TheHockeyNews.com asked its writers and editors to share their early votes for the league's individual awards and predict the Stanley Cup winner for the 2026-27 season.
Puck drop is almost here, and TheHockeyNews.com asked 39 writers and editors to give their picks for which players and coaches will win the NHL's individual awards at the conclusion of the 2026-27 season.
The results show the parity in the league, as all but two awards that were voted on in this survey were predicted to go to players on different teams.
With new faces entering the league and a variety of trades and free-agent deals altering the competitive trajectory of multiple franchises, it was fascinating to see how these results came out.
Let's take a look at how THN's voters think the NHL season will pan out:
Hart Trophy
Starting with the Hart Trophy voting, we could be looking at the changing of the guard. Our voters pegged San Jose Sharks superstar Mackin Celebrini as this year's Hart winner, giving him 16 votes to give him a narrow win over McDavid.
Celebrini also received two votes for the Art Ross, and six votes for the 'Rocket' Richard. Clearly, our voters see Celebrini blossoming into one of the league’s top players.
Vezina Trophy
Voting: Hellebuyck (10), Vasilevskiy (7), Shesterkin (7), Sorokin (5), Oettinger (3), Swayman (3), Markstrom (2), Wallstedt (2)
Our voters picked Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck to get the nod for the Vezina, just three votes more than Tampa Bay Lightning star Andrei Vasilevskiy and New York Rangers star Igor Shesterkin. Hellebuyck is a holdout at Jets camp, but when he does hit the ice, our voters expect Hellebuyck will thrive.
Norris Trophy
Meanwhile, the voting for the Norris Trophy went to familiar names: Colorado Avalanche superstar Cale Makar received 14 votes for the Norris – two more than Minnesota Wild star blueliner Quinn Hughes.
Calder Trophy
The Calder Trophy, presented to the NHL's best rookie, is projected to be a two-horse race according to our voters, with Philadelphia Flyers youngster Porter Martone receiving 19 votes, and Toronto Maple Leafs winger Gavin McKenna receiving 12 votes.
McKenna comes into the season with the pressure of being the first-overall pick, while Martone, drafted sixth in 2025, already showed what he was capable of when he played for the Flyers last season.
Both McKenna and Martone will be watched like hawks this season, but they have a golden opportunity to win the Calder and assert themselves as NHLers to reckon with.
Frank J. Selke Trophy
Votes: Barkov (16), Suzuki (11), Hischier (6), Aho (3), Marner (1), Cirelli (1), Staal (1)
The voters also took a stab at predicting who will win the Frank J. Selke Award as the top defensive forward, and it was no surprise that a previous winner, Florida Panthers star Aleksander Barkov, was the majority choice by earning 16 votes, five more than the second-place Montreal Canadiens star Nick Suzuki.
Jack Adams Award
Votes: St. Louis (17), Maurice (6), Brind'Amour (3), DeBoer (2), Muse (2), Montgomery (2), Other (7)
The Jack Adams Award, going to the league's best coach is predicted by our voters to go to Canadiens bench boss Martin St. Louis. The former player has thrived behind the bench in Montreal, and he received 17 votes in this survey — 11 more than the second-place Paul Maurice.
The Panthers can get Maurice his first Jack Adams by bouncing back with a strong year, but St. Louis is the front-runner for good reason. The farther the Habs push up the standings, the easier it'll be for St. Louis to earn this award.
Stanley Cup
While these individual awards will come with great pride for each player who wins them this season, the Stanley Cup trumps all.
The tightness throughout the league was reflected in the voting for who will win the game's ultimate trophy, with the Panthers and Avalanche tied at nine votes each, followed narrowly by the Dallas Stars with eight votes.
Two Canadian teams also got some representation on this list, with the Canadiens and Oilers being given the best chance to break the country's Cup drought this season.
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