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<\/a><\/p>\n\n Rasmus Dahlin has put together another season that should get him Norris votes. (Blake Dahlin \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n
Buffalo Sabres<\/p>\n
MVP: Rasmus Dahlin<\/p>\n
Despite everything he was going through off the ice, Dahlin has put together another season that should get him on Norris ballots. He\u2019s just under a point per game and has been a major reason for Buffalo\u2019s turnaround. His 53 percent on-ice expected goal share is tops among Sabres defensemen.<\/p>\n
Most disappointing: Michael Kesselring<\/p>\n
Kesselring was a big piece of the Sabres\u2019 JJ Peterka trade in the offseason. He was having a great training camp, but then he dealt with knee and ankle injuries that have impacted him all season. The injuries aren\u2019t his fault, but he and the Sabres had higher hopes for this season. \u2014 Matthew Fairburn<\/p>\n
Calgary Flames<\/p>\n
MVP: Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman<\/p>\n
Is there a way to split this honor? Because Backlund and Coleman have done a ton of work to help the Flames as they strip parts around them. Productive linemates at both ends of the ice, they found ways to be plus players on a struggling Flames team.<\/p>\n
Most disappointing: Jonathan Huberdeau<\/p>\n
It looked like Huberdeau could take a step forward after a 28-goal, 62-point campaign last season. It didn\u2019t happen this year, thanks to the winger facing consistent hip issues. By late February, Huberdeau was shut down for the year ahead of hip resurfacing surgery. \u2014 Julian McKenzie<\/p>\n
Carolina Hurricanes<\/p>\n
MVP: Brandon Bussi<\/p>\n
A waiver claim before the season, the 27-year-old won his NHL debut Oct. 14 and kept winning. While his play dipped following the Olympic break, Bussi righted the ship and has five straight wins and a gaudy 30-6-1 record. He\u2019s been one of the NHL\u2019s best stories this season.<\/p>\n
Most disappointing: Jesperi Kotkaniemi<\/p>\n
The writing was on the wall for Kotkaniemi when Logan Stankoven made the move to center to start training camp. Kotkaniemi has played fewer than half of Carolina\u2019s 79 games, and he still has four years remaining on a contract that costs $4.82 million against the cap annually. \u2014 Cory Lavalette<\/p>\n
Chicago Blackhawks<\/p>\n
MVP: Connor Bedard<\/p>\n
Bedard evolved this season into the player the Blackhawks hoped he would become when they drafted him. Before his shoulder injury, he was right there with the league\u2019s best players. His offense elevated to another level this season, but he also showed signs of becoming a more well-rounded player.<\/p>\n
Most disappointing: Andr\u00e9 Burakovsky<\/p>\n
Burakovsky was given every opportunity to produce this season. From playing with Bedard to power-play usage to overall ice time, he was set up to succeed. Despite all that, he\u2019s likely to finish with fewer points this season than he had with Seattle in a smaller role last season. \u2014 Scott Powers<\/p>\n
Colorado Avalanche<\/p>\n
MVP: Nathan MacKinnon<\/p>\n
He may be the MVP of the entire NHL, so how could I choose anyone but MacKinnon? He easily eclipsed the 100-point mark for the fourth consecutive season and is arguably the most dominant player in hockey. I considered Scott Wedgewood as a contrarian pick, but MacKinnon is the answer.<\/p>\n
Most disappointing: Jack Drury<\/p>\n
Entering the season, there was hope that Drury would be more than he\u2019s been for Colorado. He\u2019s more than good enough to be a solid fourth-line center, which is the role he\u2019s playing, but with only 10 goals and 17 assists on the season, he hasn\u2019t developed into much of an offensive option. \u2014 Jesse Granger<\/p>\n
Columbus Blue Jackets<\/p>\n
MVP: Zach Werenski<\/p>\n
Werenski may once again be a Norris Trophy finalist and draw some Hart Trophy ballots, too, but he\u2019s a no-doubter as the Blue Jackets\u2019 MVP. He leads the club in assists (58) and points (80) and is third in goals (22), all while being Columbus\u2019 undisputed leader in the dressing room.<\/p>\n
Most disappointing: Kent Johnson<\/p>\n
Tough to pin this on a 23-year-old, but Johnson has fallen flat after having a breakout season in 2024-25. He\u2019s playing four minutes less per night and doesn\u2019t have a permanent spot in the Blue Jackets\u2019 lineup. \u2014 Aaron Portzline<\/p>\n
