It's never too early to talk about trophies.
The 32 teams in the NHL all have their eyes on the big one, the Stanley Cup, and rightfully so. It's the most coveted piece of hardware in the game and one of the hardest to earn.
However, there are also individual awards that are up for grabs each season. Honors like the Norris, Vezina and Hart are always hot topics throughout the year and will pick up steam as the campaign progresses.
Can anyone stop Connor McDavid from winning his fourth Hart Trophy? Will someone overtake Connor Bedard for the Calder Trophy? Will we see another first-time Vezina Trophy winner in 2024?
MORE: Final standings, awards, playoff projections, Stanley Cup prediction
Here are The Sporting News' predictions for the 2023-24 NHL awards.
SN's predictions for the 2023-24 NHL awards
Hart Trophy/Ted Lindsay Award
SN's Hart Trophy/Ted Lindsay Award prediction: Connor McDavid, Oilers
Fun fact: no one in the NHL has won back-to-back Hart Trophies since Alex Ovechkin earned the honor in 2008 and 2009. McDavid bucks that trend this season.
Somehow, McDavid is getting better. He posted video game-like numbers last year, potting 64 goals and 153 points en route to his third Hart Trophy. Is it a boring choice for MVP? Sure, but McDavid is anything but boring, and if he somehow sets another career-high in production, it's going to be impossible not to give him the award.
SN's Hart Trophy/Ted Lindsay Award dark horse candidate: Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche
McDavid, Ovechkin, Leon Draisaitl, Auston Matthews, Sidney Crosby, Nikita Kucherov. What do all of these superstars have in common? A Hart Trophy.
A league MVP is one of the few trophies missing from MacKinnon's case. The Avalanche superstar was arguably robbed of the honor in 2018 in favor of Taylor Hall. He was a big reason why Colorado stayed afloat at the top of the Central last year, but he missed time with injuries. A full season of MacKinnon playing at 100% could be special, and it's going to take a special season for someone to top McDavid.
Norris Trophy
SN's Norris Trophy prediction: Rasmus Dahlin, Sabres
When Dahlin was taken No. 1 overall in 2018, the expectation was that he would evolve into a bonafide No. 1 defenseman who can make an impact at both ends of the ice. It took a few years, but the Swedish defenseman finally broke out last season, recording 73 points for the Sabres on his way to his first All-Star nod and even finished eighth in Norris voting.
It's going to be another year of progression for Dahlin, who has found a solid defensive partner in Mattias Samuelsson. Buffalo is expected to take the step from rebuilder to contender this year, and Dahlin is going to play a major role in that. Remember — Dahlin is only 23 years old, and it just feels like a matter of when, not if, the Sabres blue liner takes home a Norris.
SN's Norris Trophy dark horse candidate: Miro Heiskanen, Stars
I have a couple of rules that I stand by each year with my award predictions. When it comes to the Norris Trophy, until he wins one, my prediction or my dark horse candidate will always be Heiskanen.
The Stars' defenseman is one of the best blue liners in the league. He's always been a superb skater and defender, but he never put up the offensive numbers needed to gain serious Norris buzz until last year, which not-so-coincidentally was his first year in Dallas without the offense-only John Klingberg. If Heiskanen can produce at a point-per-game rate, he will certainly be high on Norris ballots.
Vezina Trophy
SN's Vezina Trophy prediction: Ilya Sorokin, Islanders
In my opinion, the top three goalies in the league (in no order) are Andrei Vasilevskiy, Igor Shesterkin and Sorokin. The first two already have a Vezina on their resume — it's now time for Sorokin to get his.
The Islanders goaltender finished second last year to Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark. There were a few who felt he should have gotten the nod, but ultimately the honor went to Ullmark, who led the league in wins, goals-against average and save percentage. New York plays a defense-heavy style that puts a lot of responsibility on Sorokin. It's not going to change this season, and Sorokin should be a front runner for goalie of the year.
SN's Vezina Trophy dark horse candidate: Juuse Saros, Predators
Saros gets the same treatment from me with the Vezina as Heiskanen gets with the Norris — until he wins the honor, Saros will continue to be either my prediction or dark horse candidate.
