Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid, Boston Bruins sniper David Pastrnak, and San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson were named 2022-23 Ted Lindsay Award finalists on Wednesday.
Like the Hart Trophy, the Ted Lindsay Award is given annually to the league's "most outstanding player," but it is voted on by members of the NHL Players' Association rather than the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
McDavid has won the trophy three times (2017, 2018, 2021). Another victory would put him in the same rarefied air as Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky as the only players to win the award at least four times.
McDavid handily won his first career Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy this season as well as his third straight Art Ross Trophy - and fifth overall - after blitzing the league with his high-octane offense. He established new career highs with 64 goals and 153 points while skating in all 82 contests. The 26-year-old also became the first player to hit the 150-point plateau since Lemieux in 1995-96.
Both Pastrnak and Karlsson are first-time finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award.
Pastrnak was a force for the record-setting Bruins this season, leading the way with a career-high 61 goals and 113 points in 82 games while trailing only McDavid in the "Rocket" Richard Trophy race. The 26-year-old factored in on 37.5% of Boston's 301 goals scored this season.
The Czech winger potted the most even-strength goals (43) and game-winning goals (13) in the NHL while pacing the league with 407 shots. Pastrnak also boasted the second-best goals-per-game rate (0.74) and ranked top 10 in both goals above replacement (22.9) and wins above replacement (3.9), according to Evolving Hockey.
Karlsson, 32, can become the second defenseman to win the Ted Lindsay Award after Bobby Orr won the award in 1975. The Sharks veteran logged a 101-point campaign this season, making him the first rearguard to hit the century mark since Brian Leetch in 1991-92.
The Swede was named a Norris Trophy finalist last week. He led all blue-liners with 25 goals and 76 assists and averaged the fifth-most ice time (25:37) while appearing in all 82 games. Karlsson also ranked fourth among all skaters in even-strength points (74) and finished top five among defensemen in goals above replacement (18.3) and wins above replacement (3.1).
Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews won the Ted Lindsay Award last season.
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