Auston Matthews Wins The 2022 Hart Trophy
On Tuesday, the final five NHL awards are being handed out. Last up for the night was the Hart Memorial Trophy, given to the most valuable player as voted by the PHWA. After receiving the Ted Lindsay Award for the same honor as voted by the players, Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews was this year’s recipient. The other finalists were Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin and Oilers center Connor McDavid.
It was a career year for Matthews in terms of goals (60), assists (46), points (106), and shots on goal (348) with his goal and shots totals leading the league despite only playing in 73 games. His goals per game rate (0.82) was the highest in the NHL since Mario Lemieux back in the 1995-96 campaign. That helped lead Toronto to the second spot in the Atlantic Division and their most successful season in franchise history in terms of points. Matthews is the third Maple Leaf to win the Hart and the first to do so in quite some time as Toronto’s previous winner was Ted Kennedy back in 1954-55.
Matthews received 61% of first-place votes among the 195 ballots cast while appearing on all but two of them. That helped him finish more than 500 points ahead of McDavid to take home the award with Shesterkin coming a distant third. Four other players received a first-place vote – Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau, Florida’s Jonathan Huberdeau, Nashville’s Roman Josi, and Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov.
The full voting results can be found here.
Cale Makar Wins The 2022 Norris Trophy
On Tuesday, the final five NHL awards are being handed out. The second-last award of the night was the James Norris Memorial Trophy, handed out to the NHL’s best defenseman. This year’s winner is Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar. The other finalists were Predators blueliner Roman Josi and Lightning rearguard Victor Hedman.
Makar led all defensemen in goals this season with 28, becoming just the fifth blueliner in the last 30 years to get that many goals. He also finished second in points (86) to Josi, who had 96. While thought of as an offense-first defender, Makar took a regular turn on Colorado’s penalty kill this season as well which helped him average 25:40 per contest. While this voting doesn’t cover his playoff performance, the 23-year-old has been dominant in the postseason as well, picking up 26 points in 17 games while his ATOI has jumped up to a little under 27 minutes a night.
Interestingly enough, Makar actually finished second to Josi in first-place votes, 98-92. However, Makar had 22 more second-place selections (98-72) which helped him garner 25 more voting points to secure the victory. He was also the only player to appear on all 195 ballots with Josi not being put on one of them. It’s the closest vote for this award since the 2011-12 campaign when Erik Karlsson edged Shea Weber for the award. Only one other blueliner, Boston’s Charlie McAvoy, received a first-place vote.
The full results of the voting can be found here.
Auston Matthews Wins The 2022 Ted Lindsay Award
On Tuesday, the final five NHL awards are being handed out. Third on the docket was the Ted Lindsay Award, given to the player voted as the most outstanding in the league by the players. This year’s recipient is Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews. The other finalists were Oilers center Connor McDavid and Predators defenseman Roman Josi.
The 24-year-old led the league in goals scored for the second straight season, hitting the 60-goal mark for the first time in his career despite missing nine games due to injury or suspension, becoming the first player to hit that mark since Steven Stamkos did it back in 2011-12. Matthews set a new league record for the most goals scored by an American-born player, besting Jimmy Carson‘s mark of 55 back in 1987-88. Between November 24th and April 9th, Matthews scored 51 times in just 50 games. That helped lead Toronto to a 115-point season, the most points in franchise history.
Matthews, who was a finalist for the award last season, is the fourth different winner of this award in as many years. The last time that happened was between 2009-10 and 2012-13. Unlike the other awards being revealed on Tuesday, no voting breakdown was released. He is the first Maple Leaf to win the award.
Moritz Seider Wins The 2022 Calder Trophy
On Tuesday, the final five NHL awards are being handed out. The second award of the night was the Calder Memorial Trophy, handed out to the NHL’s top rookie. Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider took home the trophy after a stellar first season. Maple Leafs winger Michael Bunting and Ducks center Trevor Zegras were the other two finalists.
The 21-year-old was the sixth-overall pick by Detroit back in 2019 and spent his post-draft season with AHL Grand Rapids before playing in Sweden last season. The extra seasoning certainly was beneficial as he led all rookie defensemen with 50 points (seven goals and 43 assists), the third-highest point output from a rookie rearguard in the last 30 years. Seider also led all rookies (including forwards) in assists and power play points while logging more than 23 minutes a game to lead all Detroit defensemen, a franchise record for all rookies.
As a result, the vote wasn’t particularly close. Of the 195 PHWA members to cast a ballot, Seider was ranked first on 170 of them while he was the only player to appear in the top three on every ballot. That helped Seider become the first Detroit rookie to win the award since goaltender Roger Crozier back in the 1964-65 season.
The full results of the voting can be found here.
