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Greg Wyshynski, ESPN
The possibility exists for a Hughes brothers sweep in the 2023-24 NHL Awards.
“Possible” does not mean “probable.” But based on our survey of awards voters, two of the Hughes boys have a significant lead for NHL Awards after the first month of the season. Youngest brother Luke has some work to do.
Let’s say that Jack Hughes wins the Hart Trophy and Quinn Hughes wins the Norris Trophy. That would mark the third time a pair of brothers won NHL awards for on-ice achievement in the same season.
In 1971-72, Phil Esposito won the Art Ross (NHL scoring leader) while Tony Esposito won the Vezina Trophy (best goaltender). In 1973-74, Phil Esposito won the Art Ross, the Hart (MVP) and what’s now known as the Ted Lindsay Award (MVP, as voted by the players) while Tony Esposito won the Vezina.
In 2017-18, Daniel and Henrik Sedin shared the King Clancy Trophy, which is handed out to the player “who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community.”
It’s one month of a very long season. Much can change, from unforeseen injuries (such as Jack being out “week to week” with an upper-body injury) to unexpected candidates merging. But the first snapshot of the awards picture is a revealing one.
Welcome to the first NHL Awards Watch of the season. We’ve polled a wide selection of Professional Hockey Writers Association voters anonymously to get a sense of where the wind is blowing for the current leaders. We’ve made sure it’s a cross-section from the entire league, trying to gain as many perspectives as possible.
Bear 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 handle the Vezina.
All stats are from Hockey-Reference.com, Natural Stat Trick and Evolving Hockey.
Jump ahead:
Ross | Richard | Hart
Norris | Selke | Vezina
Calder | Byng | Adams
Art Ross Trophy (points leader)
Current leader: Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils
Watch out for: Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
Outside chance: Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers
Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy (leading goal scorer)
Current leader: Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
Watch out for: David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins
Outside chance: Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators
Hart Trophy (MVP)
Leader: Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils
Finalists: David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins; Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
There may be no greater indictment of the Edmonton Oilers‘ disastrous start than Connor McDavid not even getting a mention in an MVP award vote.
The voting for this Awards Watch was conducted around the time of Jack Hughes’ injury on Friday night, but with 20 points in his first 10 games, he had done enough to earn favorite status for MVP, and earn it rather solidly. Hughes received 70% of the first-place votes from our panelists.
“I know he’s injured, so this pick probably won’t carry over to the next Awards Watch,” one voter said. “But he’d be my pick if the season ended today.”
“Unreal production and beautiful performance to start his team off on the right foot,” another voter said.
Hughes has five goals and 15 assists this season. Eight of his points have come at even strength and 12 of them have come on the Devils’ super-charged power play. He has an overtime game winner against the New York Islanders as well.
The Devils have never had a 100-point scorer. Before his injury, Hughes was on pace for 144.
“Everything we saw last year was essentially a preview of what’s to come,” one voter said. “And what he’s done so far has been the most dangerous player on ice through the first few weeks of the season.”
With Hughes out, the door swings open for Pettersson to take the lead for MVP. He has 20 points in 11 games, sharing the points lead with Hughes. Unlike Hughes, he has more even-strength points (11) than power play points (eight); he plays short-handed (2:13 per game), during which he has tallied a point this season; and he’s a plus-10 as well.
“Pettersson, by a hair over Jack Hughes,” one backer said.
“Over his past 91 games, Pettersson has 45 goals and 122 points,” another voter said. “He is part of a Canucks triumvirate that is threatening to sweep the major positional awards.”
The Canucks star had one more first-place vote than Pastrnak. The Bruins winger is also a plus-10, with 16 points in 11 games. He has the highest goal total (nine) of this trio.
Pasta finished second for the Hart last season to McDavid — famously, he was the reason McDavid wasn’t a unanimous choice for the award. That was when he was the leading scorer on the best regular-season team in NHL history; now, he’s the leading scorer on a team many assumed would take a leap back this season after offseason lineup changes. The fact that they haven’t, at all, is a major part of Pastrnak’s MVP case.
