NHL Awards Watch: Who's leading for Hart, Norris, Calder?

Greg WyshynskiMar 9, 2026, 09:30 AM ET
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The NHL trade deadline has passed, and the sprint to the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs has arrived.

Where teams finish in the standings can impact how voters select their NHL Award winners. As we see in this month’s NHL Awards Watch, that’s especially true for a young superstar with the San Jose Sharks.

Welcome to the NHL Awards Watch for March. We’ve polled a wide selection of Professional Hockey Writers Association voters anonymously to get a sense of who has the edge among 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 vote for the Vezina.

All stats are from Hockey-Reference.com, Natural Stat Trick and Evolving Hockey.

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: Macklin Celebrini, San Jose Sharks; Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning/Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers (tie)

MacKinnon has led the Hart Trophy race for four straight months, and rightfully so. The Avalanche have led the league in points since October, and MacKinnon has been the engine behind that success.

MacKinnon has 104 points in 61 games, including an NHL-best 43 goals. He leads Brock Nelson by 13 goals and tops teammate Martin Necas by 28 points. MacKinnon’s career high in goals is 51, and the Avalanche record is Mikko Rantanen’s 55 goals in 2022-23. If we include the Quebec Nordiques — and we might as well because the Avs sometimes dress like them — then MacKinnon is potentially within reach of Michel Goulet’s 1982-83 record of 57 goals.

MacKinnon received the most first-place votes and 47% of the total first-place votes.

“Nathan MacKinnon remains the front-runner for me. Leads the league in even-strength points and has a plus-55 rating,” one voter said.

“He’s the clear MVP for me with 20 or so games remaining,” another MacKinnon voter said. “I hope he doesn’t get dinged for the fact that his organization outthinks and out-operates everybody else.”

Nathan MacKinnon capitalizes on the power play

MacKinnon is seeking his second Hart after winning in 2023-24. Kucherov is also looking for his second MVP win, having last won in 2018-19.

Despite a recent push by the Buffalo Sabres, the Lightning have been leading the Atlantic Division for a good stretch of the season. Though some credit should go to goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, the majority of it goes to Kucherov, who is having another dominant campaign.

Kucherov is third in the league points (103), second in assists (69) and first in points-per-game average (1.78). He was 36 points ahead of the Lightning’s second-leading scorer, Jake Guentzel.

Kucherov was tied with McDavid for the third-most first-place votes.

Once again, McDavid has lifted the Oilers on his shoulders. Through 64 games, McDavid has an NHL-leading 108 points, including 35 goals, which was third behind MacKinnon and Cole Caufield. McDavid was second in the voting in January but has been outside the top 3 in consecutive months. But he’s still collecting votes, while seeking his third Hart Trophy win, having last won regular-season MVP honors in 2022-23.

McDavid bides his time to score for the Oilers

Connor McDavid skates around the back of the net before scoring a goal for the Oilers in the second period.

A solid case can be made for either of these veterans. And then there’s the new superstar in town who finished with the second-most first-place votes behind MacKinnon.

Celebrini, who has played in 61 games, has 89 points, good for fifth in the NHL and well ahead of the Sharks’ next-highest scorer: Celebrini led Will Smith by 45 points on San Jose. Celebrini’s 32 goals were 13 more than Smith’s as well — although Smith has played just 48 games because of injury. Comparisons to Sidney Crosby will only intensify if Celebrini also wins league MVP in his second season, as Crosby did in 2006-07.

Celebrini is easily the most fascinating MVP candidate this season. He’s 19 years old and was one of the best players for Team Canada in the 2026 Olympics. While the Avalanche and Lightning are playoff mainstays, Celebrini is trying to drag the Sharks out of a rebuild and into their first postseason appearance since 2019.

“You could fit an eyelash between each of them in this race. Still giving the ‘No. 1-A’ nod to MacKinnon because he hasn’t declined in any fashion,” one voter said. “Celebrini and Kucherov have just been outstanding, too, and in terms of most valuable to their team … it’s tight.”

