Awards At The 3/4 Mark

We're at the 36 game mark of this 2013 NHL season and the Award races are getting tight. In most of the categories there are multiple contenders which will make for a fun month of debating who deserves to take home some hardware in June. A lot will change in the next 12 games, but as of right now these are our picks for major NHL Awards.

Take a look and tell us what you think:

Hart Memorial Trophy - Sidney Crosby

Through 36 games played, Sid has been by far the best player in the league. But will those 36 games be enough seeing as how he's expected to sit out the remainder of the season with a broken jaw? 15 goals and 41 assists have him 10 points up on the next closest scoring leader and he's led his Penguins to an undefeated month of March. Pretty easy to decide who would be getting the Hart if it were handed out today.

Vezina Trophy - Sergei Bobrovsky

This is a tight race as usual, but we never thought we'd be ready to give out a trophy for best goaltender to a Columbus Blue Jacket. Bobrovsky has been lights out this season with a 2.13 GAA and .927 SV%; both of which rank him among the top goaltenders in the NHL. Facing over 30 shots a night, Bobrovsky has given the Blue Jackets opportunity to steal points and actually has them sitting in a playoff spot in the always tough Western Conference. Impressive.

James Norris Memorial Trophy - P.K. Subban

Since joining the Habs after a contract dispute, Subban has been one of the best defencemen in the NHL. With 10 goals he leads all defencemen (in less games), and his 27 points have him 1 point behind the defensive scoring leader, Ryan Suter (once again, in less games). Subban's been a stud on the powerplay with 18 of his 27 points coming with the man advantage, and has been solid at even strength with a +10 rating. Basically, he's putting up Erik Karlsson numbers from last year.

Calder Trophy - Jonathan Huberdeau

This will be another tight race, but Huberdeau has impressed us the most through 36 games. Leading all rookies in goals (13) and points (26), Huberdeau is playing on a hurting Panthers team that is trying to avoid being the worst team in the NHL. Huby's offence has been consistent throughout the year despite the lack of talent around him. With 12 games left, this will be one of the races to watch with Conacher, Gallagher, and Saad coming on offensively.

Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy - Andrei Markov

Markov still hasn't missed a game this season and sits 5th overall in defensive scoring with 6 goals and 23 points in 34 games. Averaging almost 25 minutes/game and playing in every scenario, Markov has helped the Habs to their incredible 22-7-5 start. If he stays in the lineup it's hard not to give the guy the award, I mean, isn't his knee being held together by duct tape?

Jack Adams Award - Paul MacLean

So many great candidates to choose from, but Paul MacLean has been getting the job with the Binghamton Senators. Without Jason Spezza, Erik Karlsson, Craig Anderson, and Milan Michalek, MacLean has guided his Senators to a 19-10-6 record which is good enough for 5th in the Eastern Conference. Not only do the Sens have the most guys in the league whose name you can't spell, but they probably lead the league in guys you've never heard of.

Frank J. Selke Trophy - Patrice Bergeron

The Bruins will always be a contender if they have Patrice Bergeron shutting down the other teams top players. Bergeron is a +22 so far this year and has been playing 19:32 minutes a night for the Bruins. He has also taken 727 faceoffs so far this year (4th most in the league) and has the best winning percentage at 61.3%. The guy can play in all scenarios and should be in line to get his 2nd consecutive Selke Award if he keeps his play up.

Lady Byng Memorial Trophy - Patrick Kane

Kane is having a hell of year with 18 goals and 42 points through 34 games. He also has just 4 PIMs on the year. The Hawks have been steamrolling teams and staying out of the box while doing so. Kane has the fewest PIMs on the team for regular roster players and we haven't even heard of any off-ice shenanigans this year (although Cinco de Mayo has yet to happen).

What do you think of our Award winners at the 3/4 mark of the season?