Superlative awards for the 2021 NHL season

The Stanley Cup and all individual NHL awards have been handed out for the 2020-21 campaign, but we've drummed up some unofficial honors from the regular season and playoffs to bestow as we head into what should be a few hectic weeks on the league's calendar.

Some of the stories and events involved below may feel like they happened ages ago, but let's reflect and hand out some hardware.

Biggest surprise team 🏆

Nominees: Minnesota Wild, Florida Panthers, Edmonton Oilers

All three of these outfits exceeded expectations in the regular season, but despite that, their playoff runs all concluded in the first round. The Oilers' ouster was particularly rough, losing in four games after comfortably finishing the campaign second in the North.

And the winner is: Wild. Edmonton has two of the best players in the world, and the Panthers gelled into the team many thought they would've been in 2019-20. Minnesota, however, came out of left field to finish third in the West. The bottom of the division was weak, but the Wild displayed their tenacity in the postseason, challenging the heavily-favored Vegas Golden Knights to a seven-game battle in Round 1.

Most disappointing team 🏆

Nominees: Calgary Flames, Philadelphia Flyers, Buffalo Sabres

Both Calgary and Philadelphia qualified for the playoffs last campaign and were expected to do the same in 2021. Buffalo, on the other hand, fell flat on its face after a promising offseason, which had many thinking this could've been the team's year to return to relevance.

And the winner is: Sabres. Not to pile on a beleaguered Buffalo franchise fresh off a last-place finish, but woof. Taylor Hall and Eric Staal - the Sabres' two prized offseason acquisitions - were major flops, they fired head coach Ralph Krueger from his post after just one and a half years, and they had to sideline captain Jack Eichel most of the year before he publicly voiced his displeasure with the way the club handled his neck injury. Also, Buffalo lost 18 games in a row.

Can only go up from here.

Most underrated star 🏆

Nominees: Nikolaj Ehlers, Devon Toews, Joel Eriksson Ek

All three are ranked behind high-profile players on their respective teams but are imperative to the success of each. A dynamic offensive force, a do-it-all blue-liner, and a burgeoning two-way force down the middle are our nominees here.

And the winner is: Ehlers. The Winnipeg Jets winger had a career year with 46 points in 47 games, and his club struggled mightily to find the win column when he went down with an injury late in the season. Ehlers had an 11.9% Corsi-for relative to his teammates in all situations in 2021, and he was one of only three forwards to finish above water in expected goals at five-on-five, according to Evolving Hockey. The 25-year-old took a huge stride this campaign, and it very well could foreshadow what's in store for the electric Danish talent.

Best new uniform 🏆

Nominees: Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings, Wild

The "Reverse Retro" series saw every team sport new digs this season and offered a refreshing spin on numerous alternate uniforms. We believe the three clubs above had the best looks.

And the winner is: Avalanche. Come on. Just look at them.

Best fit with new team 🏆

Nominees: Taylor Hall, Carter Verhaeghe, Tyler Toffoli

Whether by trade or free agency, it's essential that teams acquire the right fits. This trio of nominees hit the ground running in their new homes this year.

And the winner is: Toffoli. What a find for the Canadiens on the open market this past fall. Montreal, in need of an impact scorer, poached the veteran winger from the Vancouver Canucks, and he went on to easily lead the club with 28 goals. Toffoli - who also added 14 points in a Cinderella playoff run - appears to be an excellent influence on the Habs' young core.

Most exciting trade 🏆

Nominees: Hall to Bruins, Jakub Vrana for Anthony Mantha, Patrik Laine for Pierre-Luc Dubois

Nothing ignites the hockey world like a blockbuster, and we believe these three were the best of the year. Each deal will have different long-term ramifications, but this award is given out strictly based on excitement upon first hearing the news.

And the winner is: Laine for Dubois. It's not often two top-three picks are traded for one another within five years of being drafted. Laine has a 50-goal ceiling, and Dubois was the center the Jets believed they needed. Neither forward made much of an impact in their new surroundings, but the name value alone makes this trade the winner.

Breakout player of the year 🏆

Nominees: Adam Fox, Kirill Kaprizov, Ehlers

This is arguably the closest vote of any award featured on this list. All three players had previous pedigrees but launched into superstar status with a monster 2020-21.

