NHL trophies: The habs could do very well…

So it will be a close three-way battle for the final stretch of the season.

Finally, Kapanen and Dobes have no real chance of winning this trophy, but they still have a chance to finish in the top five in the final voting. After all, Kapanen is tied with Sennecke in goals (18), and Dobes is well ahead of all rookie goalies on the heels of 18 wins in 27 games. We also believe he will see more playing time in the Canadiens’ last 25 games…

Norris Trophy (best defenseman)

1. Zach Werenski
2. Cale Makar
3. Lane Hutson
4. Quinn Hughes
5. Miro Heiskanen

Several players have a chance or deserve to rank in the top 5, and we had to make a decision. Perhaps McCavoy, Dahlin, Chychrun, Raddysh, Seider, or even Bouchard, the points leader (63), will make the cut at the end of the season…

Much like MacKinnon for the Hart Trophy, Makar had been a frontrunner for the Norris Trophy for quite some time. But in my opinion, Werenski, who ranks first in points (62),^second in ice time (26:22) and goals (20), and above all, is the backbone of his team, seems to have stolen the lead in the last month. It’s a battle to the finish between these two extraordinary defensemen.

Lane Hutson, who finished ninth last year and is perhaps the most famous non-Olympian in modern history, has a chance to finish on the podium based on his production (^third in points with 58), his plus/minus (+22), and his increasingly recognized competitive spirit. But his ice time (23:42) ranks only^24th and indicates that he doesn’t play very often on the penalty kill and still isn’t a regular in matchups against the opposing team’s best skaters.

Finally, the talented Quinn Hughes, winner of the trophy two years ago, ranks first by far in terms of playing time (1:30 more than Heiskanen in^second place!), but as we saw last week, his play and level of commitment sometimes leave something to be desired in his zone…

Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy (leading goal scorer)

1. Nathan MacKinnon
2. Connor McDavid
3. Kiril Kaprizov
4. Matt Boldy
5. Cole Caufield

There’s no debate here. The best player wins, plain and simple. MacKinnon (40 goals), who has never won this trophy, is still six goals ahead of his closest rival, McDavid, the 2023 winner.

Kaprizov, Boldy, Caufield, Geekie, and Robertson are currently tied with 32 goals. I think at least one of the two Minnesota players will finish ahead of Caufield… But Ti-Cole could prove us wrong and even has a chance to finish second!

Selke Trophy (best defensive forward)

1. Nick Suzuki
2. Anthony Cirelli
3. Jack Eichel
4. Leon Draisaitl
5. Anze Kopitar

If there’s one trophy that’s often won based on player reputation, it’s the Selke! Proof of this is that after a very ordinary season by his own standards, Aleksander Barkov (71 points in 67 games, +1) won it by a wide margin for the second year in a row in 2025…

Nick Suzuki, on the other hand, despite a strong season with 89 points and a +19 differential, had to settle for…^13th place!

Someone must have gotten the memo, because this year, Suzuki is THE big favorite. In fact, many believe there is no real competition.

Anthony Cirelli, if he recovers well from the injury that prevented him from participating in the Olympics, may be the only one who could catch a glimpse of the Canadiens captain in the distance, picking up a few first-place votes here and there…

Ranked^fifth last year and still somewhat underrated in this area, Eichel will once again get his share of votes, as will Draisaitl.

In his final season, Anze Kopitar, two-time Selke winner in 2016 and 2018, will undoubtedly receive a few “greetings” highlighting his defensive excellence over the years.

And don’t be surprised if Kopitar is awarded, for the second year in a row, the famous Lady Byng Trophy, given to the most “gentlemanly” player who displays the best sportsmanship while putting up solid performances. It would be his fourth in his career!

The Lady Byng (which could perhaps be renamed the “Marcel Dionne Trophy,” after the two-time winner in the 1970s?) is another trophy that could soon fall into the hands of Nick Suzuki. It’s worth noting that over the years, the list of winners has been quite impressive.

