NHL Awards Watch: Eichel leading for MVP after one month<\/p>\n
Greg WyshynskiNov 4, 2025, 07:00 AM ETCloseGreg Wyshynski is ESPN\u2019s senior NHL writer.It\u2019s said that an NHL team doesn\u2019t win the Stanley Cup in the first month of the season. But can a player win an NHL award in that span?There\u2019s plenty of runway left for dramatic shifts in statistics and the standings. But this is the time of year when narratives are planted in the minds of awards voters. An 18-year-old rookie sensation who reenergizes a franchise in his first dozen games isn\u2019t all that far off from a film playing to standing ovations at Cannes, months before becoming an Oscar nominee.Editor\u2019s Picks2 RelatedFirst impressions matter, and the inaugural NHL Awards Watch of the 2025-26 season is a good indication of how impressed the voters currently are with the early field of contenders.We\u2019ve 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\u2019ve made sure it\u2019s a cross section from the entire league, trying to gain as many perspectives as possible.Keep 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 | HartNorris | Selke | VezinaCalder | Byng | AdamsArt Ross Trophy (points leader)Click here for the updated point-scoring standings.Maurice \u2018Rocket\u2019 Richard TrophyClick here for the updated goal-scoring standings.Hart Trophy (MVP)Leader: Jack Eichel, C, Vegas Golden KnightsFinalists: Cale Makar, D, Colorado Avalanche; Mark Scheifele, C, Winnipeg JetsEichel was the player of the month for October in the NHL. He has been the most valuable player so far this season in the minds of our voters.The Golden Knights star earned 42% of the first-place votes after dominating the first 11 games of the season. Eichel had 19 points (8 goals, 11 assists) overall in that span. He had six multipoint games, including two four-point games. Entering Monday night, Eichel was five points ahead of Mitch Marner among Vegas scorers. His reputation as a \u201c200-foot player\u201d has also been slowly coagulating, as Eichel finished fifth for the Selke Trophy last season. The Golden Knights average 2.02 goals against per 60 minutes with Eichel on the ice.Eichel has received significant Hart Trophy support just twice in his career, finishing eighth in 2019-20 with the Buffalo Sabres and fifth last season for Vegas. He earned two first-place votes in 2024-25. That number will grow significantly if his success, and that of his team, continues unabated this season.But it\u2019s early.\u201dIt\u2019s a wide-open race after 10 games,\u201d one voter concluded. \u201cLots of guys having incredible impacts on the scoreboard and tilting the ice in favor of their respective teams.\u201dJack Eichel has had many reasons to smile thus far this season.\u00a0Katherine Gawlik\/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesMakar received the second-most first-place votes (19%), which is surprising on a couple of levels. For example: He\u2019s a defenseman and this is the Hart Trophy. The last defenseman to win league MVP was Chris Pronger of the St. Louis Blues back in 2000. That\u2019s also the last time a defenseman was even a finalist for the Hart.Makar\u2019s candidacy is also surprising because Nathan MacKinnon, at last check, is still a member of the Colorado Avalanche. Through 13 games, MacKinnon led the Avs in goals (10) and points (19). Makar had 4 goals and 14 assists for 18 points in that span. MacKinnon earned 10% of the first-place votes from our panel.All of ESPN. All in one place.Watch your favorite events in the newly enhanced ESPN App. Learn more about what plan is right for you. Sign Up Now
MacKinnon has been as relevant to the Hart Trophy voting as defensemen have been alien to it, winning league MVP in 2023-24 and finishing in the top four in the voting five total times since 2017-18.\u201dHis 5-on-5 numbers so far are absurd,\u201d a MacKinnon voter quipped.But overall, it\u2019s Makar that has the louder early MVP buzz. Keep in mind that there might be room for two Avs in the MVP race: MacKinnon was fourth for the Hart last season, but Makar finished two spots behind him at sixth.\u201dAs great as MacKinnon is, Makar is that team\u2019s engine,\u201d one voter opined.Scheifele\u2019s explosive first 12 games earned him the third-most first-place votes (15% overall) from our panel. The Winnipeg star had nine goals and 11 assists, and registered points in 11 of his 12 appearances. Entering Monday night, his 20 points led all scorers, powering the Jets up the standings in the Central Division.Apparently, Scheifele really wants to make an early-season impression on Team Canada management after his 4 Nations Face-Off snub. The Jets are certainly benefiting from it.