Minnesota Wild’s 2023-24 Team Awards

With their season over, it’s time to give the team awards from the most valuable player to the Calder. The Wild have some great candidates for the awards this season, and while some may be repeats from years past, there will also be some new names. We’ll start with the Conn Smythe and move on from there. 

Conn Smythe: Kirill Kaprizov 

If the Wild made the postseason, was there anyone else on the Wild roster to give this award to besides Kirill Kaprizov? No. He may have missed seven games of the season due to injury and struggled at the beginning recovering from another injury, but what he did after the All-Star Break is incredible. In the 33 games following the All-Star game, he had 27 goals and 24 assists for 51 points and fifth place in the NHL, earning him the MVP title for his team. 

Again, he may have struggled to start the season, but he kept pushing and finally found some success. He nearly carried his team to the postseason and would likely have also carried them in it. He never gave up, and hopefully, he can find a way to be healthy for next season and show everyone his true potential. 

Hart Memorial: Kirill Kaprizov 

While this trophy will likely go to either Nikita Kucherov or Connor McDavid for the Wild, it once again belongs to Kaprizov. Without him, they wouldn’t have had the strong offense they did have. They do have capable scorers, but none like Kaprizov. He’s one of those players who stands out and can score highlight-reel goals.

He’s the player they’re trying to build around, and currently, he is their most valuable player. Kaprizov’s play has earned him both the MVP for the regular season and if they’d made the postseason, he’d have been the MVP then as well. 

Calder Trophy: Brock Faber

Brock Faber earned this award last year for his postseason play, but he earned it even more this season. He’s a 21-year-old rookie who took on the top defensive role, ran the first power play unit, was a main penalty killer, and played over 30 minutes a game several times throughout the season. He’s extremely intelligent with the puck and willing to try his offensive side occasionally. 

The Wild got lucky when they traded for him and haven’t regretted it. There’s almost no way the Wild would’ve survived this season with all the injuries without Faber. He just kept showing more and more talent and never backed down. There’s no doubt in my mind that Faber earned the Calder, and it’ll be interesting to see if he wins the NHL Calder this summer as he goes against Connor Bedard. 

Vezina Trophy: Marc-André Fleury

Last season, all the talk was about Filip Gustavsson and how he stepped up when the Wild needed him the most. That role fell onto Marc-André Fleury this season, and he didn’t disappoint, especially for being nearly 40 years old. He plays like he’s getting younger and continues to do things he did in his 20s. 

The Wild still believe in him, as they re-signed him to a one-year deal for next season. He’ll have a chance to get the Wild back to the postseason and chase the Stanley Cup for likely the last time in his career. He stepped up big this season and earned the top goaltender spot with his great play. 

James Norris Memorial: Brock Faber

This award went to Jared Spurgeon last season, but it goes to Faber this season. Spurgeon missed most of the season, so he didn’t get much chance to defend his trophy, but Faber stepped up and took the reins. He showed strong defensive skills and offense, which is exactly what the trophy is for. 

Faber is easily the Wild’s best all-around defenseman and just finished his rookie season. He’ll likely be up for the Norris in seasons to come when he’s accumulated more points, and hopefully, his game will improve as he grows older. 

Art Ross: Kirill Kaprizov

Despite missing some time and his struggles at the start of the season, Kaprizov still came out on top in the points department. He couldn’t set any new career highs regarding points, but he tallied over 90 points for the second time. He was just four points shy of hitting 100 in 75 games played. 

Kaprizov will likely be named the award recipient in the coming seasons. He’s their top scorer, and that’s what he does. It’ll be interesting to see if he can get back to over 100 points next season, especially with the new upcoming talent that could grace the roster next season. 

Frank J. Selke: Joel Eriksson Ek

Like Kaprizov is synonymous with scoring, Joel tyggm0-Eriksson Ek is the first Wild player everyone thinks of when the Selke Award is mentioned. Despite being one of the most qualified players in the NHL, he hasn’t won the award yet. Outside of being an actual defenseman, Eriksson Ek is the most defensive-minded player on the team and has the center’s responsibilities. 

