The last individual NHL award winner for the Dallas Stars was Jamie Benn‘s Art Ross in 2014-15, but who will be next?
The 2018-19 season is almost here, and while anything goes once the season starts, there are four Dallas Stars players and one head coach who might have cases to at least make the finalist lists for awards by April.
Sometimes, the awards go to exactly who everyone expects all along. It’s not unexpected when that year’s first overall pick wins the Calder Trophy or when Alex Ovechkin wins yet another Rocket Richard Trophy. Going into the 2018-19 season, the Stars don’t have any easy cases like that.
However, the NHL season is long and often unpredictable. Connor McDavid was the unanimous Calder favorite right up until he broke his clavicle mid-season and opened the door for 24-year-old Artemi Panarin to win best rookie. Benn’s Art Ross was also unexpected and wild, going into the last night of the regular season in close competition with Sidney Crosby and John Tavares before winning it with a four-point night.
Some things are easy to rule out early. For example, Alexander Radulov isn’t taking home a Lady Byng. With that said, let’s take a look at a few that have a chance at happening. That doesn’t mean they’re probably going to happen, but there’s a possibility enough that fans should keep an eye on it.