Two other players received first-place votes for the Hart Trophy. New York Rangers star Artemi Panarin has 18 points in 11 games to fuel their impressive start.
“Panarin has registered at least one point in every single game thus far — 18 through 11 — and we’re not talking enough about that,” our Panarin backer said.
The other player to receive a first-place vote for the Hart? Pettersson’s Canucks teammate Quinn Hughes. Although he’s getting a bit more support for another award.
Norris Trophy (top defenseman)
Leader: Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks
Finalists: Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars; Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
No one in our Awards Watch had more support for an individual honor than Quinn Hughes had for the Norris Trophy.
Hughes earned roughly 75% of the first-place votes for the NHL’s best defenseman. Hughes has 16 points in 11 games, with four goals and 12 assists, to lead all defensemen in scoring. That’s with less average ice time (23:53 per game) than he has had in the previous two seasons. Hughes is an NHL best plus-14. The Canucks have a .960 save percentage when Hughes is on the ice at 5-on-5. While he’s not one of the team’s primary penalty killers, he is a factor.
“At this rate, we might see a defenseman earn 100-plus points for a second straight year,” one voter said, referring to Erik Karlsson‘s 101 in 2022-23.
“Hey, let’s celebrate Vancouver while we can,” another voter said.
Hughes has never been a finalist for the Norris.
A distant second is a defenseman who has won the Norris and been a finalist three times: Cale Makar.
Makar has 11 points in his first 10 games, averaging 23:48 in ice time. There’s room for improvement here, as Makar has just a 46.2% expected goals percentage on the season. But with his production and reputation, he will always be in the Norris conversation.
“We saw what Makar did last year in the defensive zone in 5-on-5 play and on the penalty kill when he was healthy,” one voter said. “He’s carried that over into this season.”
Miro Heiskanen might have been market corrected a bit by Hughes at the start of the season, as the Dallas blueliner was tabbed by many as the “young defenseman who makes the leap to Norris winner” before the season. Heiskanen averages 25:20 of ice time, and the Stars have a 2.15 expected goals against at 5-on-5 when he’s on the ice. He has only five points in 10 games, but he’s in the conversation.
Other defensemen mentioned as being “on the radar” include Adam Fox of the New York Rangers and Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres.
Calder Trophy (top rookie)
Leader: Connor Bedard, Chicago Blackhawks
Finalists: Logan Cooley, Arizona Coyotes; Pavel Mintyukov, Anaheim Ducks
The most hyped NHL rookie in years is meeting those expectations well enough for the majority of our voters. Connor Bedard earned just over 45% of first-place votes from our panel to outpace five other freshmen for the Calder.
“Don’t overthink it,” one voter said on Bedard.
“Bedard is playing close to 20 minutes per game with a bad team in Chicago. And he’s only 18,” another said.
Entering Sunday’s action. Bedard was averaging 19:25 of ice time, with five goals and two assists in 10 games. He was the favorite to win rookie of the year before the season and remains the front-runner through the first month.
But it’s a crowded field.
“This comes with the caveat that the Calder race has been really close to start,” one Bedard voter said. “It’d be foolish to assume that the Calder is going to be this one-player race.”
Logan Cooley was the next choice for first-place votes, earning just over 20% of them. The Coyotes rookie originally decided to return to the University of Minnesota but instead opted to turn pro this season. Good choice: He has a goal and seven assists in 11 games, with six of those points coming on the power play.
“Outstanding hands, looks right at home so far,” one Cooley voter said. “Not to say that Connor Bedard doesn’t, but man, can Cooley play.”
The third-highest first-place vote earner was Pavel Mintyukov, a 19-year-old making the jump from the OHL to the NHL. Entering Sunday, he had seven points in 10 games (one goal, six assists) while averaging 19:15 on the ice.
