In a season where Colorado Avalanche superstar center Nathan MacKinnon won the Maurice Richard Trophy and finished with the most even-strength points the NHL has seen in any one season since the 1980s, the three finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award were revealed, and he was not among them.
The Lindsay is awarded annually to the player who had the most outstanding regular season, as voted on by his peers in the NHL Players’ Association. MacKinnon received the honor in 2023-24, when he finished with 51 goals and 140 points. This season, he eclipsed those goal totals (53), had 97 points at even strength and 127 overall.
The three finalists were Connor McDavid, Nikita Kucherov, and 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini.
Along with MacKinnon, those four forwards sat atop the rest of the league this season. They were the four highest-producing skaters in the league, with MacKinnon finishing third in points, behind McDavid (138) and Kucherov (130) but well ahead of Celebrini (115). It’s likely that MacKinnon finished fourth in the voting, but that won’t be revealed until the winner of the award is announced at a later date.
It’s also likely that these four names will also finish atop the Hart Trophy ballot as league MVP, as voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association, with one of them missing out on a finalist finish.
Having McDavid and Kucherov there isn’t much of a surprise. But to see NHLers vote Celebrini ahead of MacKinnon could be a combination of voter fatigue regarding the Avalanche center or excitement for what Celebrini accomplished in his sophomore season. There’s no denying that Celebrini’s superstardom was elevated this year, and his inclusion on the Team Canada Olympic roster and performance in Italy only elevated it. At 19 years old, Celebrini is going to be high on these lists for years to come.
MacKinnon finishing third in points is likely why voters chose to omit him in favor of Celebrini. Still, it’s surprising, and could be an even stranger finish if MacKinnon ends up winning the Hart Trophy.
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