The NHL regular season ended Sunday and the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs are set to begin Wednesday, which means we're getting closer to June's NHL awards ceremony.
There are several tight battles for the NHL's most prestigious awards: Sidney Crosby vs. Connor McDavid for the Hart Trophy; Auston Matthews vs. Patrik Laine for the Calder Trophy; Brent Burns vs. Eric Karlsson for the Norris Trophy; and Devan Dubnyk vs. Sergei Bobrovsky for the Vezina Trophy.
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Here's a look at the how Sporting News sees the major award races are shaking, with a prediction for each.
Hart Memorial Trophy — Most Valuable Player
Candidates: Sidney Crosby, F, Penguins; Connor McDavid, F, Oilers; Brad Marchand, F, Bruins; Patrick Kane, F, Blackhawks; Brent Burns, D, Sharks; Erik Karlsson, D, Senators; Devan Dubnyk, G, Wild; Sergei Bobrovsky, G, Blue Jackets.
Prediction: McDavid.
No player is more important to his team's success than McDavid. After missing 37 games with a broken collarbone last season, he has developed into not only the top young player in the NHL, but maybe even the game's best player.
McDavid led the league in points (100) and assists (70). He's is in the middle of everything the Oilers do. He was involved in a league-leading 41.1 percent of the Oilers' goals this season. That's four percentage points more than the second-best rate Kane contributed.
A look at the top five:
McDavid, 41.1 percent
Kane, 37 percent
Marchand, 35.1 percent
Nikita Kucherov, 35 percent
Nicklas Backstrom, 32.9 percent
Edmonton will play San Jose in the first round of the playoffs, ending an 11-year postseason drought that dated to its loss in the Stanley Cup Final in 2006. Take McDavid away, and the Oilers would be back in the basement of the NHL. Sure, his supporting cast, led by forwards Leon Draisaitl and Jordan Eberle and goalie Cam Talbot, is solid, but those players just don't measure up with the sidekicks other candidates have.
Crosby is McDavid's closest competitor for the Hart, but we've seen the Penguins hum without Crosby before. The Oilers without McDavid would be a mess.
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No disrespect to Burns and Karlsson, but besides Chris Pronger in 2000, a defenseman hasn't won the Hart since Bobby Orr in 1972. This race will come down to Crosby and McDavid
Norris Trophy — NHL's best defenseman
Candidates: Burns; Karlsson; Duncan Keith, Blackhawks; Victor Hedman, Lightning; Ryan Suter, Wild; Kevin Shattenkirk, Capitals.
Prediction: Karlsson.
This is clearly a two-man race between Burns and Karlsson, who put together offensive numbers we haven't seen from defensemen in a long time.
At one point in March, they were both on pace to finish in the top 10 in league's scoring race. Two defensemen haven't finished in the top 10 since 1973-74, when Orr and the Rangers' Brad Park did it.
The Burns-Karlsson debate is a polarizing one.
Burns, a former power forward who transitioned to the blue line, is leaned on to lead, not just contribute to, the Sharks' offense. Burns led all NHL defensemen in points (76) and goals (29). He had been hovering around the NHL's lead in points until a dry spell in early March saw him go pointless in nine of 10 games.
Besides goals, Karlsson's offensive numbers aren't far behind. He led defensemen in assists (53) and finished third in points (71).
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The debate comes down to the each player's main priority.
Burns is tasked with shouldering the Sharks' offense — defending is secondary. He led the NHL with a whopping 320 shots, 79 more than the next closest defenseman, the Jets' Dustin Byfuglien.
Karlsson makes things happen on offense, but at the end of the day, his best work comes in Ottawa's end.
Karlsson has an edge on Burns in every key defensive category. He was second in the league with 213 blocked shots, compared to Burns' 142. He had more takeaways and fewer giveaways and averaged nearly two more minutes of ice time.
Senators coach Guy Boucher even thinks that Karlsson should be seriously considered for the Hart Trophy.
“With what he’s done this year, the way he’s done it, I can’t imagine better,” Boucher told reporters last month. “Right now, it’s absolutely sublime. It really is.”
Karlsson was snubbed in the Norris voting last year despite leading NHL defensemen in nearly every offensive category. The Kings' Drew Doughty took home the award because of his defensive skills.
With Burns and Karlsson so close in offensive production, Karlsson gets the edge here because he's a better all-around defenseman.
Vezina Trophy — Best goalie
Candidates: Dubnyk; Bobrovsky; Talbot; Braden Holtby, Capitals; Carey Price, Canadiens.
Prediction: Bobrovsky.
Had you asked me a month and a half ago, I would have said Dubnyk without hesitation, but Bobrovsky made a late push and Dubnyk had a lousy finish.
Bobrovsky had just one regulation loss the entire month of March. That run included a seven-game winning streak and three straight shutouts.
On the flip side, Dubnyk went 3-9-2 in March and allowed two goals or more in nine straight games.
Voters won't forget how dominant Dubnyk was earlier this season, but that brutal stretch could really cost him.
From a numbers standpoint, Bobrovsky led the league in save percentage (.935) and goals-against average (2.06) and was third in the league with 41 wins.
Calder Memorial Trophy — Rookie of the Year
Candidates: Auston Matthews, F, Maple Leafs; Mitchell Marner, F, Maple Leafs; Patrik Laine, F, Jets; Matt Murray, G, Penguins; Zach Werenski, D, Blue Jackets; William Nylander, F, Maple Leafs; Matthew Tkachuk, F, Flames.
Prediction: Matthews.
Toronto's youth headlines a loaded rookie class that features just about everything: a generational playmaker in Matthews, an elite scorer in Laine, a puck-moving defenseman in Werenski, a talented goaltender in Murray and a do-it-all, two-way forward in Marner.
It has been fun to watch these kids come of age.
Matthews led all rookies with 69 points and 40 goals, but the scoring race was tight as Laine (64), Nylander (61) and Marner (61) didn't finish too far behind.
It comes down to Matthews and Laine to me.
Laine has shown a goal-scoring ability not often displayed by rookies. This season he became the first rookie with three hat tricks in a season since Teemu Selanne and Eric Lindros in 1992-93.
Matthews, meanwhile, is leading the Maple Leafs on a tremendous turnaround. Toronto finished last in the NHL a year ago; now it's in the playoffs.
It's a close call, but I'm leaning toward Matthews because he has his team in the playoffs. Laine and Jets missed the playoffs by a lot.
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Jack Adams Award — Coach of the Year
Candidates: John Tortorella, Blue Jackets; Barry Trotz, Capitals; Mike Babcock, Maple Leafs; Bruce Boudreau, Wild; Todd McLellan, Oilers; Joel Quenneville, Blackhawks; Glen Gulutzan, Flames.
Prediction: Babcock.
Babcock is widely regarded as the best coach in the league, yet he has never been named Coach of the Year. That may change this year.
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Babcock spent much of his coaching career leading insanely good Red Wings teams; now he's leading one of the NHL's youngest teams into the playoffs.
Not many expected young stars Matthews, Marner and Nylander to be contributing so much this early. Babcock has them playing like vets.
Awards already decided
Art Ross Trophy (most points): McDavid with 100.
William M. Jennings Trophy (fewest goals against): Holtby and Philipp Grubauer combined to allow 182 goals.
NHL Plus-Minus Award: Wild defensemen Jason Zucker and Ryan Suter at plus-34.
Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy (most goals): Crosby with 44.
Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award (best save percentage): Bobrovsky at .931.