\n Jason Robertson will become a restricted free agent at the end of this season. (Harry How \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n Dallas Stars<\/p>\n MVP: Jason Robertson<\/p>\n After two middling (by his standards) seasons, Robertson returned to elite form this season, topping the 40-goal and 90-point marks. He\u2019s been dominant at both five-on-five and on the power play, and enters restricted free agency this summer as one of the league\u2019s very best power forwards.<\/p>\n Most disappointing: Thomas Harley<\/p>\n This feels harsh; Harley\u2019s hardly been bad this season. But instead of leaping into Norris contention, Harley took a step back at both ends of the ice. His scoring has slipped significantly, and after being a plus-29 at five-on-five last year, Harley is merely even this season. \u2014 Mark Lazerus<\/p>\n Detroit Red Wings<\/p>\n MVP: Moritz Seider<\/p>\n Seider has done it all for the Red Wings this season, setting a career high in points while also taking on one of the largest workloads in the league, and tilting the ice in Detroit\u2019s favor through it all. He has elevated himself into one of the true best all-around defenders in the league.<\/p>\n Most disappointing: Mason Appleton<\/p>\n Appleton\u2019s not one of the big-name players on the roster, so maybe this isn\u2019t totally in the spirit of the question. But he hasn\u2019t delivered the kind of bottom-six impact Detroit needed when it signed him, with an expected goals share of just 43 percent, and just 3 points since Jan. 1. \u2014 Max Bultman<\/p>\n Edmonton Oilers<\/p>\n MVP: Connor McDavid<\/p>\n McDavid played brilliant hockey in 2025-26, delivering the second-highest point total of his career while playing massive minutes against elite competition. When Leon Draisaitl was injured, McDavid stepped up and played a more complete, 200-foot game. He has outscored elites at 60 percent this season.<\/p>\n Most disappointing: Andrew Mangiapane<\/p>\n When the Oilers signed Mangiapane to a two-year deal for $3.6 million annually, it was with an eye to acquiring a player who could deliver solid offense while playing a strong defensive game. Mangiapane was unable to deliver either and was dealt at the deadline. \u2014 Allan Mitchell<\/p>\n Florida Panthers<\/p>\n MVP: Sam Reinhart<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t a banner year for many Panthers, as the two-time defending champs have cratered to the bottom of the standings. Reinhart has had to pick up a lot of the slack with Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk out and has scored at a nearly 40-goal pace despite playing with a variety of linemates.<\/p>\n Most disappointing: Sergei Bobrovsky<\/p>\n A lot of Panthers could have qualified, but your $10 million starting goalie posting an .877 save percentage is a tough hurdle for any team to overcome. In Bobrovsky\u2019s defense, he\u2019s played a lot of hockey the last few years, and Florida wasn\u2019t as airtight defensively as it has been in the past. \u2014 James Mirtle<\/p>\n Los Angeles Kings<\/p>\n MVP: Adrian Kempe<\/p>\n The sentimental pick would be franchise icon An\u017ee Kopitar in his 20th and final season, but Kempe has been their best player and most important. Once again, their leading scorer, the Swede, hit the 30-goal mark for the fourth time in five seasons. He\u2019s been carrying L.A. at a critical time.<\/p>\n Most disappointing: Quinton Byfield<\/p>\n Cody Ceci might be a call for some here, but did you really expect great things from the third-pair defenseman? You hoped Byfield would make the leap into stardom. But it\u2019s been an inconsistent season for the toolsy 23-year-old. However, he\u2019s saved his best for last with a late-season surge. \u2014 Eric Stephens<\/p>\n Minnesota Wild<\/p>\n MVP: Matt Boldy<\/p>\n The $7 million bargain became the fourth 40-goal scorer in Wild history. He has a career-high 85 points. A true difference-maker, he drives every line he\u2019s on. As good a passer as he is a shooter, he makes linemates better and has become one of the league\u2019s most complete players.<\/p>\n Most disappointing: Nico Sturm<\/p>\n Fair or not, the free-agent pickup injured his back on Day 1 of camp and missed the first 22 games. Sturm filled his role \u2014 killing penalties and winning faceoffs, but nevertheless, the Wild weren\u2019t overjoyed and spent a second-round pick on Michael McCarron. Now Sturm\u2019s an every-night extra. \u2014 Michael Russo<\/p>\n Montreal Canadiens<\/p>\n MVP: Nick Suzuki<\/p>\n Suzuki has not gone more than two games without a point all season, and has only had two instances of even that. He\u2019s a model of consistency and drives the Canadiens\u2019 bus, centering one of the NHL\u2019s most productive lines and verging on the first 100-point season for a Canadiens player in 40 years.