NHL Awards Watch: Believe it or not, McDavid not the unanimous MVP pick right now

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  Greg WyshynskiNov 10, 2026, 08:00 AM ET

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  Greg Wyshynski is ESPN's senior NHL writer.

There are clear favorites for NHL awards after the first month-plus of the regular season -- and some of them don't actually play for the Edmonton Oilers.

Yes, Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard had proved to be undeniable awards contenders out of the gate. But it's also undeniable that front-runners at the start of the season might not be the players holding trophies at the end of the season.

Welcome to the NHL Awards Watch for November. We've 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've made sure it's 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 vote for the Vezina.

All stats are from Hockey-Reference.com, Natural Stat Trick and Evolving Hockey.

Jump ahead:
Ross | Richard | Hart
Norris | Selke | Vezina
Calder | Byng | Adams

Art Ross Trophy (points leader)

Click here for the updated point-scoring standings.

Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy

Click here for the updated goal-scoring standings.

Hart Trophy (MVP)

Leader: Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Finalists: Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild; Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche

"Duh."

"Really, is there anyone else?"

"He's the clear front-runner and it's not close."

Yes, the reviews are in for McDavid's first several weeks of the 2026-27 season. The Oilers' star earned just over 88% of the first-place votes on our MVP ballots.

McDavid is seeking his fourth Hart Trophy and first since 2023, which is an odd gap in MVP honors for a player who is constantly in the conversation. Only three players in NHL history won the Hart Trophy four times: Wayne Gretzky, as part of his NHL record nine MVP honors, as well as Gordie Howe and Eddie Shore.

The Oilers' center had 47 points in his first 18 games this season. To put that points pace into perspective: His 2.61 points-per-game average would rank as the sixth highest in a single season, with only three Gretzky campaigns and two Mario Lemieux scoring seasons ranking ahead of him. That McDavid offensive fuel has made Edmonton a top-five team since the start of the season.

As one awards voter noted: Bookmakers have "the field" at plus money vs. McDavid when it comes to the MVP race. That's how heavy a favorite he is right now.

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Connor McDavid scores short-handed goal for Edmonton Oilers

That said, the Hart Trophy vote was not unanimous among those we surveyed.

MacKinnon received first-place support and consistent mentions lower on the ballots. The star center won the Hart in 2024 and has been a finalist five times, including a third-place finish last season. The Avalanche haven't gotten off the blocks how they wanted this season, but that's not on MacKinnon. He had 30 points through 18 games, seven more than any other teammate.

Completing a Western Conference sweep of the Hart finalists: Wild winger Kaprizov. He had 31 points through 19 games to start the season, and his 16 goals were near the top of that leaderboard. His line with Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy has been the best in the league, rolling to nearly five goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 while not surrendering an even-strength goal through 19 games.

Kaprizov has never been a Hart Trophy finalist in his career, and has finished in the top 10 in MVP voting only once in six seasons. Like MacKinnon, he had first-place support and a ton of love down the ballot.

"I wouldn't bet against Kirill Kaprizov narrowing the gap as the season goes along," one McDavid voter warned.

Another name mentioned by our MVP voters was Edmonton's Evan Bouchard ... but we believe he has designs on another trophy at the moment.

Norris Trophy (top defenseman)

Leader: Evan Bouchard, Edmonton Oilers
Finalist: Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks; Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets

Bouchard is the runaway favorite for the Norris right now with over 83% of the first-place votes, for the same reason McDavid is leading for the Hart: At some point, the stats just become undeniable.

The Oilers' defenseman had 31 points through his first 18 games, following a dominating 95-point season in 2025-26. He had a plus-25 rating last season. He's already at plus-24 this season.

"The electric offense pace is too much to ignore, even if there are still some defensive lapses," a Bouchard voter said.

Bouchard, who was fourth for the Norris last season, has faced the same obstacle that other offensive defensemen have faced in trying to win this award: whether his defensive game is Norris-worthy. The same clips of blown coverages that used to dog players such as Erik Karlsson have burned into the memories of voters when it comes to Bouchard. But that perception seems to be changing; or, at the very least, his offensive game is so overwhelming that it silences that defensive debate. (See also: Karlsson, Erik.)

"Bouchard is on pace for 67 points before Santa drops his gifts off under the tree. Plus, he isn't anywhere near the defensive liability many like to suggest," another Bouchard backer boasted.

"Bouchard has a slight edge over Quinn Hughes because of overall production. But it's hard to argue Hughes hasn't been terrific in handling a significant workload," another noted.

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Evan Bouchard puts on the Oilers on the board with impressive goal

Hughes earned the second-most first-place votes and is the clear second choice in this race. The Norris winner in 2023, Hughes is averaging 28 minutes, 7 seconds in ice time per game for the Wild. Despite Bouchard's blockbuster offensive season, Hughes is right there with him in the scoring race among defensemen with 26 points through his first 19 games. He has been a driving force behind the Wild's successful start.