Igor Shesterkin Wins The 2022 Vezina Trophy
On Tuesday, the final five NHL awards are being handed out. First up was the Vezina Trophy for the best goaltender. The winner of the award was Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin. The other finalists were Calgary’s Jacob Markstrom and Nashville’s Juuse Saros.
The 26-year-old had a dominant season, leading the league with a 2.07 GAA along with a .935 SV%. That helped lead New York to second place in the Metropolitan Division while recording their highest point total since the 2014-15 campaign and third-best in franchise history. Shesterkin’s numbers in the playoffs were also quite strong as he put up a 2.59 GAA along with a .929 SV% as he helped the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference Final before they were eliminated in six by Tampa Bay. He becomes the third Ranger to win the award under the current voting criteria, joining Henrik Lundqvist and John Vanbiesbrouck.
The Vezina Trophy is voted on by the 32 General Managers and it was a near-unanimous selection as Shesterkin took home 29 of 32 first-place votes while having more voting points than every other goalie combined. Interestingly, the other two finalists didn’t receive a first-place vote with those nods going to Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Lightning, Ilya Sorokin of the Islanders, and Frederik Andersen of the Hurricanes.
The full results of the voting can be found here.
Latest On J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser
It’s no secret that the Vancouver Canucks are looking to build a more dynamic team worthy of contention. With new management installed, the team has already made some waves this offseason by signing top European free agent Andrei Kuzmenko. Vancouver still remains a popular name in trade talks, though, as the team is sitting on a pair of high-profile forwards that don’t seem to fit into the team’s long-term plans. TSN’s Darren Dreger said on Insider Trading today that the team is wide open to trading both J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser, noting that the Canucks are listening to strong market interest.
Dreger also notes that the Canucks aren’t interested in accumulating draft picks as parts of returns for Miller and Boeser. With the organization looking to make a playoff push as soon as possible, they prefer to acquire NHL-ready young talent in place of futures.
While Boeser is a free agent this offseason, he is under team control as an RFA. With a $7.5MM qualifying offer due to him, though, that’s too rich for the Canucks’ taste, especially considering his subpar 2021-22 performance (23 goals, 46 points in 71 games). In Miller’s case, the team is hesitant to give the 29-year-old forward too much term on a contract extension after a career season. Miller has one year remaining on a deal with a $5.25MM cap hit and is a UFA next summer.
If both Miller and Boeser are moved, it will undoubtedly be some of the biggest trade news of the offseason (save for all those Chicago Blackhawks trade rumors). It certainly seems as though Vancouver is more intent on trading both players as time passes by, making it seem more like an eventuality at this point.
Daniil Miromanov Signs Extension With Golden Knights
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Daniil Miromanov has signed a two-year extension to stay in the desert, according to a team announcement Tuesday afternoon. Miromanov’s extension will carry him through 2024 and has an average annual value of $762,500.
The Golden Knights acquired the 1997-born Miromanov as an undrafted free agent in March of 2021, signing him to a one-year entry-level contract after he had 10 goals, 19 assists, and 29 points in 58 games with HK Sochi in the KHL during the 2020-21 campaign. Miromanov, 24, spent his first full professional campaign in North America this season, playing well with the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights for 40 points in 53 games. He played his first 11 NHL games this season as well, notching an assist.
The versatile defenseman can also play right wing, as he did on limited occasions for Vegas this season due to injuries. While he likely won’t be a full-time member of the team come next October, he’ll be high up on the list of recall options from Henderson. Long-term, the NHL upside is still there.
USA Hockey Names National Junior Evaluation Camp Roster
With the significantly delayed 2022 World Junior Championship just around the corner, national organizations are beginning to announce their preparatory rosters for the tournament. Sweden did so earlier today, and now it’s the United States’ turn.
The eligibility rules for this postponed event are the same, but with the tournament taking place during the offseason, expect a higher-than-normal level of talent released to national teams for the occasion. The full U.S. roster (link here) will have that same luxury.
Highlighting the team’s forward core are San Jose Sharks prospect Thomas Bordeleau, Calgary Flames prospect Matt Coronato, and Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Matt Knies. Knies had the luxury of going to the 2022 Winter Olympics, playing at the most prestigious level of international hockey for the United States. On defense, New Jersey Devils prospect Luke Hughes and Los Angeles Kings prospect Brock Faber will take hold.
The most noteworthy part, though, like Sweden’s, is the amount of 2022-eligible choices who will now be under consideration for the final roster. There’s a strong group of forwards in that regard in addition to Logan Cooley, who made the team the first time around. Also under consideration are forwards Cutter Gauthier, Isaac Howard, Jack Hughes, Cam Lund, Rutger McGroarty, Frank Nazar III, and Jimmy Snuggerud. On defense, there’s Seamus Casey, Ryan Chesley, and Lane Hutson headlining the potential 2022 class.