<\/p>\n Most disappointing: Sam Montembeault<\/p>\n Montembeault was the presumptive No. 1 goaltender for the Canadiens, but never managed to find his footing and forced the team to turn to two rookies in goal, Jakub Dobe\u0161 and Jacob Fowler. Of the 61 NHL goalies to make at least 20 starts this season, Montembeault\u2019s .872 save percentage ranks 58th. \u2014 Arpon Basu<\/p>\n Nashville Predators<\/p>\n MVP: Filip Forsberg<\/p>\n Forsberg, chasing another 40-goal season, went on a heater down the stretch, and without that, the Preds would not have stayed in contention for a playoff spot. This is a tough call, though \u2014 Steven Stamkos is right there with Forsberg as a goal scorer. And Ryan O\u2019Reilly has had a tremendous season.<\/p>\n Most disappointing: Juuse Saros<\/p>\n A second straight season with a sub-.900 save percentage was not what the Preds needed from Saros in the first year of his eight-year, $61.92 million deal. He ranks in the 80s among NHL netminders in goals saved above expected, at worse than minus-9. He can excel on a given night, but that\u2019s not enough. \u2014 Joe Rexrode<\/p>\n New Jersey Devils<\/p>\n MVP: Jack Hughes<\/p>\n There\u2019s a reason the Devils\u2019 season went off the rails when Hughes hurt his hand. When healthy, he\u2019s one of the more dynamic players in the NHL. When he\u2019s hurt, the Devils miss him desperately. The Olympic hero has a team-leading 73 points in 58 games and is tied for first on the club with 26 goals.<\/p>\n Most disappointing: Ond\u0159ej Pal\u00e1t<\/p>\n Pal\u00e1t is a true pro and was, by all accounts, valuable in the Devils dressing room, but his production continued to dip this season, and Tom Fitzgerald eventually had to trade draft capital to the Islanders just to get off his contract. Pal\u00e1t had 10 points in 51 games for the Devils pre-trade. \u2014 Peter Baugh<\/p>\n New York Islanders<\/p>\n MVP: Ilya Sorokin<\/p>\n This is an incredibly close race between Sorokin and Matthew Schaefer, who has been phenomenal on both ends of the ice for the Islanders. But Sorokin has been a legitimate game-breaker, giving his team a chance to win with 40 quality starts in 53 appearances, and 53.97 goals saved above expected along the way.<\/p>\n Most disappointing: Ondr\u030cej Pala\u0301t<\/p>\n While other in-season adds have had their shortcomings \u2014 Brayden Schenn\u2019s two-way game lacks, while Carson Soucy is a defensive liability \u2014 Pala\u0301t may be the most disappointing of all. The trade gave him a clean slate away from New Jersey to get back to his utility strengths; his defense isn\u2019t strong enough to make up for how much he suppresses offense. \u2014 Shayna Goldman<\/p>\n New York Rangers<\/p>\n MVP: Mika Zibanejad<\/p>\n Coming off a 2024-25 season in which Zibanejad registered his lowest points-per-game average in seven years and openly struggled with the mental side of the game, he\u2019s bounced back in a significant way. The 32-year-old center leads the team with 76 points and has been its only consistent threat.<\/p>\n Most disappointing: J.T. Miller<\/p>\n The Rangers traded for Miller last year and named him captain, with GM Chris Drury gambling that the volatile forward could be the driving force behind a new, tougher team identity. The results, both collectively and individually, have been undeniably disappointing. \u2014 Vincent Z. Mercogliano<\/p>\n Ottawa Senators<\/p>\n MVP: Tim St\u00fctzle<\/p>\n The German did more than his fair share of responsibilities at both ends of the ice, scoring highlight-reel goals, working hard in the defensive zone, playing on the penalty kill and improving his faceoff rate. He\u2019s responded to the challenge of being better and it could put Ottawa in the playoffs.<\/p>\n Most disappointing: Leevi Meril\u00e4inen<\/p>\n The Senators thought he\u2019d be good enough to back up Linus Ullmark (who has also fallen short of expectations on the ice while navigating the ups and downs of his mental health<\/a>) this year. But Meril\u00e4inen\u2019s -17.3 goals saves above expected ranks second-worst among NHL netminders (min. 20 games), and the Senators figured sending him back to the AHL to get his confidence back was the right move. \u2014 Julian McKenzie<\/p>\n Philadelphia Flyers<\/p>\n MVP: Dan Vladar<\/p>\n When the Flyers signed Vladar to a two-year, $6.7 million deal on July 1, it was still assumed that Samuel Ersson would end up as the No. 1. Instead, it\u2019s been Vladar since Day 1. For a team that had the NHL\u2019s worst goaltending last season, Vladar is the main reason they\u2019re back in the playoff race.<\/p>\n Most disappointing: Garnet Hathaway<\/p>\n After two seasons as an effective depth winger who brought a physical element and could provide secondary offense from time to time, Hathaway has lately had trouble staying in the active lineup. In 63 games, he has just one goal and two assists. \u2014 Kevin Kurz<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n