“MacKinnon has been incredible, as usual. With Celebrini and Kucherov, my thought process is, ‘How different would their team be if their top player were out?'” said one voter, who had these players in the top three of their ballots. “The Sharks wouldn’t be sniffing the playoffs without Celebrini. Kucherov has over 30 more points than his closest teammate.”

Macklin Celebrini tallies goal vs. Kraken

Entering Sunday, the Sharks had a 36.5% chance of making the cut in the Western Conference, per Money Puck. The playoff race is the key to Celebrini’s candidacy. At least, that’s the sense we get from our voters.

“It’s Celebrini if the Sharks somehow rally,” one Kucherov voter said.

“If the Sharks get in, I’d consider Celebrini,” one MacKinnon voter said.

“If the Sharks squeak into the postseason — a reasonable notion given the wan state of this season’s Pacific Division — it will be because of the sophomore who has more than twice as many points as anyone else on his squad,” one of the Celebrini voters said.

At least one voter doesn’t agree on the playoff criteria for the Hart.

“I don’t buy the notion that you have to make the playoffs to win this award,” the voter said. “If your team narrowly misses but would be a lottery team without you — like San Jose — you provide more value than a team who would still be good without a singular player.”

Finally, earning his first MVP vote in this season’s awards watch is New York Islanders rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer, who is second in points (46) on his team.

“It’s time for Matthew Schaefer to get Hart buzz. There’s no player in the NHL more ‘valuable’ to his team,” the Schaefer voter said.

Another player to receive support down the ballot was Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Norris Trophy (top defenseman)

Leader: Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche/Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets (tie)
Finalists: Quinn Hughes, Minnesota Wild

The Norris race has been fun this season. Not because any of these finalists are unexpected — they were the official finalists for the Norris last season, with Makar winning and Werenski placing second — but in how Werenski has steadily chipped away at Makar’s once-substantial vote lead to turn the Norris into a two-defensemen race with just over a month left in the season.

In fact, it’s a dead heat: Makar and Werenski finished with 41% of the first-place votes, tied for the Norris lead.

Makar had 66 points in his first 61 games, skating to a plus-33 in 25:03 of average ice time. That 1.08 points-per-game average would be a badge of honor for 99% of the NHL’s defensemen, but it’s slightly down by Makar’s standards. But he has excelled beyond his usual offensive dominance: The Avalanche have a 67% goals-for percentage when Makar is on the ice at five-on-five, averaging 3.77 goals and just 1.86 goals against per 60 minutes.

“My ballot is on its way to being a repeat of last year,” one Makar voter said.

“It’s Makar up top, no question. After that, I could argue for probably close to seven or eight guys,” another Makar voter said.

Cale Makar scores on the power play for Colorado Avalanche

Werenski, who has played in 55 games, has 65 points, which led all scorers on the Blue Jackets and was 11 points clear of second-leading scorer Kirill Marchenko entering Sunday’s action. That includes 20 goals, which was second on the Jackets.

Werenski is second in the NHL in average ice time (26:27) and plays in all situations. His underlying numbers don’t pop like those of Makar, but are outstanding relative to his teammates. Werenski earned some spotlight in Team USA’s gold medal victory in the Olympics, and will continue to do the same in the NHL if the Blue Jackets keep up their playoff push.

“Makar’s play has dropped of late. Werenski is going to find himself in the Hart conversation if Columbus makes the playoffs,” one voter said. “He’s been incredible, all year.”

Makar received 55% of the vote last month, and his lead has declined for three straight Awards Watch installments. If his recent play has opened the door for Werenski a little, it’s the Columbus defenseman who has knocked it down and made this a dead heat.

“He’s doing more with less around him versus Makar,” one Werenski voter said.

But Werenski still needs to make his case over the defenseman many consider a generational talent.

“Zach Werenski might’ve picked the wrong era to win one of these,” one voter said.

