It’s been an exciting opening half of the season, filled with breakout performances and milestone moments. While parity across the NHL has kept the standings tight, several of the league’s biggest stars have begun separating themselves from the pack in the race for individual honours.
Before turning our attention to this year’s playoff race and predictions for 2026, we’re handing out our NHL midseason awards to the players who have made their mark on the first half of the campaign. From talented rookies to elite goal scorers to dominant goaltenders, these players have been setting the pace across the league.
Let’s break it down by category and hand out some well-deserved NHL hardware.
Hart Trophy (Most Valuable Player)
Winner: Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche
Anytime you’re the best player on the league’s best team, you’re going to find yourself in the thick of the MVP conversation. The Avalanche captain leads the league in goals and has already racked up 81 points this season, but it’s not just his offense that has him leading the MVP race; MacKinnon is a reliable two-way player and he ranks first in the NHL in plus/minus at +49. He’s also greatly improved in the faceoff circle, one of the few weaknesses in his game. With Colorado looking nearly unbeatable through their opening 41 games, MacKinnon has the inside track to win this year’s Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player.
Vezina Trophy (Best Goaltender)
Winner: Jesper Wallstedt, Wild
This year’s race for the Vezina Trophy is wide open, with a handful of goalies who are currently in the running. While you could make the case for any number of netminders, we decided to give this award to a rookie in Jesper Wallstedt. A first-round pick by the Wild in 2021, Wallstedt has a 12-3-4 record over his first 19 starts. He’s compiled a 2.42 GAA, while his .923 save percentage and four shutouts are among the league leaders. If Wallstedt can keep this up the rest of the way, we could see our first rookie to win the Vezina since Ed Belfour in 1991.
Norris Trophy (Best Defenceman)
Winner: Cale Makar, Avalanche
There are plenty of talented defencemen in the NHL, but none can hold a flame to Colorado’s Cale Makar. His 53 points (14 goals, 39 assists) rank first among D-men and he appears on pace to run away with what would be the third Norris Trophy of his young career. Just like MacKinnon, Makar has been a driving force on the best team in the league and his play at both ends of the ice has been remarkable. Having won this award just last season, Makar is well on his way to defending his title as the NHL’s best blue liner.
Calder Trophy (Best Rookie)
Winner: Matthew Schaefer, Islanders
The first half of this season has been filled with several strong rookie performances, making this one of the year’s most competitive awards. While you could make a case for Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt or Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov, no first-year player has looked better than Islanders defenceman Matthew Schaefer. The 18-year-old has had no trouble adjusting to life in the NHL, producing 26 points (10 goals, 16 assists) over the first 41 games of his career. It’s rare to see someone so young excel at his position, but it looks like the Islanders got everything they were hoping for and more when they drafted Schaefer first overall last summer.
Selke Award (Best Defensive Forward)
Winner: Nick Suzuki, Canadiens
This will be the first year since 2021 that someone not named Aleksander Barkov or Patrice Bergeron wins the Selke Award as the league’s top defensive forward. Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki has quietly stepped in to fill the void, providing the Habs with reliable two-way play on a nightly basis. While he remains a dangerous offensive weapon, Suzuki’s strong defensive structure and responsible play have been a key factor in the Habs’ early season success. He consistently faces the opponent’s top line, yet his +17 rating is among the top skaters in the league. As he continues to develop into one of the NHL’s best defensive forwards, you can expect to see Suzuki in the Selke race for many years to come.
Jack Adams Award (Best Coach)
Winner: Jared Bednar, Avalanche
Considering what Colorado head coach Jared Bednar has accomplished so far this year, the midseason Jack Adams Award was an easy decision. The Avalanche are sitting comfortably atop the NHL standings with 67 points in their opening 41 games and are showing no signs of slowing down any time soon. They lead the league in both goals scored (182) and goals against (103) by significant margins, and are still undefeated in regulation on home ice. With Colorado currently on pace to break the NHL’s all-time mark for team points in a season, this year’s Jack Adams Trophy is Bednar’s to lose.