\u201dIt\u2019ll be difficult for him to maintain this ranking, but he\u2019s the best performer on a fantastic team,\u201d a Scheifele voter declared.Other players who received first-place MVP votes from our panel: Leon Draisaitl (Edmonton Oilers), Jack Hughes (New Jersey Devils) and Dylan Larkin (Detroit Red Wings). Draisaitl, who won his lone MVP award in 2019-20, was second for the Hart last season behind Connor Hellebuyck.Among the players that made voters\u2019 ballots but didn\u2019t get a first-place vote: Macklin Celebrini (San Jose Sharks) and Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins).Norris Trophy (top defenseman)Leader: Cale Makar, Colorado AvalancheFinalists: Mike Matheson, Montreal Canadiens; Josh Morrissey, Winnipeg JetsIn the Norris Trophy race, Cale Makar is like Usain Bolt \u2026 with a rocket strapped to his back.\u201dIt\u2019s not particularly close,\u201d one voter argued.Makar earned all but one first-place vote from our panelists. Heading into Monday night, his 18 points are seven better than any other defenseman. He has skated to a plus-12 and is averaging 25:27 per game. He\u2019s second in the NHL in goals above replacement (6.4), per Evolving Hockey.Makar is seeking his second straight Norris Trophy win \u2014 and second overall \u2014 having earned 92% of the first-place votes last season. He has been a finalist for the Norris for five straight seasons.\u201dMakar\u2019s simply on another planet. That $20 million cap hit in two years is somehow going to be a bargain,\u201d another voter predicted.play0:30Cale Makar lights the lamp for AvalancheCale Makar nets goal for AvalancheThe defenseman that prevented a unanimous decision for Makar? Canadiens veteran Matheson, who earned one first-place vote. The 31-year-old has seven points in his first 12 games for the surging Habs, playing with Noah Dobson on the team\u2019s top pairing. Matheson is one of Montreal\u2019s primary penalty killers as well.Of the players mentioned most prominently down the ballot, Morrissey earned the most support. The Jets defenseman had 11 points (1 goal, 10 assists) in his first 12 games, skating to a plus-12 while playing 24:35 per game on average. Morrissey was fourth in the Norris Trophy voting last season.Among the other defensemen earning support from our voters: Gustav Forsling (Florida Panthers), Adam Fox (New York Rangers), Jake Sanderson (Ottawa Senators), Shea Theodore (Vegas Golden Knights) and Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets).\u201dOther guys will be in the conversation all season,\u201d one voter said.Calder Trophy (top rookie)Leader: Matthew Schaefer, D, New York IslandersFinalists: Ivan Demidov, RW, Montreal Canadiens; Emmitt Finnie, LW, Detroit Red WingsAs one voter put it: \u201cIs this a real question? It\u2019s Matthew Schaefer.\u201dThe Calder is a unique award. There are factors that go beyond stats and narrative \u2014 and Schaefer more than fulfills both of those criteria, by the way \u2014 like expectations. What\u2019s to be expected from an 18-year-old defending against NHL players a few months after an injury-limited, 17-game season in the Ontario Hockey League? What\u2019s to be expected from a player selected first overall in the NHL draft, setting the bar considerably higher for Schaefer than for prospects selected later in the draw?Schaefer is surpassing those expectations so far but also has something else going for him: That transformative alchemy that an outstanding rookie can provide to a franchise marinating in ennui. From the moment Schaefer was drafted, it was clear that his charisma and enthusiasm were infectious. After a dozen games, the Islanders have a different energy, and it\u2019s difficult not to trace that directly to the joy of Schaefer.\u201dIs there a more fun player in the league to watch right now than this kid?\u201d one voter asked.play1:02Matthew Schaefer becomes youngest defenseman with multigoal gameMatthew Schaefer becomes youngest defenseman with multigoal gameHe\u2019s not just a great story. Statistically, he\u2019s been the league\u2019s best rookie so far: 10 points in 12 games (5 goals and 5 assists), tied for the lead among Calder-eligible players entering Monday night\u2019s action. He has earned five points at even strength and five on the power play while skating 21:56 per game on average, easily the most ice time logged among rookies.\u201dPosition matters. So does ice time. And Schaefer is logging more than two minutes per game more than any other rookie,\u201d one voter explained.And he\u2019s already making history, too. On Sunday, Schaefer became the youngest defenseman in NHL history with a multigoal game, moving in front of Hall of Famer Bobby Orr (18 years, 248 days on Nov. 23, 1966).Breaking News from Emily KaplanDownload the ESPN app and enable Emily Kaplan\u2019s news alerts to receive push notifications for the latest updates first. Opt in by tapping the alerts bell in the top right corner. For more information, click here.
