Draisaitl, Hellebuyck, Kucherov appointed hard trophy finalists

Leon Draisaitl, Connor

The award is awarded annually to the NHL player, which was chosen by the Professional Hockey Writers Association for his team the most valuable.

The winner will be announced at a later date.

Draisaitl led the NHL in goals (52) and took third place on points (106), although they were limited to 71 games for the Edmonton Oilers and was a career-best plus-32. It was the fourth time in seven seasons that he scored at least 50 goals and had at least 100 points in the fourth season in a row. The 29-year-old center took second place in the points per game (1.49) and even force goals (36), took second place in Power-Play goals (16), fourth place in Gerad strength points (73) and was the first in overtime goals (six) and reached first place in game-gaining gates (11).

“It is obviously an honor,” said Draisaitl. “There are an enormous number of players who were part of them and have won it in the past. I am obviously proud to be in this conversation with some rather amazing players. I’m happy about it.”

He had a 14-game point series and an 18-game top this season and only 11 games without a dot. Draisaitl also had 10 games with two goals.

Draisaitl, a two-time finalist, won the award in 2019-20.

“He’s really irreplaceable,” said Oilers defender, Brett Kulak. “And he is a difference every evening that we had it in the line -up, and they only see this game after the game. He always steps on another level in the playoffs.”

Hellebuyck went in 63 games with 47-12-3, which was connected to the NHL leadership with Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Lightning for the Winnipeg Jets this season. He headed the position in victories, gates and average (2.00) and shut -outs (eight) and took second place in the savings percentage among the goalkeepers to play at least 25 games. He allowed two or less goals 40 times and one or less 27 times.

The 31-year-old also won the William M. Jennings Trophy because he had helped the jets to enable an NHL low goal (including withdrawing gates for shooters) during the regular season. Winnipeg scored an average of 2.32 goals against per game and won the presidents of the presidents as a team with the best regular season record with 56-22-4.

“Of course he is our MVP because he was appointed the finalist, and he has our voice to see that he is recognized that there is an amazing performance,” said defender Dlyan Demelo. “I am sure that it is a little hungry for him and sees what he can achieve.”

Hellebuyck, who is the first hard finalist, was appointed the best goalkeeper in the NHL on Monday as a finalist for Vezina Trophy. It would be the first goalkeeper to win the Montreal Canadiens award in 2014-15.

“This is an amazing performance that is obviously running with these names,” said Jets coach Scott Arniel. “This is a great honor and deserves in his eyes and certainly in his teammates, the Winnipeg organization, (we) terribly proud of what he has achieved. We know what it means to us, and at the end of the day so that he does not happen very often in this race. He can very proud of it.”

In the second season in a row, Kucherov led the NHL with 121 points (37 goals, 84 templates) in 78 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 31-year-old striker also put the league in Power-Play points (46) and took third place in the goals with nine. It was also plus 22 and had at least one point in 65 games this season to achieve 33 multipoint games and 17 with at least three points.

It is the third time that Kucherov led the NHL in the rating (also 2018-19). He is a three-time hard finalist, became second place last season and won the award in 2018-19. Kucherov was appointed the finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award (NHL MOST Outstanding Player, as chosen by the NHL Players’ Association on Wednesday.

Kucherov, who had three points with at least eight games, helped the Lightning (47-27-8) for the eighth season in a row the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The rest of the NHL Awards finalists will be announced in the next few weeks, with the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (Perseverance), Frank J. Selke Trophy (Best Defensive Striker), Jack Adams Award (TOP COACH) and Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (Gentleman Lay) continued on Friday.

NHL.com Independent correspondents Gerry Moddejonge and Darrin Bauming contributed to this report