Zach Werenski nets goal for Blue Jackets

Hughes was the clear third choice among our voters. He leads the NHL with 27:44 in average ice time per game, and has 63 points in 58 games this season with the Wild and the Vancouver Canucks. In 32 games with the Wild, Hughes has 36 assists and 40 points — 17 of them on the power play.

“Cale Makar would still sit in the No. 1 spot for me, but it’s a narrow gap between him, Quinn Hughes and Moritz Seider filling out my top three,” one Makar voter said.

Seider was the only other defenseman to receive a first-place Norris vote, but was mentioned frequently down the ballot.

Even with the two clear favorites, there’s still time for the Norris race to take a few more turns.

“It’s close. Zach Werenski is right there behind him. And … have we all been sleeping on Evan Bouchard?” one voter asked.

Edmonton Oilers fans would certainly say so. Through 63 games, Bouchard led all defensemen with 72 points, including 45 on even strength. He plays in all situations and has skated to a plus-13 this season.

“Evan Bouchard can also still get into the mix with 25% of the season remaining,” one Makar voter said.

Bouchard’s problem is convincing voters that his frequently maligned defensive game has improved enough for Norris consideration.

“Evan Bouchard doesn’t defend well enough to leapfrog either Cale Makar or Zach Werenski,” one voter said.

Other defensemen mentioned down the ballot: Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens and Matthew Schaefer of the New York Islanders.

Calder Trophy (top rookie)

Leader: Matthew Schaefer, New York Islanders
Finalists: Ivan Demidov, Montreal Canadiens; Beckett Sennecke, Anaheim Ducks

No hipster picks. No contrarianism. Just the acceptance that Schaefer is the best rookie in the NHL this season, from his play on the ice to the vibe-shift he provided the Islanders.

For the second straight month, Schaefer was the unanimous choice from our panel, earning every first-place vote. He had 46 points through 64 games, skating to a plus-12. No rookie has skated more on average (24:16) and no rookie had more power-play goals (seven) or points (15) than Schaefer. He’s 23 points clear of the next-highest rookie scorer, Alexander Nikishin of the Carolina Hurricanes. As mentioned earlier, he’s second on the Islanders in goal and points.

All of this at 18 years old, after playing 17 games for the OHL Erie Otters last season.

“Engrave the plaque. Write the release,” one voter declared.

“He has 20 goals from the back and logs over 24 minutes a night, and has singlehandedly made the Islanders watchable,” another quipped.

“Schaefer is past the Calder conversation and is now in the Norris conversation,” another beamed.

“Remember how Matthew Schaefer wasn’t guaranteed a roster spot with the Islanders ahead of this season? Feels like a remarkably silly notion now,” another voter recalled.

Matthew Schaefer’s 20th goal of season gives Islanders a lead

Matthew Schaefer scores giving the Islanders the lead in the third period

This must be a bummer for Demidov and Sennecke, who are both having terrific rookie seasons but ultimately battling for the silver to Schaefer’s gold. (Would it have been Canada’s gold in Milan if Schaefer had been on the team? We’ll never know…)

Sennecke led all rookies with 51 points and was tied with Schaefer with 20 goals entering Sunday’s action. He has been a key factor in the Ducks’ surge of the standings this season.

“Sennecke is going to finish with 25 goals and almost 40 assists in his first NHL season and it won’t matter a lick in light of how Schaefer has dragged his club into legit playoff contention as an 18-year-old defender,” one voter detailed.

Demidov was the odds-on favorite to win the Calder before the season. He hasn’t disappointed with 13 goals and 35 points (48 points) in 62 games for the Canadiens, with 14 points on the power play. He just hasn’t been Schaefer. Then again, no one has outside of Schaefer.

“Schaefer still has some company in Senecke and Demidov,” one voter claimed.

“Schaefer is going to win this and should win this, perhaps unanimously. I’d have Beckett Sennecke in the No. 2 followed by Ivan Demidov,” another revealed.

