theScore's picks for 2021-22 NHL Awards
With the 2021-22 NHL regular season now in the books (well, except for the Winnipeg Jets and the Seattle Kraken, but their rescheduled game won't have any impact here), it's time to evaluate who deserves some of the league's most coveted hardware.
Our hockey editors each made their top three selections for six awards. The votes submitted by the individual writers who handled this season's Hart, Vezina, Norris, and Calder Trophy Power Rankings carried more weight for their specific honors. However, two of those races - and half of all the awards - produced unanimous winners.
Here are theScore's choices for this season's premier NHL awards:
Jack Adams Award
Winner: Darryl Sutter
Second: Andrew Brunette
Third: Gerard Gallant
Sutter's selection to the top spot wasn't unanimous, but it was pretty darn close; the hard-nosed Calgary Flames head coach earned five of seven first-place votes. He's brought structure and accountability to Calgary this season, and the results speak for themselves. The Flames cruised to a 50-win season for just the third time in franchise history and claimed the Pacific Division crown under his steady hand.
As interim head coach of the Presidents' Trophy-winning Florida Panthers, Brunette's first season as an NHL bench boss really couldn't be going any better. However, Brunette was thrust into the position just seven games into the season after Joel Quenneville resigned. Florida's campaign could have fallen into disarray, but the inexperienced Brunette acted as a stabilizing presence for the league's top team, which earned him two first-place votes.
Gallant has rebounded fantastically after the Vegas Golden Knights fired him in 2020. The surprising New York Rangers battled their way to a 50-win campaign and challenged for first place in the Metropolitan Division under his guidance. Gallant received a pair of second- and third-place votes for his efforts.
Selke Trophy
Winner: Patrice Bergeron
Second: Aleksander Barkov
Third: Elias Lindholm
Our staff agrees in unison that Bergeron will set an NHL record with his fifth career Selke and first since 2017. The 36-year-old remains the cream of the crop for two-way dominance and is likely to be in the mix for the award every year until he retires.
Barkov appeared on three ballots, ranking second on each of them. Lindholm was a popular third-place choice, appearing in that position four times. Other players to receive votes but miss out on the top three include Joel Eriksson Ek, Auston Matthews, Ryan O'Reilly, and Anthony Cirelli.
Calder Trophy
Winner: Moritz Seider
Second: Trevor Zegras
Third: Michael Bunting
Seider nearly won this in a clean sweep, taking six of seven first-place votes. The towering Detroit Red Wings defender separated himself from his freshman peers over the final few months of the season, frequently displaying the tools that project him to be a superstar No. 1 blue-liner for years to come.
Zegras earned one first-place vote, one third-place vote, and was second on the remaining five. The crafty Anaheim Ducks forward was certainly the most viral rookie for his show-stopping highlights, but he didn't do enough in our eyes to earn the hardware.
Bunting wrapped up the final podium spot with four third-place votes and one second-place vote. It was enough to edge Lucas Raymond, Detroit's other dynamic rookie, who ranked third on two ballots.
Norris Trophy
Winner: Cale Makar
Second: Roman Josi
Third: Victor Hedman
The Norris Trophy ended up being a two-horse race, and although Josi flirted with 100 points, our voters recognized Makar as the better all-around defenseman. Each of our seven voters had Makar and Josi in the top two spots on their ballots in some order, but the Avalanche blue-liner led the way with five first-place tallies. Makar's underlying numbers were superior to Josi's, and he still recorded 28 goals and 86 points in 77 games.
While Hedman was the clear-cut No. 3 choice, Charlie McAvoy received some love for his two-way dominance with a pair of third-place votes.
Vezina Trophy
Winner: Igor Shesterkin
Second: Jacob Markstrom
Third: Frederik Andersen
Shesterkin was considered a sure bet all season to take home the Vezina, so it's no surprise that his selection to the No. 1 spot was unanimous. His 8.8 wins above replacement leads all NHL players, including skaters, and he paces all goaltenders with 42.4 goals saved above average and 37.2 goals saved above expected at all strengths.
Markstrom may not be the busiest goaltender on a nightly basis while playing behind the responsible Flames, but he's the only netminder in the top three who started over 60 games this season. He's been ridiculously durable and terrifyingly talented: The Swede leads all goalies with nine shutouts this season, earning him a well-deserved six second-place votes.
Andersen has performed just fine outside of the spotlight that comes with being a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He's bounced back from an injury-riddled campaign to log a sterling .922 save percentage and a 2.17 goals against average with the Carolina Hurricanes, which garnered him one second-place vote.
Hart Trophy
Winner: Auston Matthews
Second: Connor McDavid
Third: Johnny Gaudreau
Matthews was our unanimous choice as the league's most valuable player after authoring a 60-goal, 106-point season in just 73 games. His scoring prowess (67-goal pace over 82 games) is what stands out, but the Toronto star's superior defensive metrics to McDavid are likely what made it such a blowout. If the PHWA aligns with our thinking, Matthews will become the first Maple Leafs player to win the Hart since Hall of Famer Ted Kennedy in 1955.
McDavid was sensational in his own right, registering a career-high and league-best 123 points in 80 games. But voter fatigue may have been a factor for the two-time Hart winner. He finished second on five ballots and third on two, with Shesterkin and Jonathan Huberdeau notching one second-place vote apiece.
Gaudreau was our most popular third-place choice for his 115-point campaign, but Shesterkin and Josi also received some down-ballot love.