LATEST | NHL awards early voting: multiple Canucks leading the way

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Cooper Godin
November 6, 2023 (9:44)

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We're nearly one month into the National Hockey League's 2023-24 season, with all 32 teams playing anywhere from 10 to 13 games thus far.

On Monday, ESPN's Greg Wyshynski shared an early season edition of NHL Awards Watch with members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association anonymously involved in the polling process.

A trio of Vancouver Canucks were mentioned following the polling, Quinn Hughes, Thatcher Demko and Elias Pettersson, as well as Head Coach Rick Tocchet.

First up, Quinn Hughes. Hughes was voted as the leading candidate to win the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenceman.

"Hughes earned roughly 75% of the first-place votes for the NHL's best defenseman. Hughes has 16 points in 11 games, with four goals and 12 assists, to lead all defensemen in scoring. That's with less average ice time (23:53 per game) than he has had in the previous two seasons. Hughes is an NHL best plus-14. The Canucks have a .960 save percentage when Hughes is on the ice at 5-on-5. While he's not one of the team's primary penalty killers, he is a factor."

In between the pipes, Thatcher Demko was voted as the leading candidate, alongside Dallas Stars' Jake Oettinger, for the Vezina Trophy. Demko currently has six wins and a 1.55 goals against average in eight games this season and is looking like one of the best goaltenders in the entire NHL so far.

"A pick I didn't exactly imagine making going into the season, but boy, Thatcher Demko is on fire between the pipes," one voter said.

"What he's done in Vancouver has played such a big role in why the Canucks have had this kind of start," another voter said.

When it comes to Elias Pettersson, who's tied for the NHL lead in points, along with Jack Hughes, with 20, he was voted as a finalist for two awards - the Hart Trophy and the Selke Trophy. Pettersson was also mentioned as the most ideal candidate for the Lady Byng Trophy given that he has no penalty minutes this season.

The final name mentioned by ESPN was Vancouver Canucks Head Coach Rick Tocchet, who was voted as a finalist for the Jack Adams Trophy amid the team's 8-2-1 start to the 2023-24 season.

Who do you think has the best shot at winning in their respective category mentioned by ESPN - Hughes, Demko, Pettersson or Tocchet? Let us know what you think in the poll below!

POLL
Which Canuck has the best chance at winning in the award mentioned by ESPN?
Quinn Hughes - Norris	312	39 %
Thatcher Demko - Vezina	178	22.2 %
Elias Pettersson - Hart and/or Selke	131	16.4 %
Rick Tocchet - Jack Adams	180	22.5 %
List of polls