Other rookies who received support down the ballot included Ben Kindel of the Pittsburgh Penguins; Ryan Leonard and Justin Sourdif of the Washington Capitals; Fraser Minten of the Boston Bruins; and Jesper Wallstedt of the Minnesota Wild.

Vezina Trophy (top goaltender)

Note: The NHL’s general managers vote for this award.

Leader: Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
Finalists: Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders; Logan Thompson, Washington Capitals

While Kucherov is understandably getting the MVP love for the Lightning this season, none of their success would be possible without Vasilevskiy. He’s 29-10-3 in 42 games and fifth in the NHL in goals saved above expected per Money Puck (17.8). He returned to form last season but finished second to Connor Hellebuyck in the Vezina voting.

“Tampa probably shouldn’t be as good as they are,” one voter proposed. “Vasilevskiy is like human duct tape. Somehow, he just gets the job done.”

“Andrei Vasilevskiy has looked back to Vezina form all season. He also gets bonus points for the goalie fight that helped get his team going,” another declared, referring to Vasilevskiy’s scrap with Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman during the Lightning’s 6-5 Stadium Series victory on Feb. 1.

Goalie fight breaks out at Stadium Series after scrum in front of Bruins’ net

Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman gets involved in a scrum in front of the net, which sends Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy to the other side of the ice to fight Swayman.

Vasilevskiy earned 53% of the first-place votes, and Sorokin was right behind him. The Islanders goalie leads the NHL in goals saved above expected per Money Puck (28.1). He’s 23-14-2 with a .914 save percentage and a 2.50 goals-against average. He was second to Vasilevskiy among our panelists last month.

Thompson dropped out of the Vezina top three last month, but his success this season has been undeniable, with 21 wins, a .913 save percentage and a 2.41 GAA. He’s second to Vasilevskiy in goals saved above expected (24.4). Thompson, who was on the Team Canada roster at the Winter Olympics, was fourth for the Vezina last season.

Thompson was the only other goalie to earn a first-place vote, but there was a ton of support down the ballot for several goalies.

One of them was the Bruins’ Swayman, who is third in goals saved above expected (20.5). “Swayman is not getting nearly enough love or attention for the season he’s having. He’s a major reason they are in the playoff hunt,” one Sorokin voter argued.

Carolina Hurricanes sensation Brandon Bussi, Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers and Karel Vejmelka of the Utah Mammoth also received some attention from the voters.

Selke Trophy (best defensive forward)

Leader: Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens
Finalists: Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche; Jordan Staal, Carolina Hurricanes

Sometimes it’s just a player’s “turn” to win an award. The buzz starts in the preseason, and if the player doesn’t fumble the bag, he can remain the consensus choice.

Suzuki has done nothing to dissuade the voters who have backed him all season. This is the fourth straight month in which Suzuki has led the Selke race, this time with 59% of the first-place votes, up from 53% last month. Montreal averages 2.12 goals against per 60 minutes with him on the ice. Suzuki has never been a Selke finalist, and his previous highest finish was 13th for the award. That’ll change this season.

“He keeps improving,” one voter stated.

“Not a clear-cut front-runner for me with this award, but if I had to vote today, it would be for him,” another suggested.

Nick Suzuki scores goal for Canadiens

Nick Suzuki nets goal for Canadiens

Staal is another player waiting for his turn. The 20-year veteran has been considered one of the best defensive forwards in the NHL for over a decade, but has been a Selke finalist only twice, the last time in 2023-24. He’s a faceoff ace (55.3%) and the Hurricanes average 2.39 goals against per 60 minutes when he’s on the ice.

Staal and MacKinnon tied with 12% of the Selke first-place votes. The Colorado star and MVP favorite has never been lauded for his defensive prowess — his highest Selke finish was 22nd in the voting — but he has an intriguing case this season if you believe the best defense is a good offense. The Avs get 57.6% of the shot attempts with him on the ice. They average 4.87 goals per 60 minutes and 1.56 goals against per 60 minutes when he’s on the ice for an astonishing 75.7% goals-for percentage. They earn 60% of the scoring chances when he’s on the ice.

