The halfway winners

Predicting the awards to the players at the halfway mark

Hart Trophy 

Conner McDavid
Overall, the best player in the NHL. Where would the Oilers be without him? Seriously a no-brainer. He has to be in on this trophy.  Connor is being used in all situations from killing penalties to the power-play. He will be on the ice to send a game into overtime and will be on the ice to preserve a lead.

Nikita Kucherov
Well, duh. Of course, I have Kucherov in this conversation. He is the best right winger in the game today. He might be the best playmaker in the game. Kucherov is carrying this team on his shoulders. He is one of the most complete players in the game.

Johnny Gaudreau
Another obvious choice. Johnny Hockey is one of the best young forwards in the game. He is on a career year in goal assists and points, is part of one of the hottest lines in the NHL, and is one of the elite forwards in the game.

Selke Trophy 

Patrice Bergeron
Patrice is one of the best defensive forwards in the game. He is a fantastic all-around forward. Bergeron is one of the best penalties killers in the game. A terrific faceoff man, valuable on the penalty-kill because he gives the Bruins a great chance to ice the puck right away or get control of the puck.

Sean Couturier
A gritty forward who will do whatever it takes to get a puck out of the zone.  Sean always goes up against the top line of the opposition and gets all the tough assignments. A minus two plus minus on a very bad team is very impressive. He is a smart young player who leads by example.

Anze Kopitar
Anze is the Kings' best all-around forward. He continues to put 100 percent into every game. Kopitar is the leader of the Kings, the best defensive forwards in their lineup.

Calder Trophy 

Elias Pettersson
There is Elias, and then there is everyone else. Pettersson is an elite forward. He is a smooth playmaker with a wrist shot that puts the fear of you-know-what into goalies. He is my prediction for rookie of the year.

Rasmus Dahlin
Sabres have a gem in Rasmus. Rasmus is the ultimate puck-moving defencemen who will only improve offensively. My only concern is his need to improve defensively. He needs to get stronger, and I think he will.

Brady Tkachuck
Brady is a power forward who can mix it up with best of them. Like his older brother,  he plays with a chip on his shoulder. He just needs to keep his head up.

GM of the Year 

Calgary Flames Brad Treliving
Brad is everyone's pick; he has done everything right. The only blemish is the signing of O'Neal, but there were a lot of teams that would have done the same. I was ecstatic when the Flames signed him. Right now, he is a sexy pick for the GM of the year.

NYI Islanders Lou Lamoriello
Lou has found the perfect combination of players to fit Barry Trotz's system. He is the man with a plan, and that plan has worked. A lot of people questioned him for bringing in Leo Komarov. Well, who is laughing now?

Montreal Canadiens Marc Bergevin
Who would have picked the Habs in a playoff spot this time of year? He has brought the perfect combination.  The biggest gamble is Antti Niemi, who has proven to a good up to know. He has to bring one more piece to fight for a playoff spot. They are definitely one of the stories of the year.

Norris Trophy  

Mark Giordano
Mark is on a career year at 35 years old. He is a miracle—right now he is one of the best in the League.  Giordano is one of the smartest players when it comes to pitching in; he seems to know when to step into the fray and when not to. He is a great playmaking defender who can distribute the puck to the defencemen.

Brent Burns
Brent has shot that breaks bones. Brent is a terrific powerplay quarterback who can hit a one-timer with the best of them. He uses his strength to his advantage, often outworking the opposition to get into scoring positions.

Victor Hedman
Hedman is one of my favourites. He is slick puck-moving defencemen. He does everything that is asked of him and more. He is easily the Bolts' best defencemen. Without him, they would be at a loss. Heman is one of the best in the Leagues and is the perfect dman to go with Stamkos.

Vezina Trophy

Robin Lehner
Lehner is on a mission to bring the Isles into the playoffs. He is playing for one reason only, and that is the playoffs. He has been outstanding all season. Rob gives the Isles every chance to win.

Andrei Vasilevskiy
Where would the Bolts be without Andrei? He has been their number one all season. He is second in the NHL in save percentage. Has been a rock all season with the Bolts and is the reason they are a force.

Marc-Andre Fleury
Fleury leads the NHL in shutouts and wins. He is the glue that holds everything together. He is one of the most consistent goalies in the League—consistently good. Marc-Andre is the reason Vegas has a chance to win every night.