basis. He leads the league in the three main statistical categories for goalies and has a chance at winning not just the Vezina, but a triple crown. Ullmark’s season has been one of record-breaking proportions, and it seems like he will continue his sublime play for the remainder of the season. There’s not much more that needs to be said—Ullmark is the top Vezina candidate this season through and through. 

Runner-up: Jake Oettinger 

How fortunate is Dallas to go from Ben Bishop to Jake Oettinger in net? The man is consistently remarkable on the ice and he’s had three straight seasons in which he’s been one of the league’s best netminders. He’s consistently been one of the most underrated players in the NHL since he entered the league in the 2020-2021 season, and he’s finally earned some recognition this year. Linus Ullmark has been the best goalie in the league this season, but Oettinger has been a clear-cut 2^nd best. His 21-7-7 record is good for 7^th in the NHL, and his .923 save percentage and 2.26 goals-against average are good for second in the league. He has 4 shutouts this season, and he’s done so for a Stars team that lost two of its best defensemen in back to back seasons as Jamie Oleksiak was taken by the Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft and John Klingberg signed with the Anaheim Ducks last season. Jason Robertson has commanded respect from NHL fans this season as a leader on the Stars, but Oettinger is right there with him. On any given night, the Lakeville, Minnesota native has a shot at seizing the day for Dallas. Connor Hellebuyck might be more well-known, but Oettinger has been consistently more impressive this season, especially considering the fact that he’s played so well regardless of who the Stars have on defense. Oettinger is a true star in the NHL, and he has one of the brightest futures in the entire league. 

Calder Memorial Trophy: Matty Beniers 

No surprise to see Beniers here in first. It’s impressive to see a guy who can’t legally drink in the states lead a playoff team, but what’s more impressive is that Beniers is doing so with a Kraken team that managed just 60 points last season. The team has already broken that number with 63 points through the All-Star Break, which is utterly ridiculous. Beniers’ stats are nothing to sneeze at either. He’s had 17 goals and 19 assists for 36 points thus far this season, which are great numbers considering how Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol likes to shuffle his lineups around. Beniers gets 17 minutes of TOI per game, so it’ll be interesting to see if Hakstol ups his minutes or keeps him on the same TOI pace. Regardless, Beniers looks like a lock to win the Calder and perhaps lead the Kraken on a playoff run as well. 

Runner-up: Stuart Skinner 

Nobody saw this one coming. After Edmonton signed Jack Campbell to a 5 year, $25 million contract in July, many believed that the Oilers goaltending woes were over. Those fans were right, but this assistance in net hasn’t come from Campbell, but rather from Skinner. The 24 year old Edmonton native has had a great season thus far, going 13-10-3 with a .914 SV% and a 2.92 GAA. While these aren’t All Star numbers, Skinner isn’t exactly in the best situation for goaltenders, but he’s been one of the most crucial assets in Edmonton’s success this season. It remains to be seen if he’ll keep these numbers up, but as it stands now, he’s my pick for runner up. 

Other trophies: 

Selke Trophy: Patrice Bergeron 

Jack Adams Award: Jim Montgomery 

Jim Gregory Award: Ron Francis