NHL Mid-Season Awards: Hellebuyck for Vezina, MacKinnon for Hart

It’s award season in Hollywood and now mid-season in the NHL. So let’s hand out some hardware.

This NHL campaign has been stuffed with star players doing star player things and the races for many of the big awards are as tight as can be.

While there’s plenty of hockey left to be played, here is who we would crown award winners so far — with special acknowledgement of some players who could climb into the conversation in the second half.

All stats from NHL.com.

Given to the player deemed to be the most valuable to his team.

Winner: Nathan MacKinnon

Nathan MacKinnon has been a man on a mission all season. He’s tied for the scoring lead with 72 points, leads the league in assists with 49 and has recorded a point in 38 of Colorado’s 45 games, which leads the NHL. And MacKinnon is keeping this pace up while skating over 23:09 per game, second among all forwards behind only linemate Mikko Rantanen.

Finalists: Nikita Kucherov, Quinn Hughes

Kucherov is tied with MacKinnon with 72 points and has the edge in goals but with the Lightning taking a brief dip in the standings, he isn’t the favourite to win right now. Hughes deserves recognition as the captain of the NHL’s most surprising team. The Canucks feature plenty of big-game performers but Hughes has become the face of the franchise with the way he can take over a game.

One to watch: Auston Matthews

Matthews leads the league with 34 goals in 41 games and is on pace for just under 70. The post-lockout record is 65 by Alex Ovechkin in 2007-08 but if Matthews can surpass that, he would certainly become a favourite for the Hart.

Given to the goaltender deemed to be the best at this position.

Winner: Connor Hellebuyck

A new seven-year, $59.5 million contract (that begins next season) hasn’t changed Connor Hellebuyck. In fact, he’s authoring his best season yet. His 22-7-3 record includes a stretch from Dec. 1 to Jan. 12 in which he was 11-0-2. That streak ended with a loss to the Flyers last weekend, but Hellebuyck is still posting career-highs in goals-against average (2.19) and save percentage (.925) — both of which lead among goaltenders with at least 25 appearances this season.

Finalists: Thatcher Demko, Cam Talbot

Injuries limited Demko to just 32 starts last season but through 31 starts this year he’s posting career-high numbers while backstopping the Canucks to one of the NHL’s best records. And while the Kings have taken a step back with a 1-5-4 record over their last 10 games, Talbot has revitalized his career in LA and is among the league leaders in goals-against average (.243, third) and save percentage (.915, sixth).

One to watch: Joey Daccord

An injury to Philipp Grubauer has given Daccord the chance to become the full-time starter for the Kraken and it’s hard to imagine him giving it up. Daccord has a .923 save percentage and 2.28 goals-against average in 28 games this season. But since Grubauer’s injury in mid-December, he’s posted a 10-2-2 record with an eye-popping .948 save percentage.

Given to the defenceman who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position.

Winner: Quinn Hughes

After being snubbed from the ballot last season — despite finishing tied for second in defence scoring — Hughes has been on a mission to show his name belongs alongside the best at his position. The new Canucks captain is tied with Cale Makar for the defence-scoring lead with 52 points and his plus/minus is best in the NHL at plus-33, more than double his total from last season.

Finalists: Cale Makar, Josh Morrissey

Makar and Hughes have been rivals ever since the Avalanche defenceman took home the Calder Trophy when both were rookies. This season Makar has been in lockstep with Hughes in the defence-scoring race the whole way. Someone is going to have to finish third and for now, that honour goes to Morrissey, who is building off his breakout 2022-23 season with more impressive play for the first-place Jets.

One to watch: Noah Dobson

Dobson is in his fourth full NHL season and while scoring has never been an issue for him — he’s finished with 51 and 49 points in each of the past two years — this season has seen him finally emerge as the true No. 1 defenceman Islanders fans have been waiting for. He's on pace to set a new career-high with 43 points in 44 games and trails only Drew Doughty for most minutes per game at 25:47.

