Daily Faceoff hands out 2022 NHL Midseason Awards
Last week, the NHL officially passed the halfway point of the 2021-22 season. It’s been a grind with a COVID-19 shutdown, more than 100 postponed games, a canceled trip to the 2022 Beijing Olympics along with more than enough drama and scandals from Evander Kane, the Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks GM Bob Murray.
But the NHL is halfway home, and the Daily Faceoff team is here to hand out the hardware to midseason award winners:
Hart Trophy
Winner: Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
Why: Alex Ovechkin edged out Jonathan Huberdeau for what would be the fourth Hart Trophy of his career and his first since 2013.
It’s truly incredible how the 36-year-old Ovechkin continues to defy Father Time. Through 45 games this season, the Great Eight has 29 goals and 58 points. He’s also the only member of the Capitals to not miss a single game this season.
Daily Faceoff’s ballots
| Hart Trophy | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Brock Seguin | Igor Shesterkin | Connor McDavid | Jonathan Huberdeau |
| Cam Lewis | Alex Ovechkin | Jonathan Huberdeau | Igor Shesterkin |
| Chris Gear | Alex Ovechkin | Jonathan Huberdeau | Connor McDavid |
| Chris Peters | Jonathan Huberdeau | Alexander Ovechkin | Victor Hedman |
| David Quadrelli | Connor McDavid | Jonathan Huberdeau | Alex Ovechkin |
| Frank Seravalli | Nazem Kadri | Jonathan Huberdeau | Kirill Kaprizov |
| Jason Gregor | Alex Ovechkin | Jonathan Huberdeau | Chris Krieder |
| Mike McKenna | Jonathon Huberdeau | Alex Ovechkin | Cale Makar |
| Scott Burnside | Alex Ovechkin | Jonathan Huberdeau | Nazem Kadri |
| Tyler Yaremchuk | Alex Ovechkin | Connor McDavid | Jonathan Huberdeau |
| Zach Laing | Connor McDavid | Cale Makar | Jonathan Hubredeau |
Norris Trophy
Winner: Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
Why: This was an extremely tight vote. All ballots save for one featured the trio of Cale Makar, Victor Hedman and Adam Fox. Makar and Hedman wound up tied for first place in terms of points but Makar had more first-place votes so he’s narrowly the winner here.
Makar is in the midst of a special season for the Avs in which he’s scored 43 points through 38 games. He was the runner-up behind Fox last season and it’s a good bet that Makar will take home his first Norris Trophy this summer.
Daily Faceoff’s Ballots
| Norris Trophy | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Brock Seguin | Cale Makar | Victor Hedman | Adam Fox |
| Cam Lewis | Cale Makar | Adam Fox | Victor Hedman |
| Chris Gear | Victor Hedman | Adam Fox | Aaron Ekblad |
| Chris Peters | Victor Hedman | Cale Makar | Adam Fox |
| David Quadrelli | Adam Fox | Victor Hedman | Cale Makar |
| Frank Seravalli | Cale Makar | Victor Hedman | Adam Fox |
| Jason Gregor | Victor Hedman | Cale Makar | Adam Fox |
| Mike McKenna | Cale Makar | Victor Hedman | Adam Fox |
| Scott Burnside | Victor Hedman | Adam Fox | Cale Makar |
| Tyler Yaremchuk | Cale Makar | Victor Hedman | Adam Fox |
| Zach Laing | Cale Makar | Adam Fox | Victor Hedman |
Vezina Trophy
Winner: Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers
Why: Though it wasn’t unanimous, Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers won our Vezina Trophy vote by a pretty hefty margin.
Shesterkin has been lights out for the Rangers thus far, as he owns a .936 save percentage through 27 games. The Rangers are 29-13-4 on the season thanks largely to Shesterkin’s play, as the team ranks in the league’s basement in terms of shot attempt differential.
