Pavelski, Makar among top picks for weekly divisional Trophy Tracker

NHL.com will be running weekly installments of the Trophy Tracker series this season, looking at leaders for the Hart (MVP), Norris (top defenseman), Vezina (top goalie) and Calder (top rookie) trophies. Though there can be only one winner for each award at the end of the season, five NHL.com writers per division will be ranking their top three for each award.
Here are the voting totals (points awarded on a 5-3-1 basis):

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MASSMUTUAL EAST DIVISION

Hart Trophy
Leader: Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins, 18 points (three first-place votes)
Runners-up:Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals, 13 (one first-place vote); Patrice Bergeron, Bruins, 8 points (one first-place vote)
Others receiving points: Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers, 7; James van Riemsdyk, Philadelphia Flyers, 1
Why I picked Marchand: "The Bruins are better than expected this season and Marchand is a major reason why with 15 points (seven goals, eight assists). The forward gets the narrow nod over Backstrom, van Riemsdyk, Bergeron and Panarin." -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer
Norris Trophy
Leader:Charlie McAvoy, Bruins, 21 points (three first-place votes)
Runners-up: John Carlson, Capitals, 13 (two first-place votes); Ivan Provorov, Flyers, 9
Others receiving points: Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins, 1; Damon Severson, New Jersey Devils, 1
Why I picked McAvoy: "With Zdeno Chara gone to the Capitals, McAvoy is now the clear leader of a Bruins defense that has allowed an NHL-low average of 23.5 shots per game. His average ice time of 24:24 is 4:30 more than anyone else on the Bruins. He's second in the NHL among defensemen in 5-on-5 shot attempts differential (54), behind Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche (78), and third on Boston with 10 points (one goal, nine assists) in 11 games." -- Tom Gulitti, staff writer

Vezina Trophy
Leader: Semyon Varlamov, New York Islanders, 19 (three first-place votes)
Runners-up: Tuukka Rask, Bruins, 11 (two first-place votes); Igor Shesterkin, Rangers, 6
Others receiving points: Carter Hart, Flyers, 4; Jaroslav Halak, Bruins, 3; Linus Ullmark, Buffalo Sabres, 1; MacKenzie Blackwood, Devils, 1
Why I picked Varlamov: "He had a hot start to the season with two shutouts and one goal against in his first three games, and he shut out the Rangers for a second time Monday. In a division where inconsistent goaltending seems to be the rule, I'm going to stick with that for now." -- Tim Campbell, staff writer
Calder Trophy
Leader:Ty Smith, Devils, 21 (four first-place votes)
Runners-up: Vitek Vanecek, Capitals, 8; K'Andre Miller, Rangers, 7
Others receiving points:Igor Shesterkin, Rangers, 6 (one first-place vote); Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Penguins, 3
Why I picked Smith: "The 20-year-old has scored eight points (two goals, six assists), including six at even strength that leads all rookie defensemen. Paired with Damon Severson, Smith is a quarterback on the power play and has been diligent in his approach to shutting down opposing offenses." -- Mike G. Morreale, staff writer

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HONDA WEST DIVISION

Hart Trophy
Leader:Mark Stone, Vegas Golden Knights, 21 (three first-place votes)
Runners-up:Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche, 17 (two first-place votes); Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings, 7
Others receiving points: None
Why I picked Stone: "He's arguably, and maybe not even arguably, the best 200-foot wing in the NHL and the driving force behind the Golden Knights attack from back to front. He pushes the pace and has become Vegas' heart and soul."-- Dan Rosen, senior writer
Norris Trophy
Leader:Cale Makar, Avalanche, 21 (three first-place votes)
Runners-up: Shea Theodore, Golden Knights, 10 (one first-place vote); Alex Pietrangelo, Golden Knights, 5 (one first-place vote)
Others receiving points:Torey Krug, St. Louis Blues, 4; Colton Parayko, Blues, 4; Justin Faulk, Blues, 1
Why I picked Makar:"The 22-year-old plays like a veteran and just makes everything look so effortless." -- Tracey Myers, staff writer
Vezina Trophy
Leader: Philipp Grubauer, Avalanche, 21 (three first-place votes)
Runners-up: John Gibson, Anaheim Ducks, 11 (two first-place votes); Marc-Andre Fleury, Golden Knights, 9
Others receiving points: Jordan Binnington, Blues, 4
Why I picked Grubauer: "He is looking like the player the Avalanche hoped they were getting when they acquired him in a trade with the Capitals on June 22, 2018. He's showing that when healthy he can be an elite NHL goalie and that he's capable of leading Colorado on a long playoff run." -- Brian Compton, deputy managing editor
Calder Trophy
Leader:Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild, 25 points (unanimous)
Runners-up: Zach Whitecloud, Golden Knights, 6; Mikey Anderson, Kings, 4; Gabriel Vilardi, Kings, 4
Others receiving points: Kaapo Kahkonen, Wild, 3; Bowen Byram, Avalanche, 1; Kale Clague, Kings, 1; Logan O'Connor, Avalanche, 1
Why I picked Kaprizov: "He hasn't wasted any time making an impact with the Wild. His skill set has been on display from the moment he made his NHL debut, when he scored three points (one goal, two assists) and won the game for Minnesota in overtime. There's little doubt the 23-year-old forward is going to be a force in this league for years to come."-- Brian Compton, deputy managing editor

