Connor McDavid leads the 2023 NHL Awards winners list, First and Second All-Star and All-Rookie Teams announced, Bruins trade Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno to the Blackhawks and more headlines today’s NHL Morning Coffee.
NHL 2023 Awards, All-Star and All-Star Teams
NHL.COM: Conor McDavid was the biggest winner at the 2023 NHL Awards Ceremony. The Edmonton Oilers captain was awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy as his team’s most valuable player and the Ted Lindsay Award as the league’s Most Valuable Player as voted by members of the NHL Players Association.
McDavid had already won the Art Ross Trophy as top scorer of the season and the Maurice Richard Trophy as top scorer.
Spectator’s note: McDavid is just the third player to win the Lindsay Award four times, joining Wayne Gretzky (five times) and Mario Lemieux (four times). He also joins Washington’s Alex Ovechkin (2007-08) as the only players to have won the Hart, Lindsay, Ross and Richard titles in the same season.
The Boston Bruins have had three championship winners. Captain Patrice Bergeron won the Frank J. Selke Trophy as best forward for the second consecutive season and for the sixth time. Linus Ullmark won the Vezina Award as the best goaltender and Jim Montgomery won the Jack Adams Award as the best coach in the National Hockey League.
Erik Carlson of the San Jose Sharks won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the best defenseman. It is the third time that he has been honored with this award.
SPECTATOR NOTE: Carlsson joins Paul Coffey as the only two players to go more than eight years between Norris Trophy wins. Frequently mentioned in business rumors, this could boost his stock in the trade market. He led the Sharks and all defensemen with 101 points, becoming the first defenseman since Brian Leach in 1991-92 to reach the 100-point plateau.
Seattle Kraken Center’s Matty Benners was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy as Rookie of the Year. He is the first player in the club’s two-year history to win the NHL Award. He led all rookies this season with 57 points in 80 games.
Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy as the league’s most valuable player. It is the second time that he has been honored with this award.
Bystander note: Some people denigrate this award but I think it’s worth honoring players like Kopitar who play at a high level of skill while taking a few penalties. They are to be distinguished by their disciplined play in a physical sport such as hockey.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Chris Letang is the recipient of the Bill Masterton Memorial Award honoring his perseverance and dedication to the game. He suffered a stroke (the second of his career) and the death of his father. He finished the season with 41 points in 64 games.
Mikael Backlund of the Calgary Flames Center won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for his philanthropic work.
Bystander note: Backlund’s future with the Flames remains uncertain after he was non-committal in April about signing a contract extension. he to reporters He has since spoken with the Flames’ new general manager Craig Conroy as well as his agent, but said the situation is out of his hands. “We’ll see what happens,” he said.
Tampa Bay Lightning captain Stephen Stamkos has been awarded the NHL’s Mark Messier Leadership Award.
McDavid, Carlson, and Allmark also join Dallas Stars left wing Jason Robertson, Boston Bruins right wing David Pasternak, and New York Rangers fullback Adam Fox this season. First Team All-Star.
McDavid’s teammate Leon Draistel, Rangers left wing Artemy Panarin, Florida Panthers right wing Matthew Tkachuk, Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm, Colorado Avalanche Kali Makar, and New York goalie Ilya Sorokin are second-team All-Stars this season.
Benners joins Stars forward White Johnston and Arizona Coyotes winger Matthias Maselli, Buffalo Sabers defenseman Owen Bauer, Ottawa Senators Blueliner Jake Sanderson and Oilers guard Stuart Skinner in the NHL. 2022-23 All-Rookie Team.
Boston hockey now/NBC Sports ChicagoPrior to the NHL Awards, the Bruins traded left winger Taylor Hall and forwarding rights to Nick Foligno to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for defensemen Alec Regula and Ian Mitchell.
Bystander note: This was a salary dump by the cap-bound Bruins, with Hall’s average annual worth of $6 million shipped during 2024-25 to the rebuilding Blackhawks. Reports indicate that the Falcons were not on Hall’s 16-team no-trade list.
The move gives the Bruins more than $10 million in cover room for 2023-24. Such is speculation that they’ll use some of it to re-sign winger Tyler Bertuzzi, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
The addition hall should provide the Blackhawks with an experienced mentor and coach for Conor Beddard, who is expected to be their pick with the first overall pick during the opening round of this year’s draft on Wednesday. Hall was selected first overall by the Oilers in the 2010 draft. Hitting the salary cap also helps them reach the salary floor ($61.7 million) for 2023-24.
Foligno is scheduled to become UFA on July 1. The move gives the Blackhawks a few days before that date to negotiate a potential contract with him.
Philadelphia detective: The Flyers’ attempt to trade defenseman Tony DiAngelo back to the Carolina Hurricanes was held up by a rule in the collective bargaining agreement regarding trades and salary retention.
The rule states that a team cannot take back a player who has kept his salary for at least one year after the date of the deal. The Hurricanes traded DeAngelo to the Flyers on July 8, 2022, which means they will have to wait until July 8 of this year before finalizing the deal.
The league is set to meet with both clubs on the matter during the next draft before reaching a decision.
TSNLouis Blues forward Alex Steen has returned to the club in the Hockey Operations department to work with the club’s prospects. He spent 12 of his 15 seasons in the NHL with the Blues.
Nashville hockey now: The Predators announced that they have hired former guard Becca Rehn as a European development coach and scout.
Orange County Register: Anaheim Ducks goalie coach, Sudarshan “Sudsie” Maharaj has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He has undergone treatment and is scheduled to undergo surgery. He expects to return to his role with the Ducks.
Bystander note: Best wishes to Maharaj for a speedy and full recovery.