Connor McDavid, Nikita Kucherov, and Macklin Celebrini Are Your Ted Lindsay Award Finalists: Here's What the Numbers Say

The NHL Players' Association just dropped the finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award on Tuesday, and honestly, the talent level here is absolutely stacked. Connor McDavid, Nikita Kucherov, and Macklin Celebrini are your three guys in the running for the award that goes to the most outstanding player in the league, chosen by the players themselves. These three weren't just randomly picked either, they were literally three of the top four points scorers in the entire NHL this season.

McDavid's Historic 138-Point Season Sets the Bar

Let's start with Connor McDavid because the numbers are honestly ridiculous. The Edmonton Oilers center led the entire NHL with 138 points (48 goals, 90 assists) across all 82 games. That's not a fluke either. From December 4th through January 13th, McDavid went on a 20-game point streak where he dropped 46 points in that span alone. The guy is a four-time Lindsay Award winner already, most recently after the 2022-23 season, and this is his seventh time as a finalist. Only Wayne Gretzky has won it five times, so McDavid is still chasing that record. The Oilers finished second in the Pacific Division at 41-30-11.

Kucherov's Consistency and Celebrini's Historic Rookie Year Prove It's No Lock

Don't sleep on Nikita Kucherov though. The 32-year-old has been a Lightning lifer since 2013, and this season he led the entire league in points-per-game average at 1.71. From December 20th through January 12th, Kucherov was absolutely on fire with 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists) in just 10 games. He's also tied for third in the league with a plus-43 rating. This is his fourth finalist nod, and he's already won the award twice before (2018-19 and 2024-25), so he's the reigning champ coming into this vote.

Then there's Macklin Celebrini, the 19-year-old who was the Sharks' No. 1 overall draft pick. The kid recorded 115 points (45 goals, 70 assists) in 82 games, which ranks fourth in the league but set a San Jose franchise record. Celebrini helped the Sharks improve to 39-35-8 after they won only 20 games his rookie year. If he wins, he'd be the first Sharks player ever to take home the Lindsay Award.

The NHL will announce finalists for the rest of the awards one per day. Wednesday brings the Vezina Trophy finalists, which goes to the league's top goaltender. This is just the beginning of award season, folks.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.