“More of a stylistic choice this early into the year. Especially since the rookie class is so deep and tantalizing,” one Mintyukov voter said.
Entering Sunday, Mintyukov was tied for the rookie points lead among defensemen with New Jersey’s Luke Hughes, who was averaging more ice time (20:13). Hughes earned only one first-place vote from our panel, so he has some ground to make up in the Calder race.
“My heart is telling me Luke Hughes for the Hughes brothers hat trick, but this is serious business, so my brain says Connor Bedard,” one voter concluded.
Another defenseman who was in the discussion: Minnesota Wild blueliner Brock Faber.
The other two players to receive first-place votes were goaltenders: Joseph Woll of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who has 6.3 goals saved above expected in six games; and Lukas Dostal of the Ducks, who was named NHL rookie of the month for October after posting four wins in five appearances. He was 5-1-0 with a .920 save percentage entering Sunday’s action.
Again, it’s a crowded rookie field. While they didn’t receive first-place votes, players like Ridly Greig (Ottawa), Bobby Brink (Philadelphia), Marco Rossi (Minnesota) and Matthew Poitras (Boston) were all mentioned by voters.
“If I had to vote today on the first 10 games, Greig would have my vote,” one voter said.
Vezina Trophy (top goaltender)
Note: General managers vote for this award.
Leaders: Thatcher Demko, Vancouver Canucks; Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars
Finalists: Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins
It’s a two-goalie race for the Vezina early in the season.
Our voters split evenly on Jake Oettinger and Thatcher Demko. Demko is 6-2-0 to start the season with a .947 save percentage. Oettinger is 5-1-1 with a .938 save percentage. Demko leads the NHL with 11.8 goals saved above expected. Oettinger is fifth (6.6).
Demko made an early statement in this battle with Oettinger, shutting the Stars out 2-0 on Saturday night with a 27-save performance.
“A pick I didn’t exactly imagine making going into the season, but boy, Thatcher Demko is on fire between the pipes,” one voter said.
“What he’s done in Vancouver has played such a big role in why the Canucks have had this kind of start,” another voter said.
Oettinger was fifth for the Vezina last season.
The only other goalie to receive first-place votes for the Vezina was Jeremy Swayman. He’s 5-0-0 in five appearances to start the season for the red-hot Bruins, with a .954 save percentage and a 1.38 goals-against average. Swayman is third in goals saved above expected with 7.7.
One thing to consider about Swayman’s candidacy is usage. Oettinger is the guy in Dallas. Demko is the guy in Vancouver. Unless something changes, Swayman will share the crease with Linus Ullmark.
“I want to say Swayman, but he has an even games split with Ullmark,” one Oettinger voter said.
Among the other goaltenders mentioned by our panelists: Igor Shesterkin (Rangers), Juuse Saros (Nashville), Alexandar Georgiev (Colorado) and Logan Thompson (Vegas).
Selke Trophy (best defensive forward)
Leader: Jordan Staal, Carolina Hurricanes
Finalists: Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings; Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
Retired Bruins center Patrice Bergeron won his sixth career Selke Trophy last season, the most in NHL history. Penciling his name into the top three for this award was an annual tradition.
This season, there’s clearly a Bergeron vacuum in the field for best defensive forward: Fourteen different players received first-place votes for the Selke Trophy from our panel.
Jordan Staal edged Elias Pettersson for the early lead by just one vote.
Staal was fourth for the Selke last season and incredibly has been a finalist only once in his outstanding 18-year NHL career. Always solid on faceoffs, he’s the anchor of the Hurricanes’ shutdown line with Jesper Fast and Jordan Martinook, which leads the league in expected goals percentage at 5-on-5 (73%).
Pettersson was seventh for the Selke last season. He earned some early Selke buzz as a player who could win this award as a de facto MVP if he falls short of the Hart. (Think Ryan O’Reilly‘s Selke win with the St. Louis Blues in 2018-19.)
