NHL Power Rankings: Each team's best hope to win an award

This is the 12th in-season edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2024-25 campaign. Check back for updated rankings every other Monday.

In this edition, we break down each team's best hope to win an award at the end of the season. Some of the honors are real, and some have been creatively invented by our staff.

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1. Winnipeg Jets (51-19-4)

Previous: 2

Connor Hellebuyck (Hart Trophy). Hellebuyck is essentially a lock for the Vezina Trophy. Since this is a hopeful list, perhaps the Jets' star netminder wishes to be in the MVP conversation on the strength of another dominant season.

2. Washington Capitals (47-17-9)

Previous: 1

Alex Ovechkin (The Main Character Award). It's Ovi's world, and we're just living in it. His chase of Wayne Gretzky's goal record has been the campaign's best storyline, attracting attention beyond the hockey world. Of course, Chris Patrick (Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award) and Spencer Carbery (Jack Adams Award) could win some real hardware for the Caps.

3. Dallas Stars (48-21-4)

Previous: 3

Jim Nill (GM of the Year Award). Could Nill make it a three-peat? He won in 2023 and 2024, but his case could arguably be even stronger this season after landing Mikko Rantanen at the deadline and promptly signing him to an eight-year extension.

4. Vegas Golden Knights (45-20-8)

Previous: 5

Jack Eichel (Hart Trophy). Eichel is firing on all cylinders with 27 goals and a franchise-best 93 points. He leads the Golden Knights in scoring by 27 points and has dominated at five-on-five, with Vegas up 65-36 with him on the ice. Eichel won't be the favorite for the Hart, but he should be firmly on the shortlist.

5. Colorado Avalanche (45-26-3)

Previous: 7

Cale Makar (Norris Trophy). Nathan MacKinnon still has a shot at the Hart Trophy, but Makar is pulling away in the Norris Trophy race. Quinn Hughes' injury hurt his chances, and there's still hope for Zach Werenski, but this award is Makar's to lose. It would be the second Norris of his career.

6. Carolina Hurricanes (45-24-4)

Previous: 4

Jaccob Slavin (Lady Byng Memorial Trophy). The Hurricanes defenseman has won the honor twice in his career (2021 and 2024), and he's got a great shot to pick up his third this season. Slavin leads Carolina in average ice time (21:41) and has racked up just eight penalty minutes in 73 games while being one of the league's top blue-liners.

7. Toronto Maple Leafs (45-25-4)

Previous: 11

Chris Tanev (Best Defensive Defenseman). There's been lots of talk about needing to split the best offensive and defensive awards for blue-liners, and Tanev would be a strong candidate for the latter if it existed. He ranks second among all rearguards in defensive goals above replacement.

8. Tampa Bay Lightning (43-25-5)

Previous: 9

Nikita Kucherov (Art Ross Trophy). A torrid run has put Kucherov right in the thick of the points race and perhaps the Hart Trophy as well. Anthony Cirelli (Selke Trophy) and Andrei Vasilevskiy (Vezina) are other strong hardware candidates from a resurgent Bolts squad.

9. Florida Panthers (44-26-3)

Previous: 6

Sam Reinhart (Selke Trophy). This award could also go to reigning winner Aleksander Barkov, but he's missed 10 games this season and Reinhart is just as deserving. On pace for another 40-goal campaign, Reinhart also excels on the penalty kill. In addition, Florida has outscored opponents 46-32 with him on the ice at five-on-five.

10. St. Louis Blues (40-28-7)

Previous: 15

Jim Montgomery (Jack Adams Award). The Blues are the NHL's hottest team and are cruising toward a playoff spot thanks largely to Montgomery's addition behind the bench. Three coaches have won the award after being midseason replacements, and the most recent was another Blues coach, Ken Hitchcock, in 2011-12. St. Louis is 31-16-6 under Montgomery, a .642 points percentage that would rank sixth this season.

11. Los Angeles Kings (41-23-9)

Previous: 8

Team defense award. This technically exists with the William M. Jennings Trophy, which Connor Hellebuyck will win. But something to acknowledge a team's overall defense would be cool. Los Angeles ranks second in goals against this season but first in expected goals against per 60 minutes.

12. Edmonton Oilers (42-26-5)

Previous: 10

Leon Draisaitl (Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy). He's also got a real chance to take home the Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award, but we'll focus on his scoring prowess. The Oilers superstar leads the league with 51 tallies in 69 games and holds a nine-goal lead over second-place William Nylander. The Rocket is his.

13. Ottawa Senators (39-28-6)

Previous: 12

Travis Green (Jack Adams Award). There's a deep list of coaches worthy of the award, but guiding the Senators to the playoffs in his first year as head coach should earn Green some credit.

14. New Jersey Devils (39-29-7)

Previous: 13

Jesper Bratt (Most Underrated Star). Bratt broke the Devils' franchise record for assists in a season and continues to rack up points. He's up to 66 assists and 86 points on the campaign and is still filing up the stat sheet without running mate Jack Hughes.

15. Minnesota Wild (41-28-5)

Previous: 14

Kirill Kaprizov (Midseason Hart Trophy). The Russian star was well on his way to being at least a Hart Trophy finalist before injuries derailed his campaign. Kaprizov hasn't played since Jan. 26 but still ranks third among Wild players in scoring and is only 10 points from the team lead despite missing 37 games.