“He has the second-lowest GA/60 of every forward in the NHL while averaging the fourth-most minutes. He also plays the seventh-most minutes against elite competition,” one MacKinnon voter explained.

The knock on MacKinnon would be that he doesn’t kill penalties as Staal does (2:12 of shorthanded ice time per game) or as Suzuki does (albeit at just 50 seconds per game).

This being the Selke Trophy voting, there’s always a cast of thousands getting support from the voters. Other players receiving first-place votes were Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel, Avalanche center Brock Nelson and Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin.

“I’m convinced that when you look at which of the NHL’s most trusted defensive forwards have also been the highest-level top of the lineup players, it’s Dylan Larkin and then it’s everybody else,” one voter opined. “I think he’s the clear front-runner, but I doubt that’s a commonly held opinion.”

Other players receiving support down the ballot were Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek, Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson and Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli.

Dropping out as finalists and not receiving a first-place vote this month were Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz and Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart.

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.

Jack Eichel has 70 points in 55 games with just 10 penalty minutes, but a case could be made for Nick Suzuki, who has 74 points in 62 games and just 14 penalty minutes. If a defenseman strikes your fancy, how about Zach Werenski, who has 65 points in 55 games (averaging 26:27 in ice time) with only 12 penalty minutes?

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; Lindy Ruff, Buffalo Sabres

Is this the most fascinating race of the NHL Awards season?

The current finalists are all battling against their own flavors of history. Cooper, who led ballots with 53% of the first-place votes, has never won the Jack Adams despite two Stanley Cup wins and four conference titles. This season, he has guided the Lightning to near the top of the Atlantic Division despite a season filled with injuries to key players.

“It’s his Martin Scorsese year,” one voter quipped, in a nod to the director’s inevitable 2006 win for “The Departed” after decades of snubs.

“Jon Cooper has continued to guide his team through nonstop injuries up and down the lineup. His ability to motivate different personalities is an art,” another voter noted.

“It has to be Jon Cooper,” another voter declared.

Unless it “has to be” Lindy Ruff, who earned 28% of the first-place votes as the coach who has the Sabres primed to break the NHL’s longest playoff drought. The last time Buffalo made the postseason was 2011 under head coach … Lindy Ruff? Well there’s some delightful symmetry.

“Listen, Jon Cooper deserves this one, too. But for Ruff to have taken Buffalo from where they were to where they are is pretty special,” one voter beamed. “Cooper has done tremendous work in Tampa, too, but Ruff’s been through the wringer.”

“Thrilled for Buffalo and the job that Ruff is doing. Everything is finally coming together and he deserves recognition,” another voter argued.

“The mythical fresh GM bump is a pile of nonsense. The Sabres are a league-leading 28-5-2 since Dec. 9 in good part because of the guy calling the shots from behind the bench,” another voter explained.

Ruff previously won the Jack Adams in 2005-06, the season when the Sabres lost in Game 7 of the conference finals to eventual Stanley Cup winner Carolina.

Bednar earned around 11% of the first-place votes and is pushing back against another kind of history. The Avalanche are expected to win the President’s Trophy for having the league’s best record. Only three coaches since 2005-06 have won the Jack Adams for having led a team to the President’s Trophy.

“Jared Bednar is still a great candidate but seems to be coaching an all-star team while Cooper has dealt with a ton of injuries to key cogs,” one voter opined.

Voters are more compelled by rags-to-riches than riches-to-more-riches stories — another reason why Ruff’s ascendence here can’t be ignored.

“Lindy Ruff deserves to be in the conversation more! What’s happening in Buffalo needs to be studied,” one voter proposed.

Other coaches receiving first-place votes were Lane Lambert of the Seattle Kraken, who was a finalist in last month’s Awards Watch; and Andre Tourigny of the Utah Mammoth.

Among the coaches mentioned down the ballot were Dan Muse of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ryan Warsofsky of the San Jose Sharks.

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