As good as Schaefer\u2019s been, he earned only 81% of the first-place votes. The other first-place votes were garnered by Canadiens dynamo Ivan Demidov. The 19-year-old winger was tied with Schaefer atop the rookie scoring list after the weekend, with 3 goals and 7 assists in 12 games. That\u2019s while averaging 13:59 in ice time, fourth among rookie forwards.\u201dDemidov is a very close second,\u201d one Schaefer voter admitted.Others acknowledged Demidov\u2019s brilliance so far but saw the Calder picture differently.\u201dIvan Demidov has been spectacular, but at this point, this race is not particularly close,\u201d one voter declared.\u201dSchaefer has been otherworldly, but Demidov will have his moment to push,\u201d another voter predicted.It\u2019s clearly a two-player race at this point. The only other player prominently mentioned by our panel was Emmitt Finnie, one of the biggest surprises of the season so far for the Red Wings.As much as Schaefer was on everyone\u2019s radar to start the season, Finnie was off it: a seventh-round pick in 2023 who spent more time in the WHL than the AHL over the past two seasons. But after posting 84 points in 55 games for Kamloops in 2024-25, the 20-year-old earned a shot to establish himself in the Detroit lineup. He found a home playing with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond, and has 4 goals and 4 assists through 13 games this season.Other rookies getting some support so far include Minnesota Wild defenseman Zeev Buium, St. Louis Blues forward Jimmy Snuggerud and Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin.But right now, it\u2019s Schaefer vs. Demidov.Vezina Trophy (top goaltender)Note: The NHL\u2019s general managers vote for this award.Leader: Logan Thompson, Washington CapitalsFinalists: Jakub Dobes, Montreal Canadiens; Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg JetsThere were certainly some skeptics of Thompson before the season. After being acquired from the Golden Knights in the 2024 offseason, he had an astonishing 2024-25 campaign for the Capitals: 31-6-6 with a .910 save percentage and a 2.49 goals-against average in 43 appearances. But that wasn\u2019t enough to impress the league\u2019s general managers, who placed him fourth in last season\u2019s Vezina vote.His record isn\u2019t quite as sterling so far this season, but his stats are even better. Through eight games, he\u2019s 5-3-0 with a .935 save percentage and a 1.51 goals-against average, leading the NHL in both categories heading into Monday\u2019s action.\u201dHe has quietly been spectacular for the Capitals,\u201d one voter noted.Thompson is playing with some additional pressure on him, too: trying to make the cut for the Canadian Olympic team ahead of the 2026 men\u2019s tournament in Italy.\u201dAt this point, if he doesn\u2019t make Canada\u2019s Olympic team, it is for something other than his play,\u201d one Canadian-born voter surmised. \u201cHe is the best Canadian goaltender, and it\u2019s not particularly close.\u201dLogan Thompson has been locked in this season.\u00a0Patrick Smith\/Getty ImagesThompson earned 33% of the first-place votes. Hellebuyck and Dobes each earned around 24% of the first-place votes to round out the top three.Dobes is having a 2024-25 Thompson-esque start for the Habs based on wins and losses, going 6-0-0 in six appearances. His numbers are stellar (.930 save percentage, 1.97 goals-against average) and significantly better than his crease-mate Sam Montembeault (.839 save percentage).Fantasy hockey essentials\u2022 Weekly trends: Risers and fallers\u2022 November schedule guide\u2022 Draft kit | Most added\/dropped\u2022 Rankings | Goalie depth chart\u2022 Free agent pickups: Weekly adds\u2022 Sign up and play for free today!