Hughes was seventh for the Norris last season, when he split his time between Minnesota and Vancouver.

"To me, he's the biggest difference-maker from the back end in the league, just dangerous in so many ways," a Hughes voter beamed.

The only other defenseman to earn a first-place vote was Werenski, who won the Norris for the first time last season. He has 14 points through 15 games, skating to a plus-6 and averaging a league-high 28:18 per game in ice time. Unlike the other two finalists here, Werenski's team is off to a disappointing start, but he has been a highlight among lowlights.

Other defensemen mentioned for the Norris by our voters included Adam Fox of the New York Rangers, Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche and Mikhail Sergachev of the Utah Mammoth.

Calder Trophy (top rookie)

Leader: Jacob Fowler, Montreal Canadiens
Finalists: Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Detroit Red Wings; Roman Kantserov, Chicago Blackhawks

The Calder Trophy race has one clear favorite above a disparate collection of rookies making impacts in a variety of ways for their teams.

Let's start with the big name in flashing lights on the marquee. Fowler, 21, is a Florida native who has quickly established himself as the goalie of the future for the Montreal Canadiens ... only a few months after Montreal appeared to have found its goalie of the future.

"Wasn't the net supposed to belong to Jakub Dobes?" a Fowler voter asked.

Fowler was 8-1-1 in his first 10 games this season, with a .925 save percentage and a 2.15 goals-against average. Money Puck had him second in the NHL goals saved above expected through those games (11.4). His two shutouts led all rookie goalies. He's been phenomenal for Montreal.

The Canadiens netminder earned just over 61% of the first-place votes for the Calder. He's trying to become the first goalie to win the Calder since Steve Mason of the Blue Jackets in 2008-09. But he's also looking over his shoulder at a deep freshman class.

"This rookie race is insane," another Fowler voter declared. "Tough to pinpoint a real favorite."

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Ref offers Canadiens goalie Jacob Fowler an apple during stoppage in play

Earning the second-most first place votes: Brandsegg-Nygård of the Red Wings. The 21-year-old Norwegian was drafted 15th overall in 2024 and played 14 games with Detroit last season. This season, he had 10 points through 18 games with a three-plus minute jump in ice time.

"Even more impressive than his points was that Detroit outscored teams 12-3 with him on the ice and without him were outscored 18-27," a Brandsegg-Nygård voter explained.

The player with the next highest total of first-place votes is also a bright spot on a mediocre team: Roman Kantserov, the 22-year-old Russian-born winger for the Blackhawks. He led the KHL in goals last season before signing with the Blackhawks, who drafted him 44th overall in 2023.

He scored nine goals in his first 18 NHL games to go along with two assists. Kantserov was the leading goal scorer on the Blackhawks, who ranked last in the league offensively heading into Monday's action.

"I'm leaning toward Kantserov. He's playing big minutes and producing, albeit for a hapless Chicago team," one of his voters acknowledged.

Other rookies to get first-place votes included 2026 first overall pick Gavin McKenna of the Toronto Maple Leafs; Vegas Golden Knights forward Trevor Connelly, who's been near the top of the rookie scoring leaders; Boston Bruins forward James Hagens, another name near the top of the scoring leaderboard who has produced solid numbers in limited minutes; and Rangers goalie Dylan Garand, who was thrust into action when Igor Shesterkin was lost for the season to a knee injury.

Vezina Trophy (top goaltender)

Note: The NHL's general managers vote for this award.

Leader: Jesper Wallstedt, Minnesota Wild
Finalists: Pyotr Kochetkov, Carolina Hurricanes; Linus Ullmark, Ottawa Senators

Wallstedt finished sixth for the Calder last season but is the current leader for the Vezina among our voters. The "Wall of St. Paul" is 11-2-3 in his first 16 games, with a .922 save percentage and a 1.99 goals-against average; analytically, Money Puck has Wallstedt as the league leader in goals saved above expected (13.3) through 16 games.

"He's been outstanding while facing a lot of quality chances," a voter noted.

"Wallstedt is my frontrunner right now. He's been a workhorse and has backed it up (two or fewer goals allowed in 11 of 16 starts)," another stated.

Wallstedt earned around 58% of the first-place votes. The next highest total belonged to Kochetkov, who has put up stellar numbers while starting 12 of the Hurricanes' 19 games this season. The 27-year-old may be finally breaking through after several seasons in the Canes' goaltending mix. He has a .920 save percentage and a 1.67 goals-against average through 12 games.

