NHL awards 2016: Patrick Kane for the Hart Trophy and other picks

The Chicago Blackhawks are going to have another solid year in terms of hardware. The team may or may not win another Stanley Cup, but it’s sure to see some players come away with awards for their impressive regular-season performances.

Patrick Kane already locked up the 2016 Art Ross Trophy by leading the league in points and he might not be done taking home awards for his strong play this season. Other players like Artemi Panarin and Corey Crawford should factor into award voting, too.

NHL ballots are submitted at the end of the regular season, so we’ll submit our opinions on the awards now as well. Satchel breaks down his choices for each trophy, then our picks for each staff member are included at the bottom.

Hart Trophy

1. Patrick Kane, Blackhawks

2. Erik Karlsson, Senators

3. Sidney Crosby, Penguins

When you outscore every other player in the league by at least 17 points, there needs to be a compelling reason to pick against you. While Kane’s issues off the ice loom in the background, it’s hard to argue against his impact on the ice, including 106 points, the most by any player since Evgeni Malkin recorded 109 in a Hart-winning 2011-12 season. Chicago has taken a step back in some key areas this season, but Kane’s brilliance, especially on the power play, has helped put the team in a solid position entering the playoffs. He’s first in points, second in goals, third in assists, first in power play points and tied for second in game-winning goals. No player made a greater impact on the ice this season.

Norris Trophy

1. Erik Karlsson, Senators

2. Brent Burns, Sharks

3. Kris Letang, Penguins

Yes, this is simply the top of the points leaderboard for defensemen this season, but it’s also representative of the three players at the position who made the biggest impacts in 2015-16. Karlsson not only racked up an amazing 82 points in 82 games, but posted elite possession numbers while playing nearly 29 minutes per game on an otherwise mediocre team. His ability to carry the Senators when on the ice is reflective of a true superstar and it’s a shame they haven’t been able to surround him with more talent.

Burns, meanwhile, had a simply stunning year for San Jose with 27 goals and 75 points. Only Alex Ovechkin took more shots on goal than Burns this season. Third-place Max Pacioretty is 50 shots behind the Sharks defenseman. Burns isn’t a dominant possession player at 5-on-5, but he’s so good in the offensive zone that he’s always a threat, especially on the power play. Letang has also been spectacular this season while leading Pittsburgh’s second-half resurgence with top-of-the-line play at the back.

Selke Trophy

1. Patrice Bergeron, Bruins

2. Anze Kopitar, Kings

3. Max Pacioretty, Canadiens

Bergeron continues his run as the league’s premier two-way forward by winning his third straight Selke and fourth in five years. The biggest thing that might hold Bergeron back at this point is voter fatigue. On the ice, he remains a force in terms of possession and plays tough minutes for Boston on the penalty kill. Kopitar would be a deserving winner and Pacioretty also deserves credit for becoming such a solid penalty-killer while scoring 30-plus goals yet again. But it’s still Bergeron, even if he couldn’t carry a top-heavy Boston team to the postseason.

Vezina Trophy

1. Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers

2. Corey Crawford, Blackhawks

3. Braden Holtby, Capitals

The Rangers probably don’t make the playoffs if not for the man standing between the pipes. At first glance, other candidates might seem statistically superior, but Lundqvist was stellar during 5-on-5 play (.937 save percentage) and consistently put up strong numbers despite seeing nearly 31 shots per game. Crawford is a very close second and might’ve come out on top if he wasn’t forced to sit out the end of the season due to injury. Holtby, meanwhile, was the front-runner before slowing down in the second half of the season. Still, in a year without a clear no-brainer option, you could go several ways and make pretty reasonable arguments. I’m going with Lundvqist because New York’s season likely looks radically different without him. You could say the same for a few goalies, though.

Calder Trophy

1. Artemi Panarin, Blackhawks

2. Shayne Gostisbehere, Flyers

3. Connor McDavid, Oilers

Is a rookie? Well, he’s on the dang ballot, so what do you think voters should do? Create their own rules to disqualify a player because he’s older than usual and comes from a different background? I get why Panarin might not “feel” like a deserving winner of the Calder Trophy as a 24-year-old former KHL star, but he’s technically a first-year player and just scored 21 more points than any other rookie. As good as Gostisbehere and McDavid were in less playing time, it requires some logistical gymnastics to vote against Panarin.

Jack Adams Trophy

1. Dave Hakstol, Flyers

2. Gerard Gallant, Panthers

3. Peter DeBoer, Sharks

You could easily vote for someone like Barry Trotz, Bruce Boudreau or Lindy Ruff and I wouldn’t have many complaints. All three of those coaches entered the season with strong rosters built to compete this season, though, so I turned my focus elsewhere. Hakstol did a magnificent job getting the Flyers into the playoffs, but deserves arguably more credit for giving Shayne Gostisbehere the chance to blossom. Not every coach would be comfortable giving a rookie the kind of responsibility that Ghost Bear quickly grew into and it’s a credit to Hakstol that he’s helped bring along a possible No. 1 blue liner for Philadelphia.

Gallant and DeBoer entered the year with more talent but completely exceeded expectations. Florida remained near the top of the standings all season with a combination of veterans and youth that leaves the team well positioned for the future. And San Jose seemed destined to sink this season under the weight of a chaotic offseason but instead hit a new gear as DeBoer lit a fire under the veterans and found a system that worked. This award usually goes to someone whose team greatly surpassed expectations, and it’s undeniable that all three of these teams did just that.

GM Of The Year

1. Brian MacLellan, Capitals
2. Stan Bowman, Blackhawks
3. Dale Tallon, Panthers

MacLellan took a roster on the brink and deftly brought in the right reinforcements to turn Washington into a regular-season juggernaut. It remains to be seen whether the Capitals are finally ready for a playoff breakthrough but additions like Justin Williams and T.J. Oshie leave the team looking as strong as it has in years. Bowman’s ability to keep the Blackhawks in contention despite salary cap restrictions is well-tread ground around these parts and Tallon has done a great job making Florida look like a team to watch going forward. The long-term extension for center Aleksander Barkov looks like an especially smart move for the Panthers.

Staff Voting