There’s a very solid mix of youth, high-end skill, and veteran leadership on this United States team, who remain one of the favorites to capture a medal.
Poll: NHL Award Predictions
Tonight’s the night that the stars gather to hand out some fancy hardware at the 2022 NHL Awards in Tampa. Kenan Thompson will return to host the show, which will be the first live award event since 2019, with the last two canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The event will announce the winners of the Hart Trophy, the Norris Trophy, the Vezina Trophy, the Calder Trophy, and the Ted Lindsay Award, five of the most prestigious individual awards in hockey. With just a few hours before things kick off, let’s see if the PHR community can predict the winners of each.
For the Hart, given to the player “judged most valuable to his team,” the finalists are Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers, and Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers. Remember that these are all regular season awards with a vote before the playoffs begin.
Who will win the 2022 Hart Trophy?
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Auston Matthews 42% (282)
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Connor McDavid 41% (274)
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Igor Shesterkin 17% (117)
Total votes: 673
The Norris, given to the defenseman “who demonstrated throughout the season the greatest all-around ability at the position,” is down to Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators, Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, and Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning. The latter two are doing battle for a much bigger prize but could still add some hardware to their cases tonight if they can topple the Predators captain.
Who will win the 2022 Norris Trophy?
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Cale Makar 63% (403)
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Roman Josi 30% (194)
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Victor Hedman 7% (47)
Total votes: 644
The Vezina, given to the best goaltender in the NHL and voted on by the league’s general managers, will be given to one of Shesterkin, Jacob Markstrom of the Calgary Flames, or Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators. None of the three have won the award previously, meaning we’ll have a new name engraved this year.
Who will win the 2022 Vezina Trophy?
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Igor Shesterkin 90% (577)
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Jacob Markstrom 6% (40)
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Juuse Saros 3% (22)
Total votes: 639
Three very different rookies are on the ballot for the Calder, given to the top first-year player in the league. Moritz Seider of the Detroit Red Wings and Trevor Zegras of the Anaheim Ducks will battle with 26-year-old Michael Bunting of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who finally got a chance to play regular minutes in the NHL and responded well.
Who will win the 2022 Calder Trophy?
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Moritz Seider 59% (391)
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Trevor Zegras 30% (195)
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Michael Bunting 11% (72)
Total votes: 658
Given the prestige of the Hart, the Ted Lindsay is sometimes overlooked as a major award but it shouldn’t be. The player-voted “most outstanding” award is a huge honor given it comes from direct peers and does not always go to the same recipient as the Hart. This year even the finalists are different, with Matthews and McDavid being joined by Josi on the ballot.
Who will win the 2022 Ted Lindsay?
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Connor McDavid 61% (367)
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Auston Matthews 30% (183)
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Roman Josi 9% (52)
Total votes: 602
Cast your vote and make sure to come back to leave a comment with how many you got correct!
Minor Notes: Warsofsky, Comets, Wilkins
The AHL Calder Cup Playoffs are an important scouting event for clubs all across the league, who want to see how their young players respond in high-pressure situations. But it can also be a proving ground for someone else: coaches. Ryan Warsofsky, for one of the youngest coaches in the league, it’s been exactly that. Patrick Williams of NHL.com writes that Warsofsky, who has led the Chicago Wolves to the finals, could soon start to receive interest from higher up after experiencing so much success.
Under Warsofsky, who took control of the Wolves when the Carolina Hurricanes switched their affiliate in 2020, Chicago has won 71 of their 109 games, posting an overall record of 71-25-13. Given his previous success in the ECHL, where he led the South Carolina Stingrays to the Kelly Cup Finals in his first year and then posted a .722 winning percentage in year two, it seems Warsofsky is on the fast track to becoming a staple in the NHL coaching community. The Wolves will continue their quest for the Calder Cup tomorrow night.
- The Utica Comets have announced several AHL contracts today, retaining captain Ryan Schmelzer along with two others. Samuel Laberge and Mareks Mitens have both agreed to terms in order to return, while Schmelzer has locked in for two seasons. Utica was one of the best teams in the league this season, posting a 43-20-9 record but were eliminated in the North Division Semifinals by the upstart Rochester Americans.
- Josh Wilkins, who left the AHL after the 2020-21 season to pursue a contract in Sweden is coming back to North America, agreeing to terms with South Carolina in the ECHL. The 25-year-old Providence College star actually signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Nashville Predators when he turned pro but wasn’t issued a qualifying offer in 2021 when it expired and is now an unrestricted free agent.