Jets' Hellebuyck favoured for Hart as season winds down, Hutson a lock for Calder

With just days remaining in the 2024-25 Nation Hockey League’s regular season, the races for individual end-of-year awards are coming to a close, with Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and Montreal Canadiens defenceman Lane Hutson looking to put the finishing touches on a hardware-worthy campaigns.

Hellebuyck has been the heavy favourite for the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the league’s best goaltender, for the vast majority of the season.

Entering Monday, his odds on FanDuel Sportsbook have been listed at a whopping -20000 as the 31-year-old appears to have locked up his third career Vezina Trophy, becoming just the 12th player since 1926 to take home the award at least three times.

Hellebuyck leads all qualified netminders this season with 42 wins, a 2.02 goals-against average, a .924 save percentage, and eight shutouts, helping the Jets to their first Presidents’ Trophy in franchise history.

In addition to the Vezina, the 10-year NHL veteran is now also the favourite for the Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded to the league’s most valuable player, at -135 on FanDuel over Leon Draisaitl (+115) and Nikita Kucherov (+2500).

The Commerce Town, Mich. native would be just the eighth goaltender in league history to win the Hart, and first since Carey Price won it with the Montreal Canadiens in 2014-15.

“When you look at the definition of most valuable player to his team, or some might say best player in the league, Connor Hellebuyck qualifies on both accounts,” said TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button. “Everything that he’s been able to do, night after night, game after game, this season has been simply outstanding.

“This is not a defensive juggernaut like Martin Brodeur had with the New Jersey Devils. This is a team, while good defensively, relies on the brilliance of Connor Hellebuyck to win games… there is no doubt in my mind that he should be first in MVP voting.”

If Hellebuyck were to win both the Vezina and the Hart this season, he would join an elite group comprised of Jacques Plante, Dominik Hasek, Jose Theordore, and Carey Price as the only players to do so in NHL history, while also becoming the first Jet to be named as the league’s most valuable player.

Like Hellebuyck, Huston is also being listed as a heavy favourite on FanDuel Sportsbook to win an award this season.

The 21-year-old blueliner’s odds for the Calder Memorial Trophy, awarded to the league’s top rookie, are being offered at -1700 over Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks (+750), Matvei Michkov of the Philadelphia Flyers (+9000), and Calgary Flames backstop Dustin Wolf (+11000).

A native of Holland, Mich., Hutson is leading all first-year players in assists (58), points (64), power-play points (25), blocked shots (121), takeaways (55) and time on ice per game (22:41).

He has also been selected as the NHL’s rookie of the month for both December and March this season, becoming the first Canadien to do so since Kjell Dahlin during the 1985-86 season.

Huston has drawn praise this season from teammates, coaches, and franchise icons who have recognized his stellar play this season.

“He’s got ice in his veins, I’ll tell you that much,” six-time Stanley Cup champion Larry Robinson said of Hutson to NHL.com. “Everybody thought that he’s not big enough, that he can’t defend. But he’s so smart. He gets good body position on somebody who’s bigger than him.

“The stuff that he does with the puck on the blueline, especially the power play, it’s simply incredible. He sees the ice well, good passes. He’s like a little water bug out there.”

Selected with the 62nd overall pick by Montreal in the 2022 draft, Hutson now holds the franchise record for most assists by a rookie, edging out Chris Chelios and his 55 helpers in 1984-85.

If Hutson were to win the Calder, he would become just the fourth blueliner to take home the honour since the 2004-05 lockout, joining Tyler Myers (2009-10), Aaron Ekblad (2014-15), Cale Makar (2019-20), and Moritz Seider (2021-22).