Predicting the 2018 NHL Awards
As part of our extensive season preview coverage, theScore's hockey editors are taking a look at who we think will earn some of the NHL's biggest honors at season's end.
The next round of NHL Awards won't be officially handed out until next June, but that doesn't mean we can't get a head start on projecting them.
Some players are virtual locks to repeat as recipients of certain trophies, while we should see some new winners in several key categories.
Here's who we believe will take home the hardware:
Hart Trophy - Connor McDavidJosh Gold-Smith: We've now seen what McDavid is capable of in a full season, and there's no reason to believe he won't replicate his MVP form of a season ago.
The 20-year-old superstar hauled in both the Hart and Art Ross trophies in 2016-17, hitting triple digits in the points column while playing every game.
Barring another injury, McDavid is surely due to improve on his 30-goal output, and another season of growth at the NHL level will leave no doubt that he's the league's most valuable player.
Vezina Trophy - Matt MurrayIan McLaren: We've all witnessed how good Murray has been in the postseason, serving as the goalie of record while the Pittsburgh Penguins raised the Stanley Cup the last two seasons.
His sample size in the regular season is not huge, but he's proven to be as good during the winter months as he's been in spring. Over the past two seasons, he's tied for first in save percentage with Carey Price after stopping 92.5 percent of all shots against, only a slight dip from the 92.8 percent success rate achieved in the playoffs.
Now that Marc-Andre Fleury is gone, he'll get even more starts, and he'll have Kris Letang back on defense to help keep the puck away.
Murray has emerged as one of the best goalies in the game, and he'll further back it up with some hardware earned when the games don't mean quite as much.
Norris Trophy - Erik KarlssonCraig Hagerman: Karlsson played arguably the best hockey of his career last spring, as he spearheaded the Ottawa Senators' unlikely run to the Eastern Conference Final, all the while playing on just one healthy leg. Who can forget his rink-long saucer pass to Mike Hoffman against the Boston Bruins?
As the 2018 season nears, Karlsson will be cautious about his return, to be sure his leg is 100 percent healthy before getting into game action. However, it's partially for that reason that Karlsson will win the Norris Trophy.
He's the most electric defenseman in the league, and at 100 percent health, he should be that much better. Karlsson isn't expected to miss any major time to begin the season, so a lengthy absence shouldn't be an issue. Offensively and even on the other side of the puck now, Karlsson is the best defenseman in the league. End of discussion.
Calder Trophy - Clayton KellerSean O'Leary: There are plenty of intriguing rookie of the year candidates entering the league this season, but Keller gets the nod. The 19-year-old is a dynamic offensive talent, and will have every opportunity be the centerpiece of a young Arizona Coyotes attack under new head coach Rick Tocchet.
Keller put up 45 points in 31 games at Boston University last season, then recorded two assists in a three-game stint with Arizona to close out the season.
If Keller played in a bigger market, the spotlight on his potential would be much brighter, but he'll put himself and the Coyotes on the map with a season worthy of Rookie of the Year honors in 2017-18.
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
Cory Wilkins: Until we're given reason to say otherwise, the stalwart Bruins center will lock up the Selke Trophy. Again.
Bergeron has captured this honor in three of the past four years, and he's won it four times since 2011-12. That success rate puts him in the same category as Montreal Canadiens legend Bob Gainey, with both taking home the award four times.
Despite some stiff competition last season, Bergeron again ran away with the Selke, topping runner-up Ryan Kesler of the Anaheim Ducks by more than 200 votes, while Minnesota Wild center Mikko Koivu finished with nearly 400 fewer votes than the eventual winner.
Maybe it's time to rename the Selke as the Bergeron.
Josh Wegman: The Jack Adams Award is rarely given to the league's best coach, but rather the coach of the most overachieving team, or the most improved team. The Buffalo Sabres will fall into the latter category this season.
Housley spent the last four seasons as an assistant coach with the Predators, primarily working with their defensemen. Anyone who watched them during the playoffs knows how much they like to activate their D. This aggressive, attacking style of coaching will bring out the best in some key Sabres, such as Jack Eichel, Ryan O'Reilly, Evander Kane, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Zach Bogosian.
As long as the Sabres can stay healthy (they were hampered by injuries a year ago) they will make the playoffs for the first time since the 2010-11 season. That will be enough for Housley to earn a coach of the year nod in his first season behind the Sabres' bench.
GM of the Year - David Poile
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
Flip Livingstone: Poile may have already taken home the honors by winning last year's GM of the Year Award, but, that doesn't change the fact that he is one of the sharpest hockey minds in the game today.
Not only are the Nashville Predators a testament to that fact as one of the deepest teams in the NHL, but Poile's built his team from the net out with mostly homegrown talent.
While Nashville's lineup won't need a ton of work over the course of the 2017-18 season, expect Poile to be at the ready to do whatever it takes to ensure that his group will be one of the clubs in contention for Lord Stanley's Mug.
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