Updated NHL Awards Odds; McKinnon, Makar, Schaefer Big Favorites

As we head towards the Olympic break, several players have separated themselves from the race for individual awards.  Nathan McKinnon, Cale Makar, and Matthew Schaefer are clear favorites to win the Hart, Norris, and Calder, but who can offer some value as a dark horse?  Let’s find out.

Hart Trophy

As of early January 2026, Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon is the clear betting favorite to win the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP.  He continues to put up big numbers on a team that scores at a ridiculous pace.

Trailing MacKinnon are Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid and San Jose Sharks phenom Macklin Celebrini, both firmly in the Hart conversation.  After a slower start for his standards, McDavid has exploded over the last two months and is atop the scoring lead.  Macklin Celebrini, the Sharks’ rising star, is making a run after a phenomenal run.  His chances, though, will be based on whether he can get San Jose into the playoffs. 

Longshots included Nikita Kucherov, Cale Makar, Leon Draisaitl, and Kirill Kaprizov; however, their chances are much more distant in the betting markets.

Hart Trophy Odds

Nathan MacKinnon COL (-400 )

Macklin Celebrini SJ (+350) 

Connor McDavid EDM (+425) 

Nikita Kucherov TB (+5000) 

Kirill Kaprizov MIN (+15000) 

Leon Draisaitl EDM (+15000) 

Norris Trophy 

Cale Makar is the reigning Norris winner and has two awards already as the best defenseman in the NHL, and is likely going to make it three.  He leads the league in scoring for defensemen and is the best overall rear guard.  Essentially, this award is his to lose.

Blue Jackets Zach Werenski is right behind Makar in scoring, but plays for a team near the bottom of the division.  Still, he can score and is overall a strong defender.  A dark horse option is the 2024 winner, Quinn Hughes. Since joining the Wild, he’s found his offensive spark, and if he can continue that streak in the second half, he could make a run.

Other long-shot names include Lane Hutson, Moritz Seider, Miro Heiskanen, Jakob Chychrun, and Evan Bouchard, but they are unlikely to challenge for the award.

Norris Trophy Odds

Cale Makar COL (-700)

Zach Werenski CLB (+450)

Quinn Hughes VAN (+1800)

Lane Hutson MTL (+3000)

Moritz Seider DET (+4000)

Miro Heiskanen DAL (+5000)

Vezina Trophy

Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin has surged to the top of the betting board after recent big performances.  He has four shutouts this season and a strong GAA and save percentage.

Capitals netminder Logan Thompson ranks in the top eight of several goaltender categories, while Avalanche’s Scott Wedgewood and Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Lightning are near the top in wins.  Other established goalies who could offer some value are Igor Shesterkin and Jeremy Swayman, but this means the Rangers and Bruins will need a great second half to put them in contention.

Vezina Trophy Odds

Ilya Sorokin NYI (+125)

Logan Thompson WSH (+175)

Andrei Vasilevskiy TB (+650)

Scott Wedgewood COL (+650)

Igor Shesterkin NYR (+1600)

Jeremy Swayman BOS (+2000)

Calder Trophy

Just like the Norris, the Calder Trophy has a big prohibitive favorite as Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer leads the way.  The rookie has been exceptional as an 18-year old blueliner who has already set some records along the way.   He’s been near the top of the rookie scoring, logging big minutes and making big league plays.

Canadiens winger Ivan Demidov is his biggest challenger as he’s been leading the rookie scoring race for a good chunk of the season and should continue his scoring pace.  Ducks Beckett Sennecke, who is right behind Demidov in scoring, has impressed in his rookie season but would need a huge second half to push Schaefer.

Jesper Wallstedt has been impressive in between the net with the Wild, while others like  Capitals Ryan Leonard and Hurricanes Alexander Nikishin are long shots at best.

Calder Trophy Odds

Matthew Schaefer NYI (-700)

Ivan Demidov MTL (+450) 

Beckett Sennecke ANA (+800)

Jesper Wallstedt MIN (+2500)

Alexander Nikishin CAR (+10000)

Ryan Leonard WSH (+10000)

Maurice Richard Trophy

Nathan MacKinnon has a comfortable lead in goals but has never won this award.  But the way he’s been tearing up the league, MacKinnon could pull off the double-double, winning the Hart and the Rocket Richard trophies.

Connor McDavid won this a couple of years ago and sits behind MacKinnon in goals, but he’s known more as a playmaker and feels his goals will tail off while his assists increase.  His teammate Leon Draisaitl was the 2024-25 Rocket Richard winner (52 goals), and if he gets hot, he can score in bunches and offers fabulous odds.

Auston Matthews is a 3-time Rocket Richard champion and has scored the most goals in team history.  While the Leafs struggled early this season and Matthews missed games, his goal-scoring history makes him a perennial threat.  And at this price, he could offer the best value.

Others, such as Jason Robertson, Kirill Kaprizov, and Morgan Geekie, are having exceptional seasons but appear as longer shots or value plays on certain futures markets.

Maurice Richard Trophy Odds

Nathan MacKinnon COL (-180)

Connor McDavid EDM (+475)

Kirill Kaprizov MIN (+1500)

Jason Robertson DAL (+1500)

Leon Draisaitl EDM (+1800)

Matt Boldy MIN (+2200)

Auston Matthews TOR (+2500)

Conclusion

While we may be at the halfway point of the season, some races appear to be already locked up, but as we know in sports, everything can change with an injury or even a trade. When it comes to value, there are some out there, but it all comes down to how these players fare in the final 35 games, and of course, Lady Luck.