Video: MIN@COL: Kaprizov rifles Parise set-up home for PPG

DISCOVER CENTRAL DIVISION

Hart Trophy
Leader:Joe Pavelski, Dallas Stars, 23 points (four five-place votes)
Runners-up: Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks, 17 (one first-place vote); Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning, 3
Others receiving points: Andrei Svechnikov, Carolina Hurricanes, 1; Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators, 1
Why I picked Pavelski:"It's not just that the center is among the NHL goals and points leaders. His 15 points are four more than any of his teammates, his seven goals are three more than any of them, and the Stars are off to a 5-2-2 start. - Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist
Norris Trophy
Leader: Victor Hedman, Lightning, 25 (unanimous)
Runners-up:John Klingberg, Stars, 12; Roman Josi, Predators, 5
Others receiving points:Miro Heiskanen, Stars, 2; Aaron Ekblad, Florida Panthers, 1
Why I picked Hedman:"It's a no-brainer. He's the best defensemen in the NHL. He controls games from the back end for the Lightning. He's always a part of their offense without ever sacrificing his defense. It doesn't matter his partner or the opponent, Hedman is always elite." -- Dan Rosen, senior writer
Vezina Trophy
Leader: Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning, 25 (unanimous)
Runners-up: Kevin Lankinen, Blackhawks, 8; Anton Khudobin, Stars, 4
Others receiving points: James Reimer, Hurricanes, 3; Chris Driedger, Panthers, 3; Petr Mrazek, Hurricanes, 2
Why I picked Vasilevskiy: "There's no Stanley Cup hangover for the Lightning goalie, who has looked outstanding thus far." -- Tracey Myers, staff writer
Calder Trophy
Leader: Kevin Lankinen, Blackhawks, 21 (four first-place votes)
Runners-up: Pius Suter, Blackhawks, 12; Philipp Kurashev, Blackhawks, 9 (one first-place vote)
Others receiving points: Eetu Luostarinen, Panthers, 2; Ty Dellandrea, Stars, 1
Why I picked Lankinen: "The Blackhawks are 4-1-3 with Lankinen in net, 1-3-1 without the 25-year old, and look at his numbers: 2.32 goals-against average and .928 save percentage. If this keeps up, keep an eye on him for the Calder." -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

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SCOTIA NORTH DIVISION

Hart Trophy
Leader:Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers, 21 (four first-place votes)
Runners-up:Leon Draisaitl, Oilers, 10 (one first-place vote); Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs, 7
Others receiving points: Mitchell Marner, Maple Leafs, 6; Tyler Toffoli, Montreal Canadiens, 1
Why I picked McDavid: "The heart-and-soul of the Oilers. His desire to be the best is never in doubt and has been on full display this season."-- Mike G. Morreale, staff writer
Norris Trophy
Leader:Jeff Petry, Canadiens, 21 (three first-place votes)
Runners-up:Morgan Rielly, Maple Leafs, 9 (one first-place vote); Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks, 6 (one first-place vote)
Others receiving points: Darnell Nurse, Oilers, 5; Tyson Barrie, Oilers, 3; Thomas Chabot, Ottawa Senators, 1
Why I picked Petry: "I usually try to look beyond offensive numbers for defenseman, but it was impossible to ignore Petry's six goals, most in the NHL among defensemen, and his 14 points that are second among defensemen (Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks, 17). He's also tied with teammate Joel Edmundson with an NHL-leading plus-14 rating." -- Tom Gulitti, staff writer
Vezina Trophy
Leader: Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets, 21 points (three first-place votes)
Runners-up:Jacob Markstrom, Calgary Flames, 12 (one first-place vote); Jake Allen, Canadiens, 6
Others receiving points: Carey Price, Canadiens, 5 (one first-place vote); Frederik Andersen, Maple Leafs, 1
Why I picked Hellebuyck: "There was little support among pundits for the Jets to be a playoff team and one of the biggest reasons they look like that right now is the defending Vezina Trophy winner."-- Tim Campbell, staff writer
Calder Trophy
Leader:
Tim Stutzle
, Senators, 19 points (three first-place votes)
Runners-up: Nils Hoglander, Canucks, 15 (one first-place vote); Juuso Valimaki, Flames, 5 (one first-place vote)
Others receiving points: Alexander Romanov, Canadiens, 3; Josh Norris, Senators, 3
Why I picked Stutzle: "The 19-year-old already is showing flashes that he's becoming more comfortable at the NHL level." -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer