The award is given annually to the most outstanding player in the NHL as voted by fellow members of the NHL Players' Association. The winner will be announced as part of the 2023 NHL Awards at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on June 26 (8 p.m. ET; TNT, SN, TVAS).
Karlsson, also a finalist for the Norris Trophy given to the top defenseman in the NHL, had 101 points (25 goals, 76 assists) for the San Jose Sharks this season, becoming the sixth defenseman in NHL history to reach 100 points in a season and first since Brian Leetch had 102 for the New York Rangers in 1991-92. He is the eighth different player in the NHL expansion era (since 1967-68) to outright lead defensemen in goals, assists and points within a single season and set an NHL record for defensemen by factoring on 43.35 percent of San Jose's goals this season (101 of 233, excluding shootout-deciding goals), eclipsing Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins in 1969-70 (43.32 percent).
Karlsson had a Sharks record 14-game point streak (two goals, 20 assists) from Dec. 3-Jan. 6 and his first NHL hat trick at age 32. On Nov. 27, he had two assists in a 4-3 win against the Vancouver Canucks to become the first defenseman in Sharks history to get at least 20 points in a calendar month.
A first-time finalist, Karlsson would be the first Sharks player to win the award.
McDavid led the NHL in scoring for the third straight season with 153 points (64 goals, 89 assists) in 82 games for the Edmonton Oilers, the 15th-highest total in a single season. He became the fifth different player to lead the League in each category in a season (Phil Esposito, 1972-73 Boston Bruins; Wayne Gretzky, 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1984-85, 1986-87 Oilers; Gordie Howe, 1952-53, Detroit Red Wings; Howie Morenz, 1927-28, Montreal Canadiens).
The center was also the first player in NHL history with three point streaks of at least 15 games in a season and has led the NHL in scoring in five of the past seven, finishing second in the other two.
McDavid, who helped Edmonton (50-23-9) qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season, is a two-time Hart winner and five-time finalist. He won the award in 2020-21 and in 2016-17 and would be the third Oilers player to win it in the past four seasons (Leon Draisaitl, 2019-20). The Oilers captain has won the Ted Lindsay Award three times (2016-17, 2017-18, 2020-21) and would be the third player to win it at least four times, joining Gretzky (five) and Mario Lemieux (four).
Pastrnak finished second in the NHL with 61 goals in 82 games for the Boston Bruins, tied Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning for third in points (113) and set NHL career highs in goals, assists (52), points, plus-minus rating (plus-34), game-winning goals (13) and shots on goal (407). He had nine games with at least three points this season was and tied for second in the League with three hat tricks.
The forward led the second-ranked offense in the NHL (3.67 goals per game) and helped Boston (65-12-5) set NHL records for wins and points (135) in a season and win the Presidents' Trophy for having the best regular-season record.
A first-time finalist, Pastrnak would be the first Bruins player to win the award since Bobby Orr in 1974-75.
Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews won the Ted Lindsay Award last season.