Given to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game.

Winner: Anze Kopitar

With Patrice Bergeron now retired, the field is more open for the Selke Trophy. But our three finalists are past winners. The Kings allow the third-fewest goals per game and have the best penalty kill in the league. Kopitar is leading the way with the most points and ice time among forwards on his team, and the second-best plus-minus.

Finalists: Aleksander Barkov, Sean Couturier

Two other former Selke winners are having award-worthy seasons. Barkov, when healthy, is among the league leaders in shot share, contributes to the Panthers’ fifth-best penalty kill and he is second on his team in scoring. Couturier, who missed all of last season with an injury, has quickly returned to form and helped elevate the Flyers’ PK from 26th in the league last year (74.7%) to second this season (86.3%).

One to watch: Blake Coleman

Coleman has stepped up in a big way for a Flames team trying to figure out what it has. He leads all forwards in the league with a plus-24 rating, has tied his career-high in points with 38 and features on both special teams.

Given to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the NHL.

Winner: Connor Bedard

Bedard has met every expectation and more since arriving in the league as “The Next One.” With 33 points in 39 games before breaking his jaw, Bedard’s 0.85 points per game is tied for 13th best among rookies in the salary cap era. He’s the face of his team and quickly becoming one of the faces of the league.

Finalists: Adam Fantilli, Luke Hughes

Fantilli arrived in Bedard’s shadow as the No. 3 pick but has put together an impressive season in his own right. He’s currently sitting second in rookie scoring — and second on the Blue Jackets — with 25 points. Hughes looks to be a star in the making just like his two older brothers Jack and Quinn. He’s tied for third in rookie scoring and leads all defencemen.

Two to watch: Marco Rossi and Brock Faber

The Wild have a pair of rookies who are blossoming into stars on a team in transition. Rossi, who overcame an experience with COVID-19 that nearly ended his career, is tied for third in rookie scoring with 23 points. Faber, the key piece in the Kevin Fiala trade with the Kings, stepped up in a big way when the Wild had injuries on the blue line.

Given to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability.

Winner: Brock Boeser

After a few years of challenges on the ice and in his personal life, Boeser is putting together the best season of his career. The seventh-year sniper is finding new ways to score this season and will cross the 30-goal mark for the first time very soon. And he’s done all that despite taking only two minor penalties this season.

Finalists: Jaccob Slavin, Morgan Rielly

This award typically goes to forwards but Slavin broke that streak when he took it home in 2021. He’s been steady as ever this season, with just four penalty minutes while skating over 20 minutes a night in all situations. Rielly, the most important blue liner in Toronto, took his first penalty of the season in Game 41. He’s averaging a career-high 24:26 of ice time this season.

One to watch: Anze Kopitar

Kopitar won the Lady Byng Trophy last season and has kept up his “gentlemanly conduct” this year. Kopitar has just six penalty minutes this season and is on pace for 78 points, which would be the third-highest of his career.

Given to the NHL coach deemed to have contributed the most to his team's success.

Winner: Rick Tocchet

Tocchet has turned the Canucks from a team with no direction to a team with Cup aspirations. The Canucks have been first in the Pacific most of the season after finishing sixth last year and Vancouver leads the league with 3.82 goals per game, up from 3.29 a year ago.

Finalists: Rick Bowness, Spencer Carbery

The Jets players and Bowness didn’t part on the best terms last season but after some changes to the roster, they’ve returned and been one of the best teams in the league. Bowness has been able to keep the ship straight despite dealing with a severe situation in his personal life. Carbery, a rookie coach, has kept the Capitals in the race despite regression from many of that team’s biggest veteran stars.

One to watch: Andre Tourigny

The Coyotes hold the second-longest playoff drought in the NHL but under Tourigny this season, they have a chance to end it. The Coyotes feature multiple players having career years, including journeyman goaltender Connor Ingram who has finally found a home in the NHL.