Daily Faceoff’s ballots
| Vezina Trophy | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Brock Seguin | Igor Shesterkin | Juuse Saros | Frederik Andersen |
| Cam Lewis | Igor Shesterkin | Juuse Saros | Tristan Jarry |
| Chris Gear | Igor Shesterkin | Juuse Saros | Jacob Markstrom |
| Chris Peters | Juuse Saros | Andrei Vasilevskiy | Sergei Bobrovsky |
| David Quadrelli | Igor Shesterkin | Juuse Saros | Thatcher Demko |
| Frank Seravalli | Igor Shesterkin | Juuse Saros | Tristan Jarry |
| Jason Gregor | Igor Shesterkin | Juuse Saros | Freddie Andersen |
| Mike McKenna | Juuse Saros | Igor Shesterkin | Tristan Jarry |
| Scott Burnside | Juuse Saros | Frederik Andersen | Igor Shesterkin |
| Tyler Yaremchuk | Igor Shesterkin | Freddie Andersen | Jacob Markstrom |
| Zach Laing | Igor Shesterkin | Juuse Saros | Jacob Markstrom |
Calder Trophy
Winner: Trevor Zegras, Anaheim Ducks
Why: In yet another tight race, Trevor Zegras of the Anaheim Ducks beat out the duo from Detroit, Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond, for the Calder Trophy for the league’s top rookie.
.@frank_seravalli's midseason Calder Trophy rankings:
3. Anton Lundell
2. Moritz Seider
1. Trevor Zegras
(Honorable Mention: Tanner Jeannot)
Presented by @DoorDash
APPLE: https://t.co/poFUdB5Lda
SPOTIFY: https://t.co/7ZWwQayWjA pic.twitter.com/MTi8mbYXpu
Zegras has injected some new life into the Ducks this season. He has 12 goals and 32 points over the course of 41 games, impressive numbers for a 20-year-old, but Zegras’ true claim to fame this season has been his highlight-reel plays.
Daily Faceoff’s ballots
| Calder Trophy | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Brock Seguin | Lucas Raymond | Trevor Zegras | Moritz Seider |
| Cam Lewis | Moritz Seider | Trevor Zegras | Lucas Raymond |
| Chris Gear | Trevor Zegras | Lucas Raymond | Anton Lundell |
| Chris Peters | Trevor Zegras | Moritz Seider | Lucas Raymond |
| David Quadrelli | Lucas Raymond | Trevor Zegras | Moritz Seider |
| Frank Seravalli | Trevor Zegras | Moritz Seider | Anton Lundell |
| Jason Gregor | Moritz Seider | Trevor Zegras | Lucas Raymond |
| Mike McKenna | Moritz Seider | Trevor Zegras | Lucas Raymond |
| Scott Burnside | Moritz Seider | Trevor Zegras | Lucas Raymond |
| Tyler Yaremchuk | Trevor Zegras | Moritz Seider | Lucas Raymond |
| Zach Laing | Trevor Zegras | Moritz Seider | Tanner Jeannot |
Jack Adams Award
Winner: Mike Sullivan, Pittsburgh Penguins
Why: A lot of different coaches got some love in our Jack Adams Award vote but it was Mike Sullivan of the Pittsburgh Penguins who wound up with the hardware.
Sullivan has done an impressive job this year helping the Penguins navigate missing both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin due to injury. The Pens are 27-10-7, putting them on pace for their third-best season in franchise history.
Though he’s guided the Penguins to the Stanley Cup twice, this would the first Jack Adams of Sullivan’s career.
