The NHL's 2026-27 season is here, and that means it's predicitions time. Senior digital correspondent Adam Proteau is making his pre-season picks – including for the NHL's individual awards. Who will win the Hart Trophy as MVP? Who will win the Vezina and Norris Tropies? Find out in this file.
The NHL’s 2026–27 season is just about upon us, and here at TheHockeyNews.com, it’s pre-season predictions time.
This writer posted his predictions – educated guesses – about how the league’s four divisions will play out. And now, in this file, we’re offering our picks for many of the league’s individual awards.
As always, these predictions are meant to create fun and healthy debate and discussion. They are not to be banked upon. With that said, here are our choices for this season’s individual award winners:
Hart Trophy
Finalists: Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning), Macklin Celebrini (San Jose Sharks), Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche)
Winner: Macklin Celebrini
Why? After finishing fourth in Hart voting last season, it’s the 20-year-old Celebrini’s time to shine. No NHLer has won the Hart – the MVP award for the regular season – on a non-playoff team since Pittsburgh Penguins icon Mario Lemieux won it in 1987-88, but we believe the Sharks will make a huge jump into a post-season spot.
With so many talented young up-and-coming stars around him in San Jose, Celebrini will be more dominant than ever. He deserves every bit of hype he’s been getting, and Celebrini is set to win the first of what’s likely to be multiple Hart trophies.
Vezina Trophy
Finalists: Igor Shesterkin (New York Rangers), Jesper Wallstedt (Minnesota Wild), Mackenzie Blackwood (Colorado Avalanche)
Winner: Jesper Wallstedt
Why? It may feel too soon to project the 23-year-old Wallstedt, with only 40 regular-season NHL games under his belt, as the Vezina winner. However, his individual numbers last season – including a .911 save percentage and 2.61 goals-against average – are a harbinger of better days ahead.
On a Wild team poised to take the next competitive step, Wallstedt is set to do very big things. Tandem-mate Filip Gustavsson is starting the year sidelined by injury, but Wallstedt has the ability to carry Minnesota on his back, and he’ll be rewarded with the Vezina.
Norris Trophy
Finalists: Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche), Quinn Hughes (Minnesota Wild), Miro Heiskanen (Dallas Stars)
Winner: Miro Heiskanen
Why? While Makar and Hughes have Norris Trophies to their credit, Heiskanen is still looking for his first best-defenseman win. At age 27, Heiskanen is in his prime, and last season, he bounced back from an injury-marred 2024-25 by posting 54 assists and 63 points in 77 regular-season games.
The Stars need a big season from Heiskanen, and they’re going to get one. Hughes and Makar will surely be Norris finalists this year, but Heiskanen’s two-way game deserves credit. This season, he’ll finally receive it with his first Norris Trophy.
Calder Trophy
Finalists: Gavin McKenna (Toronto Maple Leafs), Ivar Stenberg (San Jose Sharks), Porter Martone (Philadelphia Flyers)
Winner: Gavin McKenna
Why? Sometimes, you can’t overthink things with these award predictions – and in this case, 2026 No. 1 overall pick McKenna is the logical choice for top rookie.
Stenberg and Martone will give McKenna a run for his money, but in the end, McKenna’s superb playmaking skills will shine through and deliver him the Calder.
Art Ross Trophy
Finalists: Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers), Macklin Celebrini (San Jose Sharks), Leon Draisaitl (Edmonton Oilers)
Winner: Connor McDavid
Why? There’s a reason McDavid has won four of the past six Art Ross Trophies – he’s that damn great at producing points the way a firehose produces a gusher. And there’s no reason to believe anything will get in his way this year.
Now, teammate and fellow star Draisaitl is also firmly in the Art Ross conversation, as he generated 97 points despite playing only 65 games last season. But so long as he stays healthy, McDavid cannot be bet against to win the seventh Art Ross of his staggering career.
Celebrini may vault past the two Oilers one day to win his first Art Ross Trophy, but for now, McDavid must be considered the favorite.
Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy
Finalists: Kirill Kaprizov (Minnesota Wild), Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs) Cole Caufield (Montreal Canadiens)
Winner: Auston Matthews
Why? In the three seasons he won the Rocket Richard Trophy, Matthews produced 170 goals – and that number would’ve risen had the NHL not had a COVID-shortened season. Some will believe Matthews won’t be able to atone for his injury-plagued 2025-26 season, when he put up only 27 goals in 60 games.
But Leafs management is treating last season as an anomaly for their captain. We believe Matthews will prove management right. He’s fully healthy, determined to make amends for last season, and will win the fourth Rocket Richard Trophy of his career.
Jack Adams Award
Finalists: Ryan Warsofsky (San Jose Sharks), Martin St-Louis (Montreal Canadiens), Rod Brind’Amour (Carolina Hurricanes)
Winner: Martin St-Louis
Why? The 51-year-old St-Louis did it all as a player, which is why he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018. However, he’s got new goals as Canadiens coach – and after leading Montreal to the Eastern Conference final last season, we project he’ll steer the Habs to a first-place finish in the highly competitive Atlantic Division.
That improvement should be enough to earn St-Louis his first Jack Adams. Sometimes, the Jack Adams feels like a lifetime achievement honor, but in St-Louis’ case, he’s going to prove, for the second straight season, that he’s a phenomenal bench boss.
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