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Jesper Wallstedt makes beautiful save

The goalie with the next most first-place votes is Linus Ullmark of the Senators. But, admittedly, this was a surprise given that he's been limited to just eight games due to injury. But within those eight games, no one was better this season: 7-1-0 with a .945 save percentage and a 1.33 goals-against average.

"Linus Ullmark probably would be the leader here if not for the injury he suffered," a Wallstedt voter argued.

Only one other goalie received first-place support from our voters: Boston Bruins netminder Jeremy Swayman. He's 9-3-1 in 13 games this season, with a .920 save percentage and a 2.21 goals-against average. Swayman was a finalist for this award last season.

"This is Swayman at his best. No way Boston is this good out of the gate without him playing at this level," a Swayman backer declared.

Other goalies who received support down the ballot included Montreal's Jacob Fowler and Dallas' Jake Oettinger.

Selke Trophy (best defensive forward)

Leader: Joel Eriksson Ek, Minnesota Wild
Finalists: Anthony Cirelli, Tampa Bay Lightning; Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens

It's been a minute since Eriksson Ek was a Selke darling. After finishing fourth for the award in 2021, he was outside the top 10 finishers for the award in the last two seasons. Naturally, he's the early leader for the defensive forward award while having one of his best offensive starts, because that's how the Selke works. Eriksson Ek has 17 points in 19 games, skating to a plus-16.

"The Wild have given up just two goals in more than 260 minutes with him on the ice at 5 on 5, and none in over 200 minutes at full strength when he's centering Kaprizov and Boldy," one voter revealed.

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Joel Eriksson Ek scores goal for Wild

Eriksson Ek led the voting with 26% of the first-place votes. But as usual with the Selke, there's a robust collection of forwards that also earned first-place love.

Suzuki and Cirelli were tied with just over 15% of the first-place votes. It was Suzuki's turn to win the Selke last season, in which he also finished fifth for the Hart Trophy. He's been impactful again for the Habs despite being limited to 11 games due to injury.

If it's any player's "turn" to win the Selke this season, it might be Cirelli. He finished third in the voting in 2025 and then second to Suzuki last season.

"He's just so consistent," a Cirelli voter argued.

The only other player to receive multiple first-place votes was Sebatian Aho of the Carolina Hurricanes. Would it be weird if Jordan Staal remains without a Selke win in his career but Aho collects one instead for Carolina?

Other players receiving first-place votes were Montreal center Phillip Danault; Vegas center Jack Eichel; Dallas center Radek Faksa; Boston center Elias Lindholm; and Vancouver center Elias Pettersson. Other players that were mentioned down the ballot included New Jersey center Nico Hischier and Philadelphia forward Noah Cates.

Lady 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's on-ice officials or by the NHL Players' 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.

Jack Hughes has 25 points in 18 games and has yet to take a penalty this season. Works for us.

Jack Adams Award (best coach)

Note: The NHL Broadcasters' Association votes on this award.

Leader: Marco Sturm, Boston Bruins
Finalists: Rod Brind'Amour, Carolina Hurricanes; Travis Green, Vancouver Canucks

The Bruins are one of the NHL's biggest surprises this season, and Sturm is getting much of the credit. The second-year head coach has them playing to a plus-27 goal differential and earned 58% of the first-place votes on our ballots.

"He probably should've gotten more love last year," a Sturm backer argued.

"Every year I expect the Bruins to drop off the map, but they continue to chart a course toward the playoffs. And when you look at this roster, it doesn't scream top of the Atlantic Division, and yet, here we are," another explained.

The second most first-place votes belong to Brind'Amour, who has the Hurricanes atop the Metro Division after winning the Stanley Cup last season. They remain defensively stout, but Brind'Amour has them cooking offensively: Through 19 games, the Hurricanes led the league in goals per game.

"Is putting the defending Stanley Cup champion coach as the Jack Adams frontrunner too cliche? Oh well, I'm doing it," one voter joked.

Brind'Amour has coached through some adversity, having lost captain Jordan Staal to injury last month.

Green has coached the Senators through much more of it, from losing Brady Tkachuk to an offseason trade to a slew of injuries that befell the Ottawa roster early on this season.

Despite all that, the Senators were in a wild-card spot after 18 games.

"Ottawa keeps taking its lumps, and Green is somehow keeping them in the mix. Impressive," one voter concluded.

Two other coaches received first-place votes: Montreal Canadiens bench boss Martin St. Louis and Mike Babcock of the Edmonton Oilers.

That Babcock didn't receive more support is both surprising and unsurprising. On the one hand, he's overseen a torrid start for the Oilers in which McDavid is amassing points at a historic pace while the team plays solid defense in front of uncharacteristically strong goaltending. One the other hand, Babcock carried significant baggage into this job and the voters -- at least among the writers -- have a long memory.

"Babcock could go 84-0 and he would not get my vote," a Sturm voter revealed.