And the winner is: Fox. Many knew the Rangers rearguard was on track to becoming a household name after an impressive rookie campaign, but he reached another level in his sophomore year. The 23-year-old posted sterling advanced stats for a New York outfit that was regularly out-chanced while he was on the bench, and he ranked second among all blue-liners in points. Fox was the right pick for the Norris Trophy ahead of Victor Hedman and Cale Makar - arguably the consensus top two defenders in the NHL - and he'll likely be a finalist for many years to come.

Most tantalizing storyline 🏆

Nominees: Capitals-Rangers melee, Tim Peel's hot mic, Player safety tribulations

There was no shortage of options for this category. The year was mostly chaotic across the NHL, with a wide variety of stories making headlines amid unprecedented circumstances.

And the winner is: Capitals-Rangers. No saga featured more drama than this one. Tom Wilson slamming Artemi Panarin to the ice for no apparent reason was a big enough story, to begin with. But the NHL set off a firestorm by handing its most frequent Department of Player Safety visitor a measly $5,000 fine. New York was then docked $250,000 for releasing a statement calling George Parros "unfit" to be the league's head disciplinarian, and the two sides fought six times in the first period of their rematch.

Top free-agent value booster 🏆

Nominees: Kaprizov, Zach Hyman, Tyson Barrie

Here we have a triad who've set themselves up for a significant raise in free agency this summer. Kaprizov is the only RFA of the group, but he proved he's worthy of making superstar money with a dominant rookie season. Meanwhile, Hyman and Barrie have likely priced themselves out of Toronto and Edmonton, respectively, on the strength of highly productive campaigns.

And the winner is: Kaprizov. No player is in a better position in terms of negotiating leverage. Kaprizov made only $925,000 on the final year of his entry-level contract, and now he could easily usurp Zach Parise ($7.5 million) as Minnesota's highest-paid forward. The 24-year-old led the Wild in scoring by 11 points and single-handedly made a perpetually bland franchise must-watch television. Kaprizov's the future of the organization, and a team with nearly $16 million in cap space this offseason should have no issue compensating him appropriately.

Most predictable playoff outcome 🏆

Nominees: Maple Leafs collapsing, Nikita Kucherov dominating, Carey Price finding form

Much of the Stanley Cup Playoffs' appeal is the unpredictability. While parity runs rampant every year, some subplots you can see coming from a mile away. Toronto somehow blowing it again? Automatic. Kucherov not missing a beat after sitting out the entire season? Never a doubt. Price in MVP-mode when it counts? That's a lock.

And the winner is: Maple Leafs. When you go 54 years without a Stanley Cup Final appearance, you're bound to have experienced some hardships. That said, this Toronto core hit its personal rock bottom in May after coughing up a 3-1 series lead to Montreal. The Leafs had a cakewalk to the top of the North Division and finished 18 points clear of the Habs in the regular season, and they still found a way to lose a series in which they outscored their opponent. Witnessing the Canadiens waltz to the finals after squandering a golden opportunity was salt in the wound for Toronto and its fanbase.

Playoff Houdini award 🏆

Nominees: Maple Leafs stars, Tristan Jarry, Jake Guentzel

Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner's disappearance was a humungous factor in the Leafs' collapse, but this pair of key Penguins players also put together similar vanishing acts in their Round 1 defeat.

And the winner is: Matthews and Marner caught the most flack, but Jarry's dismal playoff performance was the crystal-clear cause of Pittsburgh's downfall. The Penguins had 53.67% of expected goals, 59.53% of shot attempts, and 56.35% of shots at five-on-five versus the Islanders, per Evolving Hockey. Despite the statistical advantages put forth by the skaters, Jarry's .888 save percentage, 3.18 goals against average, and -5.8 goals saved above average cratered Pittsburgh's Cup hopes.

Jarry entered the postseason on a 10-1-1 tear, proving the playoffs are truly a different beast.

Worst playoff blunder 🏆

Nominees: Nazem Kadri suspended ... AGAIN, Mark Scheifele's charge, Marc-Andre Fleury's turnover

No one wants to be the guy who costs his team in the postseason, but these three made mistakes that undeniably did so. Kadri and Scheifele's suspensions stripped their squads of important contributors down the middle of the ice, and Fleury's brain fart in Round 3 could live on as one of the worst bloopers in playoff history.

And the winner is: Fleury. The stakes for this play were the highest of the three, and it directly caused a loss. Ahead 2-1 late in the third period of Game 3 versus the Habs, Fleury misplayed an innocent dump-in and left the equalizer for Josh Anderson to deposit in the vacated net. Montreal went on to win the game in overtime and capture the series in six games over the heavily favored Golden Knights.