Hockey Writers 2025-26 Top Picks – Hockey Writers – Montreal Canadiens

Needless to say, as much honor as winning the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy would go to Montreal Canadiens forward Cole Caufield, it’s not the trophy he had his eye on. Caufield, who last week was named a finalist for the award, which honors a player(s) who combine prowess, discipline and playmaking ability, most notably became the first 50-goal scorer since 1990 (Stephane Richer) en route to a career-best season (so far).

Caufield missed out on the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy, given to the player with the most goals, by the number of goals, as he fell to league leader Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche 53-51 in the regular season finale. This award was undoubtedly the one he was expected to win before the season started.

Still, it looked like he was going to come close. What Caufield has done is a testament to his ability, but also to the strength of the 106-point team around him, who may be headed for a surprising 2025-2026, but deservedly ended up with more than one award.

So, now that we’ve officially lost to Rocket Richard, will Caufield win Lady Byng as a consolation prize? Not so much, based on this ranked list of the most award-winning Canadians they’re up for, three still impress overall:

3) Cole Caufield (Lady Byng Memorial Trophy)

Caufield could be a worthy winner for Lady Byng in regulation (just 14 penalties per minute, on record, combined with the aforementioned 51 goals). However, with Los Angeles Kings forward Anze Kopitar (10) retiring, this is his showcase as one of two finalists (Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson; 8). Everyone else is just a spectator.

At least it’s possible that Kopitar isn’t taking a second consecutive (and fourth overall) Lady Byng. However, you have to believe that you are actually limited in voting (by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association; PHWA). They tend to like simple narratives and happy stories. Kopitar going out on top would undoubtedly be just that.

2) Ivan Demidov (Calder Memorial Trophy)

For the second straight season, the Canadiens are in the Calder Memorial Trophy final after Ivan Demidov leads the field in scoring. However, this time, they are unlikely to win a second consecutive Calder for the same reason that Lane Hutson won it in 2025, as a defenseman who put together a historically significant rookie season.

That doesn’t mean that Ivan Demidov won’t get his share of votes, after getting 62 points. However, New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer, with 23 goals to tie Anaheim Ducks forward Beckett Sennecke for the all-time lead (and Brian Leetch of the New York Rangers for most goals by a defenseman in history; 1988-89) is the clear favorite. His 23 goals and 59 points have now surpassed Phil Housley’s total to set a new high in the water before he turned 19. Look for Schaefer, who will turn just 19 on Sept. 5, to become the youngest Calder hitter in history as a result (Nathan MacKinnon; 2013-14).

1) Nick Suzuki (Frank J. Selke Trophy)

Based on his career-high 101 points, eclipsing the total of two other finalists by at least 36 (Brock Nelson, Anthony Cirelli), Nick Suzuki was the clear winner of the Frank J. Selke Trophy, given to the game’s top defensive player.

Now, that statement doesn’t sit well with Suzuki. Far from it. However, right or wrong, it will be awarded to the striker who best combines defensive awareness with attacking ability. Seeing as the Canadiens outscored opponents 94-58 at even strength when Suzuki was on the ice, according to the NHL’s official announcement regarding athlete ownership, he is at least partly to blame.

Remember, Cirelli’s 76-42 (64.4%) figure is better than Suzuki’s 61.8%, and the Lightning forward made life very difficult for the Canadiens’ top line in Round 1. Meanwhile, Nelson played the shortest minutes of his career (150:18) in the Avalanche’s top 6.8 Colorado unit. The Montrealers clicked at only 78.2%, while the Suzukis played a short total of 57:51. Cirelli meanwhile has compiled 186:51 in the third division on the penalty kill, which further speaks to how he might be the best defensive player in the game, at this point.

On the other hand, Suzuki’s 50.4% success rate is on par with Nelson’s, while Cirelli won just 48.2% of his draws. In Suzuki’s 100-point season, the first compiled by any Canadiens player since 1985-86 (Mats Naslund), which may be the necessary reason why he represents a happy field among his fellow finalists, at least in the eyes of the voters (PHWA members again). With Aleksander Barkov missing the entire season due to injury and Patrice Bergeron retired, and both of those players having tallied the last five Selkes between them, it’s clear that someone has to take the mantle (or put their 2026 trophy on). Suzuki will probably be a boy.

At the time of writing, the winners of the Hart Memorial Trophy have yet to be announced. That’s the last of the major trophies, and it’s unlikely that a Canadiens player will be among the three most valuable players in the league. However, for a team that has been dealing with defensive issues this season that have at least been seen as a hindrance to taking that next step, Suzuki, in opposition The best defensive player in the league in 2025-26, he is the clear MVP of the Canadiens. He and they continue to improve year after year, begging the question of what they have in store for the encore.