Connor McDavid is out in front in the early Hart Trophy race, but the Edmonton Oilers star has not run away with it.
Through the opening stretch of the 2026-27 NHL season, McDavid has picked up just over 88% of the first-place ballots from the Professional Hockey Writers Association. That leaves him as the clear leader, yet not the unanimous pick.
He has piled up 47 points in his first 18 games while chasing a fourth Hart Trophy and his first since 2023. Only Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe and Eddie Shore have won the award four times.
The other names in the Hart mix are Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov and Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon. Kaprizov has 31 points and 16 goals through 19 games, and his line with Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy has been especially sharp at five-on-five, scoring at a rate near five goals per 60 minutes while not allowing an even-strength goal in that stretch. MacKinnon has 30 points in 18 games - seven more than any of his Avalanche teammates - even with Colorado off to a slow start.
Edmonton also has the front-runner in the Norris Trophy race. Defenseman Evan Bouchard is leading the voting with over 83% of first-place ballots after putting up 31 points and a plus-24 rating in 18 games.
That comes on the heels of a 95-point, plus-25 season in 2025-26. Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes sits second with 26 points in 19 games and an average ice time of 28 minutes, 7 seconds.
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski, last season’s Norris winner, has 14 points and a league-high 28:18 average ice time through 15 games.
In goal, Montreal Canadiens rookie Jacob Fowler is the current Calder Trophy leader with just over 61% of first-place votes. The 21-year-old has gone 8-1-1 with a .925 save percentage and 2.15 goals-against average across his first 10 NHL games.
He also has two shutouts, the most among rookie goalies. Detroit Red Wings forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygård and Chicago Blackhawks winger Roman Kantserov round out the finalist group.
Brandsegg-Nygård has 10 points in 18 games, while Kantserov has nine goals and two assists in 18 games.
Minnesota is also represented at the top of the Vezina Trophy race. Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt leads the voting with around 58% of first-place ballots after going 11-2-3 with a .922 save percentage and 1.99 goals-against average in 16 games.
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov is also in the mix with a 12-game sample that includes a .920 save percentage and 1.67 goals-against average. Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark is the third finalist, though his 8 games are limited by injury; he has a .945 save percentage and 1.33 goals-against average.
The Selke Trophy picture has Joel Eriksson Ek on top, giving Minnesota another prominent spot in the early awards watch. It is the first time he has been in the top three since finishing fourth in 2021. Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli and Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki are the other finalists.
The Professional Hockey Writers Association handles the Hart, Norris, Calder, Selke and Lady Byng votes. General managers vote for the Vezina Trophy, while broadcasters decide the Jack Adams Award.
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