NHL awards watch at midway point of 2019-20 season

McDavid is the most dominant offensive player in the game today, and alongside linemate Leon Draisaitl, he is dragging the Oilers to playoff contention, as the two factor in on nearly half of the Oilers' total goals. McDavid has a chance to win what would be his third scoring title in the past four years, and if the Oilers do make the playoffs he probably should win his second MVP Award. Edmonton's lack of team success is the only thing that has prevented him from winning the MVP in each of the past two seasons. 

MacKinnon is the best player on one of the league's best teams. His career has blossomed over the past three years, as he has become one of the game's most dynamic, productive and dominant forwards. The gap between him and McDavid at the top of the league isn't as big as you might think. He is a force every time he touches the ice. 

He has raced out to a big lead in the NHL goal-scoring competition and looks like he will be the player to finally wrestle the Rocket Richard away from Alex Ovechkin. After scoring 38 goals in only 66 games a year ago, he scored 35 goals in his first 46 games this season and has become the Bruins' go-to offensive player. The only thing more impressive than his overall numbers is the consistency in which he's achieved them, never going more than two games without recording a point and only twice going more than four games without a goal (and never more than five games). 

Carlson is having an all-time great season offensively. More than halfway through the 2019-20 season, he is still on pace for 100 points, something only five different defensemen have ever done in NHL history — and no defenseman has done it since the 1991-92 season. Even if he does not hit the 100-point mark, he is still on track to be the most dominant offensive defenseman in the league and that will get him significant consideration for both the MVP and Norris Trophy (best overall defenseman). He finished in the top-five voting for the Norris in each of the past two seasons and seems a lock to be there again. If you wanted to nitpick his production, you can point to the fact he has a ton of power play points, and with the power play being a huge part of the Capitals' success, he might currently be the best player on a Presidents' Trophy-winning team. 

This is my out-of-left-field contender for the MVP Award because without him the Jets would not even be close to playoff contention. Not only does he have great overall numbers so far (save percentage over .920; one of the best marks in the league), but he also has played a ton of minutes for the Jets (second most in the league) and helped mask their shortcomings defensively. Whether he can stay in the discussion for the remainder of the season remains to be seen, but if the Jets make the playoffs it will probably be almost entirely because of him. He is a durable, outstanding player and a difference-maker. 

With all due respect to the season that Carlson is having in Washington, Hamilton might be the NHL's best overall defenseman this season. He has elite offensive numbers and has been one of the best shutdown defenders in the league on top of that. Playing next to Jaccob Slavin helps with the latter part, but Hamilton has been a great all-around player even when he has to play away from Slavin. He is one of the most underappreciated players in the league and deserves to have his name at the top of Norris ballots. 

Hedman is going to be remembered as one of the best, most complete defensemen of his era. He already has one Norris Trophy under his belt and has been a finalist in each of the past three seasons. He is a perfect blend of offensive brilliance and defensive dominance on the blue line. He is having a career year offensively and is still one of the best in the business at limiting opponents' shots and scoring chances. As complete of a player as you will find in the NHL every year, he is the engine that drives the Lightning, as they start to find their stride for the second half and stretch run of the regular season. 

The Predators are not where they expected to be at the halfway point of the season, but you can't blame Josi for the team's performance. He has been tremendous from the start. He leads the team in scoring by a wide margin and has been its best overall player by every objective measure. He has always been one of the league's most productive blue liners, and his game has reached an entirely new level this season. 

It seems weird to say, but I don't know that he gets anywhere near enough recognition for how good he is. He is the top defenseman on an always strong defensive team — a team that just so happens to be the defending Stanley Cup champion and is currently running away with the top spot in the Western Conference. Despite that, he has not finished higher than ninth in Norris Trophy voting in any of the past five seasons, and he did not receive a single vote a year ago. He provides offense, he drives possession and he helps shut opposing offenses down. He is also an unrestricted free agent after this season and is going to be in line for a huge payday. 

Honestly, he is probably not going to win, but his performance this season deserves a ton of respect and attention. He is showing he is still an impact player when healthy and is having one of the best seasons of his career at age 34. He is one of the few bright spots on an otherwise underwhelming Canadiens team. Do not discount the fact that a lot of voters will try to push for him to win his first-ever Norris Trophy. 

Maybe a sleeper pick for the NHL's top defenseman, Werenski has been a rock for a Blue Jackets team that experienced a free agency exodus over the summer and has been one of the most injured teams in the league. Even after losing their two best players to free agency and a ton of man-games to injury during the season, they remain right in the middle of the playoff hunt and Werenski's production is a big reason why. 

Bishop has been a finalist three times and a runner-up twice (including during the 2018-19 season), and he should be right there again this season. The Stars are one of the league's toughest teams to score against, and Bishop's consistently great play in net is at the center of all of it. Long-term, big-money contracts for goalies tend to be a risk, but so far the Stars are getting more than their money's worth out of Bishop. 