The Predators go as far as Saros takes them. He was sensational yet again last year, with a 2.69 GAA and .919 SV% in 63 starts. He's an absolute workhorse in net and has been one of the only reasons why Nashville has lingered in the playoff picture the last couple of seasons. The Finn is a top-five goaltender in the league, but it may take Saros being moved out of Nashville before he brings home a Vezina Trophy.
Selke Trophy
SN's Selke Trophy prediction: Anze Kopitar, Kings
Patrice Bergeron's stranglehold of the Selke Trophy is no longer. With the six-time winner retiring this offseason, it completely opens up the field for a number of candidates. It's high time that people are reminded just how good of a two-way center Kopitar is.
The Kings center is already a two-time recipient of the Selke, winning the honor in 2016 and 2018. With Los Angeles in a position to be one of the stronger Western Conference teams, that undoubtedly means more attention will be on Kopitar, and with it, more awareness of his defensive excellence.
SN's Selke Trophy dark horse candidate: Mitch Marner, Maple Leafs
Marner was one of the three finalists last season for the Selke, finishing behind Bergeron and Elias Lindholm. He's gotten Selke votes for the last five seasons, emerging as an elite, two-way winger for Toronto.
The lone knock against Marner is his position. When it comes to the Selke, there is undoubtedly a favoritism towards centers, as they are viewed as having more responsibilities on defense. It's been over 20 years since a winger has won the honor, as Jere Lehtinen was the last one to win a Selke, and that was back in 2003. Perhaps Marner can change that this season.
Calder Trophy
SN's Calder Trophy prediction: Connor Bedard, Blackhawks
This year's Calder race is chock-full of candidates. It's an extremely deep group that includes Adam Fantilli, Logan Cooley, Luke Hughes, Leo Carlsson and Matthew Knies. Yet, there's a chance that Bedard runs away with the Rookie of the Year honor.
Just because Bedard is the obvious choice does not mean he's the guaranteed winner. McDavid didn't win the Calder his rookie season due to injuries. But based on what we've seen before the NHL and during the preseason, Bedard isn't going to take much time to get acclimated to the league and he has a chance to do something special in his first year as a pro.
SN's Calder Trophy dark horse candidate: Devon Levi, Sabres
I can't remember the last time I've been this excited to see a goalie come out of the NCAA than I am with Levi. His poise and approach to the game are already at such a high level, making it hard not to root for the Northeastern product.
It's so rare for rookie goaltenders to immediately be thrust into a starting role, which is why a goalie hasn't won the Calder since Steve Mason in 2009. But Levi is going to have the opportunity to be the guy in the crease for the Sabres. If he takes it, runs with it and the Sabres make the playoffs, it's hard not to see him getting Calder love.
Jack Adams Award
SN's Jack Adams Award prediction: Don Granato, Sabres
Speaking of the Sabres, if Buffalo truly emerges this year as a contender in the Eastern Conference and makes the postseason, Granato should be an easy call for coach of the year.
When Granato took over during the 2020-21 season for the fired Ralph Krueger, there was an evident shift in the Sabres' play. The wins weren't coming, but Buffalo became a hard team to play against. That has only evolved further over the last two seasons, as Granato has been able to unlock the abilities of a number of young stars, including Dahlin, Tage Thompson, Dylan Cozens and Owen Power.
SN's Jack Adams Award dark horse candidate: Ryan Huska, Flames
Could we potentially see a Flames head coach win the Jack Adams twice in a span of three years? It sure is possible. Huska was promoted by Calgary this summer after the organization parted ways with Darryl Sutter, the 2022 recipient of Coach of the Year.
The Flames are primed for a bounce back year, with a number of solid pieces in place from last year. Huska is expected to open up the offense more and give more freedom to the forwards than the strict, defense-first systems that Sutter utilized. It's also likely he'll be more willing to give youngsters like Matthew Coronato and Jakob Pelletier a shot at the NHL.
