ESPN's NHL Insider Greg Wyshynski recently released his "NHL Awards Watch," projecting who was in the lead for each award. And the Avalanche fared well, thanks in part to what has become one of the most dominant runs in NHL history to date.
The Avs are a team on a mission with a league-best 44 points and a 19-1-6 record. The Avalanche also have an eye-popping plus-50 goal differential with 106 goals scored and 56 allowed, easily making them the best team in the NHL.
So, naturally, quite a few of their players will be in line for some major awards if this keeps up. And even if the Avs cool off some, it doesn't mean the three players mentioned below won't still be in the running.
Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Scott Wedgewood are leading the way for the Colorado Avalanche
Greg Wyshynski listed all three players in the lead for the Hart, Norris, and Vezina Trophies, respectively. And when you break down their play, it's hard to make an argument against them.
MacKinnon is enjoying arguably the best season of his career, leading the league with 22 goals and 46 points in 26 games. He's also leading the league in plus-minus with 32, and is on pace for 145 points and between 69 and 70 goals. Should he keep up that trajectory, MacKinnon could run away with the Hart Trophy, which he won in 2023-24.
Wyshynski also listed Cale Makar as a finalist for the award, along with Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard. But he also pegged in Makar as the favorite to win the Norris Trophy, with Jakob Chychrun and Josh Morrissey clocking in as runners-up.
Makar, who won the award twice so far, including in 2025, has 32 points and nine goals in 26 games. If he keeps up that same pace, Makar will end up with 101 points and between 28 and 29 goals. If Makar keeps up this production, it will be the first time in his career that he has posted at least 100 points.
One Avalanche player who has emerged as an unlikely favorite thanks to his stellar play
Wyshynski also had Scott Wedgewood as the leader for the Vezina Trophy. Wedgewood, who has predominantly been a backup goaltender for most of his career, has already matched his number of appearances from a season ago with 19. He also has 19 starts, which is one more than he had in 2024-25.
While Wedgewood looked good in limited appearances last season, he's been stellar as the number one goaltender for the Avalanche, posting a 2.07 GAA, a 0.920 save percentage, a shutout, and a 0.684 quality starts percentage. Wedgewood's inclusion on Wyshynski's list might be a surprise because of his status as a career backup, but it's well-deserved.
He will face stiff competition, though, with Wyshynski also listing Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jeremy Swayman. Both are proven talents, while Wedgewood is still looking to show he can keep playing the number-one role in Denver. But if he keeps up his current play, there is no question Wedgewood will end up winning the Vezina.
The Hart, the Norris, and the Vezina routinely go to the best player, best defensive player, and best netminder in hockey, so if MacKinnon, Makar, and Wedgewood end up snagging them, it will make this special year for the Avalanche even sweeter. But all three of them will likely tell you that even winning awards wouldn't match the elation of winning the Stanley Cup.