The NHL regular season is wrapping up, which means that awards season is just around the corner.
First on the docket is the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded to "the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey." Beat writers from across the league nominate one player from their respective teams before the group is narrowed down to three finalists.
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This year's nominee for the Edmonton Oilers, who have never had a Masterton winner, is goalie Calvin Pickard. The longtime journeyman has finally found a long-term home in Edmonton, turning in the best season of his career at age 32. He's only become more important to the Oilers as the season has gone on, slated to make his sixth start in seven games on Wednesday in Stuart Skinner's absence.
"He's a very popular player in the room because of his personality but also his work work ethic."
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 9, 2025
Congrats to #Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard on his nomination by @ThePHWA's Edmonton chapter for the Masterton Trophy honouring perseverance & dedication! https://t.co/jX4ecQx1DJ
Other nominees include players returning from major injuries (Alex Ovechkin, Drew Doughty, Gabriel Landeskog), players who have finally cracked the NHL after years in the minors (Justin Kirkland, Jonny Brodzinski, Bokondji Imama), and longtime veterans nearing the ends of their careers (Marc-Andre Fleury, Ryan Suter, Marc-Edouard Vlasic).
Two former Oilers figure among that last group, with Chicago's Patrick Maroon and Ottawa's David Perron earning the nominations for their respective teams.
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The 36-year-old Maroon has already announced his intention to retire at the end of the season as he closes out his career with the Blackhawks. Maroon bounced between the AHL and NHL until he arrived in Edmonton in 2015-16 and immediately caught on as a rugged power forward and cult hero, spending parts of three seasons with the team.
Maroon then went on to win three consecutive Stanley Cups from 2019 to 2021, first with his hometown St. Louis Blues and then with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Fellow 36-year-old Perron is a veteran of 18 NHL seasons, eleven of which have come with the St. Louis Blues over three stints. Perron just missed out on two Stanley Cups, first getting traded away from the Cup-winning Pittsburgh Penguins at the 2016 trade deadline and then losing in the finals in 2018 with Vegas. Perron finally got his Cup back in St. Louis the following year, alongside Maroon.
Perron scored five goals and 19 points in 38 games with the Oilers in 2014-15 before being traded to Pittsburgh. He's scored nine goals and 16 points in 40 games with the Ottawa Senators this season.
The winner of the Masterton Trophy will be announced during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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