The NHL is halfway through the 2022-23 season, and that means it's time to hand out some midseason awards to honor the players and coaches who have stood out so far. A lot can change between now and the end of the season, but we can still highlight the players who are leading the awards races with roughly 41 games under their designer belts. Some of those races, like the Hart and Vezina Trophies, seem to be over already. However, the battles for the Norris and Calder Trophies are still hotly contested at this point. With half the season in the rearview mirror, here are the players who have earned some recognition. Hart Trophy: , EDM C #97 G 35 A 44 +/- +2 I do not care whether the Edmonton Oilers make the playoffs. If Connor McDavid was not on this team, it would be squarely in the draft lottery. The same simply cannot be said for a vast majority of the league's best players. McDavid is the most valuable player in the NHL, and it is not particularly close this season. Through 43 games this season, McDavid leads the league in goals, a sists and points. He's on pace to finish the year with 67 goals and 151 points. The league hasn't seen totals that high since Mario Lemieux tallied 69 goals and 161 points in the 1995-96 campaign. Maybe the hockey world takes McDavid for granted because he drops jaws on a nightly basis, but he is dragging an otherwise pedestrian roster into playoff contention. Unle s Erik Haula Jersey something drastic happens, there shouldn't be much debate about the Hart Trophy. -- Nivison Honorable mentions: , | , | , Vezina Trophy: , Boston Bruins OTT G #35 Record 22-2-1 GAA 1.88 Save % 93.8 This is probably the easiest award prediction that either of us have. Linus Ullmark has simply been the best goaltender in the league throughout the first half of the season. Obviously, Ullmark benefits from playing in front of a Bruins team that reached the 30-win mark faster than all but one team in NHL history. However, it can't be understated just how impre sive he's been in between the pipes all season. Ullmark currently leads the league in wins (22), goals-against-average (1.88) and save percentage (.938), while also registering a pair of shutouts. , Ullmark owns a .967 save percentage when facing unblocked shots, so it's clear that the Bruins' defense isn't the only reason he's thriving. Ullmark has been selected to his first NHL All-Star Game, but something tells me that won't be the last accolade the Boston netminder earns during the 2022-23 season. -- Bengel Honorable mentions: , | , | , Norris Trophy: , PIT D #65 G 13 A 43 +/- -3 This was an incredibly tough decision. is more than worthy of consideration for this award, but I had to go with Karl son for a couple different reasons. First of all, Karl son is on pace for 106 points this season. That's an elite number for any player, let alone a defenseman. Fox is also having a strong statistical season, but he's not quite on the same level as Karl son. The other impre sive thing about Karl son is that he isn't just racking up empty points on the power play. The Sharks, a team that will be in the draft lottery, are dominating at five-on-five when Karl son is on the ice. Another important factor to consider is that Karl son is doing all this while being paired with , a 30-year-old AHL journeyman defenseman with 127 games of NHL experience under his belt. In contrast, Fox gets to play with , who has proven himself to be an effective defender at the age of 24. The battle for this award will be fun to watch down the stretch, but for right now, I have to give it to Karl son. -- Nivison Honorable mentions: Adam Fox, | , Buffalo Sabres | , Winnipeg Jets Calder Trophy: , SEA C #10 G 16 A 18 +/- +12 There's a few names that make sense when it comes to the NHL's top rookie this season. goalie is certainly in the conversation, as he's filled in admirably for , who is mi sing the entire 2022-23 campaign due to hip surgery. Still, Matty Beniers gets the nod. Beniers currently ranks second on the Seattle Kraken with 34 points (16 goals and 18 a sists) in 41 games. He's done a phenomenal job centering Seattle's second line and has been on fire lately with a goal in five of his last six games. While Beniers playing in 10 games for the Kraken at the tail end of last season may not sound like much, I truly believe that such experience has made a world of difference for the 20-year-old this season. Beniers is on pace for 33 goals on the year and is one of the main reasons that the Kraken have a great shot at qualifying for the playoffs in the franchise's second season. -- Bengel Honorable mentions: Logan Thompson, Vegas Golden Knights| , Winnipeg Jets| , Jack Adams Award | Jim Montgomery, Boston Bruins Coming into this season, the Boston Bruins were dealing with injuries to key players. On top of that, veterans like , and were another year older. It was easy to expect a slow start or a step back this year, but instead the Bruins have been the NHL's best team. In his first year on the job, Jim Montgomery has the Bruins first in the league with an absurd record of 32-5-4. The second-place team, the , are nine points behind Boston in the standings. Montgomery has done all this with , Brad Marchand, and mi sing significant time due to injury. Given the injuries and the strength of the Atlantic Division, what Montgomery has done to this point is hard to believe. -- Nivison Honorable mentions: Don Granato, Buffalo Sabres | Rod Brind'Amour, | Lindy Ruff, New Jersey Devils Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy: Tage Thompson, Buffalo Sabres BUF C #72 G 31 A 26 +/- +13 There's no doubt that McDavid is the best player in the world. However, I'm going to cheat a little bit when it comes to the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy. After all, the award goes to the player that leads the league in goals, so there's really no room for opinion there. There's nothing wrong with tabbing McDavid as the "Rocket" Richard Trophy favorite, but I'm not going to go chalk. Instead, I'm taking Buffalo Sabres phenom Tage Thompson to lead the league in goals when the dust settles on the 2022-23 regular season. Thompson currently ranks third in the goals department with 31 so far this season, so he's certainly within striking distance. The 25-year-old budding star has six multi-goal games this season, including a five-goal performance earlier in the year. Right now, he's on pace to tally 64 goals this season. Considering his ability to score from anywhere on the ice, Thompson can definitely catch McDavid and turn in a historic campaign. -- Bengel Honorable mentions: Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers| , Dallas Stars| David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins Jon Merrill Jersey