16. Calgary Flames (34-26-12)

Previous: 17

Dustin Wolf (Calder Trophy). Wolf's case for the NHL's Rookie of the Year is dwindling with the Flames' playoff hopes, but he'll likely be a finalist at the very least. He may even get some downballot love for the Vezina Trophy.

17. Vancouver Canucks (34-27-13)

Previous: 16

Quinn Hughes (Norris Trophy). Injuries hurt Hughes' chances of repeating as the league's top defenseman, but he's still likely to be a finalist. He leads his position in points per game (1.17) and ranks third in average ice time. If the Canucks squeak into the playoffs on Hughes' back, he has a great chance at the Norris.

18. New York Rangers (35-32-7)

Previous: 19

Chris Kreider (Cy Young Award). Kreider's 19-5 stat line for goals and assists is the closest thing resembling a Cy Young pitcher's win-loss record that you'll see in the NHL. Only five assists in 60 games for a winger playing 17:11 per night is impressively bad.

19. Utah Hockey Club (33-29-12)

Previous: 21

The Goon Squad Award. Perhaps surprisingly, Utah leads the league with three game misconducts and ranks second with 30 major penalties. Physicality is good, but Utah might need to tone it down a touch next season.

20. Montreal Canadiens (34-30-9)

Previous: 18

Lane Hutson (Calder Trophy). Only two rookie defensemen in NHL history have tallied more than Hutson's 54 assists, and both are in the Hockey Hall of Fame (Larry Murphy and Chris Chelios). Hutson has silenced doubters with his immediate offensive impact in Montreal, and he's a major reason the Habs are in playoff contention. If the Canadiens get over the finish line, it could push the momentum in Hutson's favor for the Calder.

21. Columbus Blue Jackets (33-30-9)

Previous: 20

Zach Werenski (Norris Trophy). Werenski is finally healthy and has put together a dominant campaign from the back end. His impact has him not just as a contender for the Norris, but you could make a case that he should be in the mix for the Hart, too. Werenski has put on a show for his Columbus fans with an absurd 14 goals and 49 points in 35 home games.

22. New York Islanders (32-31-10)

Previous: 23

Ilya Sorokin (Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy - goalie version). The Islanders don't have many standouts this campaign, but Sorokin is tied for the league lead in goalie goals with one. Another tally down the stretch could take him over the top in a riveting race featuring Alex Nedeljkovic and Filip Gustavsson.

23. Anaheim Ducks (32-33-8)

Previous: 24

Jackson LaCombe (Breakout Player of the Year). This doesn't exist, but LaCombe has been a bright spot on a bad team and deserves some recognition. He leads all Ducks blue-liners with 42 points while displaying a strong two-way game. Anaheim may have a legitimate No. 1 defenseman, and he's just 24 years old.

24. Detroit Red Wings (34-33-6)

Previous: 22

Mediocrity Award. The Red Wings still have a slight chance to make the postseason, but the odds aren't on their side. For years, Detroit has been good enough to stay in the playoff race but not bad enough to bottom out completely. The Red Wings are the NHL purgatory poster child.

25. Boston Bruins (30-35-9)

Previous: 25

David Pastrnak (Hart Trophy). He won't get real consideration since the Bruins are out of the playoff hunt, but Pastrnak has persevered through all of Boston's drama this season to earn 86 points in 74 games. That's 39 more points than the next closest Bruin, who isn't even on the team anymore.

26. Pittsburgh Penguins (30-34-11)

Previous: 26

Sidney Crosby (Mark Messier Leadership Award). There's never been a repeat winner of this award, but Crosby, who won it in 2010, is highly deserving. He's put together another strong campaign despite a poor Penguins team around him. Crosby's leadership at the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off, where he captained Canada to victory, should also be factored in.

27. Philadelphia Flyers (30-36-9)

Previous: 29

Matvei Michkov (Calder Trophy). Michkov is making a late surge for Rookie of the Year with a phenomenal run of form to end the season. The Russian has points in five straight, and he's got four goals and five points in two games since the Flyers fired head coach John Tortorella.

28. Buffalo Sabres (31-36-6)

Previous: 30

Most Dysfunctional Franchise Award. The Sabres would be a shoo-in if this award existed. The organization is a dumpster fire from ownership on down and requires wholesale changes.

29. Seattle Kraken (31-37-6)

Previous: 28

Joey Daccord (Lifeline Award). Seattle doesn't have a lot to celebrate this season, but it would be much, much worse if not for Daccord between the pipes. The netminder owns a .908 save percentage and 18.58 goals saved above expected despite the Kraken routinely playing porous defensively.

30. San Jose Sharks (20-44-9)

Previous: 32

Macklin Celebrini (Calder Trophy). No one else on the Sharks deserves an award, so we're going with the star rookie. The Calder race is heating up in the campaign's late stages, and Celebrini has put together a compelling case with 21 goals and 53 points in 61 games.

31. Nashville Predators (27-38-8)

Previous: 27

Biggest Disappointment Award. Yep, we're shaming all of the Predators because they deserve it. Nashville underperformed in virtually every category after entering the season with lofty expectations. Don't worry, fans, the year is (mercifully) almost over.

32. Chicago Blackhawks (21-44-9)

Previous: 31

Ryan Donato (Most Improved Player). Donato has been a rare bright spot amid another tough campaign in Chicago. The 28-year-old is well on his way to eclipsing 30 goals, which is a huge surprise considering his career high in points was 31 coming into this season.

(Analytics sources: Evolving-Hockey, Natural Stat Trick)