While it’s very early in the season, earlier this week, ESPN released an article listing their favourites for the NHL trophies so far, and the Montreal Canadiens are doing very well, to say the least.
While it’s not a Hab, their favourite when it comes to the Norris Trophy awarded to the top NHL defenseman, Cale Makar is. They have Mike Matheson listed as a finalist. While he struggled last season, Matheson has been nothing short of spectacular, and while he has no more power play time, he still has seven points, just one behind teammate Noah Dobson, and he’s got a plus-eight differential. Not many people could have seen that one coming, especially considering how many talented defensemen there are on this Canadiens’ blueline.
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As things stand, ESPN wouldn’t give the Calder Trophy to a Canadiens’ player for the second year in a row; they would award it to the New York Islanders’ first-overall pick at the last draft, Matthew Schafer. Making Ivan Demidov a finalist. Given how well the young defenseman performed out of the game and how he’s become a significant part of the Islanders’ team right away, it’s understandable. I’m not sure that will hold all season, though. Demidov has now been put on the Canadiens’ first power play unit, and he’s shining brighter night after night. I’m not saying it’s impossible that he finishes as a runner-up in the Calder Trophy race. Still, with so much of the season left, he could overtake the Islanders’ rookie, especially if his point production explodes.
While Jakub Dobes isn’t mentioned as a possibility in the Calder Trophy talk in the article, his red-hot start makes him a finalist for the Vezina trophy behind Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson, who they consider the leader. Connor Hellebuyck joins Dobes as a finalist.
According to them, one Canadiens player would be a Trophy winner if the voting were held today: captain Nick Suzuki. While he’s near the top of the league in points, ESPN considers him, so far, the best defensive forward and has him as their favourite to win the Frank J. Selke Trophy. He received 24% of the first-place votes in the exercise. On top of having 18 points in 13 games, his defensive play has been exceptional, as evidenced by the fact that the Canadiens are averaging just 1.03 goals per 60 minutes when their leader is on the ice. The three finalists they mentioned all had 14% of the first-place votes, 10% less than Suzuki.
As for coach Martin St-Louis, he was surprisingly not mentioned in the early Jack Adams conversation. That can be explained by the fact that so many teams are having surprising starts to the season. The Pittsburgh Penguins, who everyone believed would crash and burn early, are playing well, and that nets Dan Muse the title of favourite, while Joel Quenneville and Andre Tourigny are the runner-ups, thanks to their team’s superb form so far this season. If the Canadiens keep playing as they are, though, I would be shocked if St-Louis wasn’t a finalist for the second year in a row when all is said and done.
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