Daily Faceoff’s ballots
| Jack Adams Award | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Brock Seguin | John Hynes | Mike Sullivan | Dean Evason |
| Cam Lewis | Andrew Brunette | Jared Bednar | Mike Sullivan |
| Chris Gear | Dean Evason | Jared Bednar | John Hynes |
| Chris Peters | John Hynes | Dean Evason | Andrew Brunette |
| David Quadrelli | Jon Cooper | Rod Brind’Amour | Bruce Boudreau |
| Frank Seravalli | Jared Bednar | Rod Brind’Amour | Mike Sullivan |
| Jason Gregor | Mike Sullivan | Rod Brind’Amour | Dean Evason |
| Mike McKenna | Rod Brind’Amour | John Hynes | Mike Sullivan |
| Scott Burnside | Mike Sullivan | Jared Bednar | Gerard Gallant |
| Tyler Yaremchuk | Mike Sullivan | Rod Brind’Amour | Gerard Gallant |
| Zach Laing | Gerard Gallant | Andrew Brunette | Rod Brind’Amour |
Jim Gregory GM of the Year Award
Winner: Bill Zito, Florida Panthers
Why: The Florida Panthers have transformed from a perennial bottom-feeder into a legitimate contender thanks to some impressive maneuvering from general manager Bill Zito.
Zito was hired to retool the Panthers back in the fall of 2020 and he’s navigated a difficult salary cap situation to help the Panthers build a strong, deep roster. Sam Bennett, Anthony Duclair, and Carter Verhaeghe are under-the-radar players that Zito found who have helped contribute to arguably the most potent offense in hockey.
Zito was a runner-up for the Jim Gregory Award last year, but if the Panthers keep rolling as they have been in the first half, he should be in prime position to win this time around.
Daily Faceoff’s ballots
| GM of the Year Award | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Brock Seguin | Bill Zito | Don Waddell | Steve Yzerman |
| Cam Lewis | Bill Zito | Don Waddell | Kyle Dubas |
| Chris Gear | Rob Blake | Joe Sakic | Steve Yzerman |
| Chris Peters | Joe Sakic | Bill Zito | Rob Blake |
| David Quadrelli | Steve Yzerman | Doug Armstrong | Don Sweeney |
| Frank Seravalli | Don Waddell | Bill Guerin | Bill Zito |
| Jason Gregor | Joe Sakic | Don Waddell | Bill Zito |
| Mike McKenna | Bill Zito | Chris Drury | Brad Treliving |
| Scott Burnside | Doug Armstrong | Don Waddell | Bill Zito |
| Tyler Yaremchuk | Bill Zito | Joe Sakic | Don Waddell |
| Zach Laing | Bill Zito | Steve Yzerman | Joe Sakic |
DFO Comeback Player of the Year Award
Winner: Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues
Why: The criteria for this invented award is simple: it serves to recognize a player that has returned not only from a serious injury, illness or personal disruption, but also a player who may have simply rebounded from a season (or string of seasons) of subpar performance.
There are multiple players who have battled back from varying circumstances in 2021-22 but the one that stands out is Vladimir Tarasenko.
Tarasenko played only 34 games between 2019-20 and 2021 and it looked like he was never going to be the same again. But after getting his third different shoulder operation done over the offseason, Tarasenko has come roaring back.
Through 40 games with the Blues, Tarasenko has 40 points, the best points-per-game pace of his career.
Daily Faceoff’s ballots
| Comeback Player of the Year | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Brock Seguin | Timo Meier | Vladimir Tarasenko | Tony DeAngelo |
| Cam Lewis | Vladimir Tarasenko | Jonathan Drouin | Sam Bennett |
| Chris Gear | Vladimir Tarasenko | Matt Duchene | Sergei Bobrovsky |
| Chris Peters | Vladimir Tarasenko | Matt Duchene | Evgeny Kuznetsov |
| David Quadrelli | Vladimir Tarasenko | Matt Duchene | Sergei Bobrovsky |
| Frank Seravalli | Sergei Bobrovsky | Vladimir Tarasenko | Matt Duchene |
| Jason Gregor | Timo Meier | Matt Duchene | Sergei Bobrovsky |
| Mike McKenna | Nazem Kadri | Vladimir Tarasenko | Matt Duchene |
| Scott Burnside | Matt Duchene | Vladimir Tarasenko | William Nylander |
| Tyler Yaremchuk | Matt Duchene | Evgeny Kuznetsov | Sergei Bobrovsky |
| Zach Laing | Sergei Bobrovsky | Matt Duchene | Tony DeAngelo |
Editor’s note: We used a 3-2-1 points scoring system.