The big thing holding Kuemper back in this discussion will be his health. He is currently sidelined with a lower-body injury, and it remains to be seen if there will be any lingering effects once he returns. The injury is unfortunate for both him and the Coyotes because he has been one of the league's best goalies since arriving in Arizona a couple of years ago. 

There always seems to be a segment of the Bruins fan base that is just waiting for this guy to mess up so they can pounce all over him, but all he does is make saves and win games. He is having one of the best seasons of his career, and that is no small accomplishment given how good he has been in the past. 

The Blackhawks got Lehner on a steal of a one-year contract, and it has probably been the only offseason move they made that has worked out as they hoped it would. He is showing that his 2018-19 performance with the New York Islanders was no fluke and that he should be able to land a huge contract this summer in free agency. Given his performance the past two years, there is no reason that he should not be the top goalie available this summer. He has been so good for the Blackhawks that I almost put him in the MVP discussion because without his play they might be one of the worst teams in the league. 

The Islanders took a bit of a risk when they let Lehner leave in free agency and then signed an older goalie to a long-term contract, but so far it has worked out. Varlamov and Thomas Greiss have been an outstanding duo, while the former is having his best season in years.

Makar is the front-runner in the Rookie of the Year race, and there really is not anyone close to him at this point. We got a glimpse of his potential in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs after he turned pro, and now we are starting to see just what this guy is capable of. Not only does he seem to be the favorite for the Calder Trophy, but there also could be a Norris Trophy in his future. His skating, anticipation, poise and all-around brilliance makes him one of the NHL's young rising stars. He is going to be a cornerstone piece of an Avalanche team that should be a Stanley Cup contender for years. 

The Canucks have had a Calder Trophy finalist in each of the past two seasons (Brock Boeser, and 2019 winner Elias Pettersson), and they will have another one this season in Hughes. In any other year he might be the runaway favorite, but Colorado's Makar has taken over the discussion. Still, Hughes is going to be the Canucks' top defenseman for years and gives the team another young star to build around alongside Boeser, Pettersson and Bo Horvat. 

At 24 he is a little older than most rookies, but he still has been the top rookie forward in the league this season. He is currently injured and going to be out of the lineup for a few weeks, but before that he was having an outstanding rookie campaign and was one of the few Sabres players who had exceeded expectations this season. He is at best a distant third behind the top two rookies, but he still deserves a mention in the discussion and will get his share of votes. 

Probably the biggest surprise in the rookie class, Marino was acquired by the Penguins from the Edmonton Oilers over the summer for a conditional sixth-round draft pick and it is not an exaggeration to say he has helped transform not only the defense, but the entire Penguins team. He has quickly blossomed into one of their best, most reliable defenseman and has helped bring back the type of mobility and puck-moving ability they needed on their defense. He is producing points and is already one of Pittsburgh's best overall defenders. 

He has quietly been one of the top young forwards in the league this season. His overall offensive numbers do not really jump off the page just yet, but he is still only 20 years old and has had moments of brilliance on the ice. His skill level and potential are obvious as soon as you watch him. He is one of the many young talents on a Hurricanes team that is building itself into a Stanley Cup contender. 

No team in the NHL has had more injuries than the Pittsburgh Penguins. Not only that, but the injuries have been to their best players. They not only keep winning, but their success also is no fluke. They are dominating and legitimately one of the best teams in the league.That is all a testament to not only how deep the team is but also how good of a job Sullivan has done on the bench this season. 

Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky, Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel all exited in free agency. Since the season began, Columbus has been one of the league's most injured teams. Even with all of that, the Blue Jackets are still right in the middle of the Eastern Conference playoff race and exceeding almost every preseason expectation. If this team somehow gets in the playoffs, the Coach of the Year Award might actually go to Tortorella. He is already a two-time winner. 

Former Detroit Red Wings coach Jacques Demers is the only coach to ever win the Jack Adams Award in back-to-back seasons. Trotz could put together a pretty sound argument that he should be the next do it. The Islanders' roster is nothing special on paper and they do not score a lot of goals, but they play well within the system and just keep winning. Trotz has won the award twice in his career. 

This just seems to be a logical choice to put in the discussion because he is the exact type of coach who tends to win the Jack Adams Award. Team that missed the playoffs a year ago? Check. Team that was probably overlooked at the start of the regular season? Also check. Team that is in contention for not only a playoff spot but also a division title? Another check. He may not be the best coach in the league, but he is doing a good enough job and fits all the criteria that voters (broadcasters vote on the Jack Adams Award) tend to look for every season. As long as the Coyotes make the playoffs, he will be one of the top contenders.  

The Maple Leafs looked like a team going nowhere under Mike Babcock. They had no identity, they were not playing to their strengths and they seemed to have a roster just going through the motions after reaching its ceiling with the current head coach. They have been the complete opposite under Keefe, looking energized, skilled and like the Stanley Cup contenders they should be.