Anze Kopitar was tied with Pettersson. He has two Selke wins (2015-16, 2017-18) and has finished in the top five for the award six times.
“We’re assuming Kopitar will age at some point, but at 36, he may be the best defensive center in the game now that Patrice Bergeron is gone,” one voter said.
Dropping down to the other players who received multiple votes, we find Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov, who won the award in 2020-21. The Panthers have an expected goals-against rate of 2.00 per 60 minutes when Barkov is on the ice. Minnesota Wild forward Joel Eriksson Ek has never been a Selke finalist, but has been in the conversation for the past three seasons. Dallas forward Roope Hintz hasn’t finished in the top 10 for the Selke but is a great all-around player for a terrific defensive team.
The rest of the field, each receiving one vote: Mikael Backlund (Calgary), Charlie Coyle (Boston), Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh), Travis Konecny (Flyers), Mitch Marner (Toronto), J.T. Miller (Vancouver), Mark Stone (Vegas) and William Karlsson (Vegas).
“Marner, I think, has been exceptional defensively,” one voter said.
“I’m not sure how much his name comes up, but Coyle is an easy player to notice whenever you watch the Bruins,” another voter said. “He’s also a frequent name whenever you look at underlying metrics.”
It’ll be interesting to see how much this field narrows in another month.
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 (rather than the PHWA).
Elias Pettersson has 20 points and no penalty minutes. He’s probably going to win something this year. Maybe it’s the Byng?
Jack Adams Award (best coach)
Note: The NHL Broadcasters’ Association votes on this award.
Leader: Bruce Cassidy, Vegas Golden Knights
Finalists: Derek Lalonde, Detroit Red Wings; Rick Tocchet, Vancouver Canucks
Bruce Cassidy is leading this category for two reasons. The first is the incredible start for the Golden Knights, who went 11-0-1 in their first 12 games with a plus-26 goal differential. But then there’s the Stanley Cup of it all: Cassidy having led this (basically same) group to the title last postseason and having them ready to build off that right from the opening game this season. No Vegas hangover here. The Golden Knights are a machine. Cassidy is working the controls masterfully.
“Vegas is absolutely dominating to start the season, and if they keep it up, I wouldn’t be surprised to see back-to-back Cups,” one voter said.
The Red Wings lead the pack of surprising teams this season, starting 7-4-1 in their first 12 games. Derek Lalonde is in his second season in Detroit, and our voters have given him credit for that start.
“I thought the Red Wings would take a step forward this season,” one voter said. “I didn’t think they’d make a leap into the playoffs in the superior Eastern Conference.”
Rick Tocchet is having a classic Jack Adams season: Turning around a non-playoff team and doing so with noticeable coaching decisions. He has called the Canucks soft. He has benched players. Most of all, he has them playing tremendous defense.
“The Canucks did win 20 of their 36 games under Tocchet last year when he replaced Bruce Boudreau,” a voter said. “Plus, enough cannot be said how crucial a strong start is for them when they’ve had their seasons be tanked by what happened in October and November.”
“A vote for Tocchet is a vote for tough love,” another said.
Other coaches receiving multiple votes from our panel: Greg Cronin of the Anaheim Ducks, Jim Montgomery of the Boston Bruins and André Tourigny of the Arizona Coyotes.
“The thought with Cronin was that he’s a developer and a teacher who can win games,” a voter said. “So far, the Ducks have done that with the caveat that it’s also still early.”
Montgomery won the Jack Adams last season after leading Boston to the best regular season in NHL history.
“The Bruins are playing without Bergeron and Krejci, and they are still at the top of the East,” one Montgomery voter said.
Other coaches receiving single votes: Lindy Ruff of the New Jersey Devils, a Jack Adams finalist last season, and Peter Laviolette of the New York Rangers, who’s in his first season on Broadway.