Jack Adams (best coach)

1. Martin St. Louis
2. Dan Muse
3. Lindy Ruff
4. John Cooper
5. Jared Bednar

After being among the three finalists last year, will this be Martin St-Louis’s time to shine? In 2024-2025, the Habs had improved by 15 points compared to 2023-2024. It was noticed throughout the NHL…

Now, the Habs are already 15 points ahead of where they were at this time last year! In terms of points, they are the^fourth- best club in the entire NHL since the Four Nations Tournament…

So, if the Canadiens remain in the top 8 of the overall standings and show defensive improvement in the final stretch, St. Louis could rise to the top of the Jack Adams voting. At the very least, he would have my vote, if only to highlight his excellence with such a young group and the steady progress of his club since he took over.

But it’s FAR from a sure thing!

Dan Muse worked miracles in Pittsburgh, and “miracle” coaches often win this trophy. Lindy Ruff, winner in 2006 in… Buffalo (!), is another big favorite among the “miracle” coaches. But in these cases, it often and strangely spells bad news for the following season.

Just ask most of the winners from the last 12 years!

I may be somewhat biased, but I prefer St. Louis’s candidacy, while betting on a certain deflation of the “balloon” in Pittsburgh and Buffalo, while the habs, for their part, will finally be able to count on a full roster and reinvigorated goalies…

Jim Gregory Trophy (best general manager)

1. Kent Hughes (MTL)
2. Julien BriseBois (Tampa Bay)
3. Jim Nill (Dallas)
4. Chris MacFarland (Colorado)
5. Bill Guerin (Minnesota)

Ah! Here’s another trophy that places ENORMOUS importance on reputation within the inner circles (hockey and media) of the NHL! Proof of this is that the kind, charming, and excellent—it’s true—Jim Nill won it for the third consecutive year last June. That said, good old Jim still hasn’t won anything in Dallas…

Believe it or not, Julien BriseBois has never won this trophy! Have his little shenanigans with Kucherov’s injuries and the salary cap tarnished his reputation among his peers and the media? Will the man who always seems to find a way to keep his club among the contenders finally see the fruits of his efforts rewarded with something other than a “vulgar” (perhaps a third in June) Stanley Cup?

And what about Kent Hughes? The brilliant “young” GM seems to be building a very solid reputation throughout the NHL. So far, in the year of operations that began with the draft, Kent Hughes has acquired star defenseman Noah Dobson, made a second-round trade to select (apparently) another gem in Zharovsky, looked good with the Bolduc trade, picked up Texier for free, and brought back Danault, a solid center, at a very good price.

Beyond all that, Hughes has stayed the course with the plan he set for himself, and today, the entire league can clearly see that the youngest club in the NHL will, logically, become a contender in the next five to eight years.

If the habs finish strong and Hughes pulls another rabbit out of his hat in addition to Michael Hage, we like their chances…

Conclusion

All in all, if our estimates are roughly accurate, and we add a possible nomination for Suzuki for the Lady Byng, the habs could be represented no less than nine times among the top five favorites for the various honors awarded in June. And not the least of them:

-Best Rookie
-Best defenseman
-Top goal scorer
-Best defensive forward
-Best coach
-Best GM

Of course, except perhaps for Suzuki and Selke, nothing is a sure thing for the others.

At best, Demidov has about a 30% to 40% chance of succeeding Lane Hutson for the Calder.

Martin St. Louis and the Jack Adams Award is a personal choice. I don’t know how much English-speaking fans outside Montreal appreciate him and realize how excellent his work is…

The same can be said for Kent Hughes and the Jim Gregory Trophy. These are extremely “debatable” honors for which, in addition to results, reputation often plays a major role…

Perhaps St-Louis and Hughes will need another big season before they are recognized…

But with so many representatives and theoretically possible honors, these are a few more signs of a club that is heading for the highest peaks.