\u201cWe can\u2019t ignore the start by Jakub Dobes in Montreal,\u201d one voter argued.With the Canadiens sprinting out of the gate, Dobes is getting a lot of Vezina love \u2014 oddly, he didn\u2019t get any traction on the Calder ballots. Maybe there\u2019s a learning curve here about Dobes still being a rookie despite playing 16 games last season?Hellebuyck is trying to win his third straight Vezina Trophy. The last goalie to go back-to-back-to-back was the legendary Dominik Hasek of the Buffalo Sabres (1996-99). Hellebuyck won last season\u2019s Vezina in a total rout, getting 31 out of 32 first-place votes. (The only other goalie to earn one: Andrei Vasilevskiy.) He\u2019s crushing it again so far for the Jets: 6-3-0 with a .921 save percentage and a 2.34 goals-against average in nine games.\u201dIt\u2019s early and some goalies are off to a great start, but so is Hellebuyck,\u201d a voter concluded. \u201cUntil proven otherwise, he is still the best in the league.\u201dAnother goalie who received multiple first-place votes was Thatcher Demko of the Vancouver Canucks, who is healthy and playing well, with a .918 save percentage and a 2.41 goals-against average. Demko is on a mission to play himself into the Team USA goalie battery for the 2026 Olympics.\u201dDemko has been back to his form. He should be in the conversation for the U.S.,\u201d one voter opined.Other goalies who received first-place votes were Spencer Knight of the Chicago Blackhawks and Lukas Dostal of the Anaheim Ducks, the latter of whom entered Monday as the NHL\u2019s leader in goals saved above expected (11.1), per Money Puck.Selke Trophy (best defensive forward)Leader: Nick Suzuki, C, Montreal CanadiensFinalists: Anthony Cirelli, C, Tampa Bay Lightning; Nico Hischier, C, New Jersey Devils; Jordan Staal, C, Carolina HurricanesIt has become somewhat of an informal tradition in the NHL Awards Watch to have roughly the population of Saskatoon nominated for the Selke in the first month of voting. OK, we\u2019re being slightly hyperbolic, but no less than 10 different players received at least one first-place vote each.If there\u2019s one award that doesn\u2019t benefit from a small sample, it\u2019s the Selke.\u201dIt\u2019s too early to make any real sense of the numbers defensively,\u201d one voter concluded.Throwing the race into more chaos was the preseason injury to Florida Panthers star Aleksander Barkov, who has won the Selke in back-to-back seasons and three times overall. Without that default choice, the field is wide open.There is, however, a clear leader. Suzuki was 13th for the Selke in each of the past two seasons but earned 24% of the first-place votes here. He\u2019s off to an outstanding offensive start for Montreal, with 18 points in his first 12 games, but his defensive metrics are exemplary. The Canadiens are averaging just 1.03 goals against per 60 minutes with Suzuki on the ice.\u201dHe does a lot for the Habs and deserves Selke love,\u201d one voter argued.play0:36Nick Suzuki tallies goal for Montreal Canadiens on the power playNick Suzuki tallies goal for Montreal Canadiens on the power playWe listed three finalists behind Suzuki because they all earned the same number of first-place votes, around 14% each.Cirelli was a Selke finalist for the first time last season. Given the weird history of this award \u2014 which honors defense but frequently for only offense-generating players \u2014 it should come as no surprise that Cirelli\u2019s support materialized during his best offensive season (59 points in 80 games). He\u2019s ahead of that pace so far, with 11 points in 12 games, and once again is getting Selke attention.The enhanced ESPN AppWatch your favorite events in the newly upgraded ESPN App. Learn more about what plan is right for you. Sign Up Now
It seems like Cirelli has been on deck for the Selke for a few seasons. Ditto Hischier, the Devils\u2019 outstanding two-way center. He was second for the Selke in 2022-23 and then finished fourth for the award last season. Hischier is winning over 52% of his faceoffs and getting the big defensive assignments for the Devils.Finally \u2014 and once again \u2014 it\u2019s Staal. The 20-year NHL veteran has been a Selke finalist twice but has never broken through to win the award, despite being lauded as one of the league\u2019s best shutdown centers on the Carolina checking line.\u201dHe still faces top opposition, wins draws, kills penalties and as of Sunday had been on the ice for one 5-on-5 goal against,\u201d one voter proclaimed.Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby earned around 10% of the first-place votes. The highest he has placed for the Selke was fourth overall in 2018-19, but the Penguins\u2019 stunning start has given his defensive game renewed focus.Other players who received at least one first-place vote: Winnipeg Jets winger Kyle Connor, Colorado Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen, Vegas Golden Knights winger Mitch Marner, Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson and Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart, who finished second for the Selke last season.\u201dHis defensive numbers are still amazing without Sasha Barkov, and he\u2019s on a 40-goal pace,\u201d the Reinhart voter noted. \u201cBut then again, so is Anthony Cirelli.\u201dLady 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\u2019s on-ice officials or by the NHL Players\u2019 Association instead of the PHWA.Traditionally, this award goes to a player with a top-20 point total and the lowest penalty minutes among those players.Entering Monday, one particular player had 19 points and zero penalty minutes in 11 games. He was third for the Byng last season. Will this finally be the season he becomes \u201cGentleman\u201d Jack Eichel?Jack Adams Award (best coach)Note: The NHL Broadcasters\u2019 Association votes on this award.Leader: Dan Muse, Pittsburgh PenguinsFinalists: Joel Quenneville, Anaheim Ducks; Andre Tourigny, Utah MammothWho would have predicted that one month into the season, the Penguins team coached by a former New York Rangers assistant would have a better record than the Rangers team coached by Mike Sullivan?ESPN Draft CoverageStay up to date with the latest intel from ESPN\u2019s experts.MLB: McDaniel\u2019s 2025 MLB draft recap \u00bbNBA: 2025 draft value picks, risky moves \u00bbNFL: Early 2026 first-round predictions \u00bbNHL: 2026 draft class watch list \u00bbWNBA: Top 15 prospects for 2026 draft \u00bb
Dan Muse, a longtime assistant under head coach Peter Laviolette, was hired as Sullivan\u2019s successor in June. Expectations for the Penguins entering the season were extremely tempered. Discussion centered around the potential departures of Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The idea that Pittsburgh could return to playoff contention with this roster and a novice head coach seemed outlandish at best \u2026 and then the Penguins got off to an 8-3-2 start, with balanced scoring and a defensive turnaround under Muse.\u201dWhy is Pittsburgh even remotely relevant? What is this Muse wizardry?\u201d one voter asked.\u201dTough not to go with Muse considering Pittsburgh\u2019s hot start, which probably won\u2019t last, but if he even keeps the Penguins remotely competitive this season, he\u2019ll be a lock to win this,\u201d another voter said.Muse earned an impressive 76% of the first-place votes.Dan Muse has been pushing all the right buttons for the Penguins this season.\u00a0Joe Sargent\/NHLI via Getty ImagesThe second choice for the panel was Quenneville. The 67-year-old coach took over the Ducks this season after he was reinstated by the NHL in July 2024. Quenneville and two other former Chicago Blackhawks executives were banned from the league in October 2021 for their mishandling of a sexual assault allegation by a former player in 2010.Under Quenneville, the Ducks\u2019 play at even strength has improved greatly in both offensive output and puck possession. Anaheim was first in the Pacific at 7-3-1 after 11 games. He earned 10% of the first-place votes.After Quenneville, Tourigny earned the most support as coach of one of the season\u2019s early surprises in the Utah Mammoth. He\u2019s a great story, having coached through the chaos in the Coyotes\u2019 final three seasons in Arizona before porting over with the players to form a new team in Utah. The Mammoth have been solid offensively and defensively this season, contending in the Central.\u201dTourigny is right behind Muse for me,\u201d one voter revealed.Other coaches receiving first-place votes were Montreal\u2019s Martin St. Louis and Detroit\u2019s Todd McLellan.It\u2019s anyone\u2019s guess whether these players and coaches will still be in the awards conversation by season\u2019s end. Join us next month in this space to see how solidified these first impressions have become with the voters.<\/p>\n
\u5df2\u53d1\u5e03: 2025-11-04 12:09:00<\/p>\n