Of course, Eriksson Ek is the only player on the Wild who could win this award, but outside of the Wild, he should be considered for the Selke amongst all NHL players. Hopefully, in one of these seasons, he’ll win it and be recognized for the true two-way center he is. 

Lady Byng Memorial: Jonas Brodin/Frédérick Gaudreau

This award is usually given to Spurgeon, and if he’d played more than 16 games this season, he would’ve won it again. However, due to injuries, he was limited in the number of games he could play, and therefore, the award had to go to someone else. Frédérick Gaudreau shared the award last season, and it’s his turn again this season as he’s the Wild player with over 60 games and has the fewest penalty minutes with 12. Right after him is who he’s sharing the award with, Jonas Brodin. 

Brodin was also injured but still played in over 60 games and accumulated just 16 penalty minutes. Both of these players are gentlemanly and aren’t known for outbursts. They’re more reserved, and although they get upset about missed calls and other things, their emotions don’t put them in the penalty box. 

Jack Adams: John Hynes

Yes, this award typically goes to the head coach, but this season, it has to go to John Hynes, who took over the Wild in November 2023. He earned a win in his first game and got his team to believe in themselves again without making drastic changes initially. He gained the team’s respect, and then he started making changes. 

Past Wild coaches have struggled with a lack of changes and waiting to see if the players would step up. Hynes took matters into his own hands and tried to create a spark by changing the line combinations. It worked, and he continued to make changes when the spark waned. Hopefully, having a full season to work with will show more potential for Hynes next season. 

Maurice Richard: Kirill Kaprizov

Kaprizov will always be the top award-getter for the Wild as long as he’s wearing their jersey. He’s a gifted goal scorer, and that’s why he earned the Richard trophy once again. He recorded 46 goals this season in 75 games played, one goal shy of tying his career high of 47 goals he recorded two seasons ago. 

It’s safe to say that had Kaprizov been able to play the same number of games he did two seasons ago, he would’ve easily tied his career high if not broken it. He will continue to record many goals and hopefully hit that 50-goal plateau next season, as he’s worked extremely hard to get there. He’ll earn many more of these trophies as his career progresses. 

King Clancy Memorial: Marc-André Fleury & Jon Merrill 

Jon Merrill shared this award last season with Matt Dumba, but now that Dumba has moved on, Fleury has filled that role. Merrill has continued his work with the LGBTQ+ community. Although the NHL went away from themed jersey nights, Merrill and many of his teammates, following his example, used pride tape on their sticks for the Wild’s pride night. 

Fleury isn’t only the Wild’s award winner; he’s also one of the NHL’s nominees. The award is not only for humanitarian contributions but also covers players who show a high leadership level both on and off the ice, which is exactly how Fleury is defined. He’s always working with a lead-by-example attitude and a smile. Both players are worthy of this award and have represented the Wild well. 

Ted Lindsay: Kirill Kaprizov

According to his fellow teammates, Kaprizov will likely win the award for the Wild’s outstanding player for many seasons to come. His play alone would be enough for his teammates to vote on, but his personality would also earn the award. His teammates often speak about his determination to win, and his happy-go-lucky attitude is evident when away from the rink. 

It’s safe to say the Wild got a one-of-a-kind player when they drafted Kaprizov. Although he’s been through many ups and downs on this team, he hasn’t quit and wants to win with the Wild. Hopefully, next season will go better, and the season after that, they’ll have a lot of cap room to work with. 

William M. Jennings: Marc-André Fleury

This award will also go to Fleury, who allowed the fewest goals between himself and Gustavsson. The difference wasn’t big, but it was enough for Fleury to have a considerably better season than Gustavsson despite both struggling. Fleury allowed 111 goals against in 40 games played, while his goaltending partner, Gustavsson, allowed 129 goals in 45 games played. 

Fleury will be around another season to improve his goals against in what he’s said will be his final season. It’s unclear what Gustavsson’s future will be if he’s still with the Wild, but it’ll also be interesting to see what next season looks like for him. 

Mark Messier NHL Leadership: Joel Eriksson Ek

With all of the Wild’s leadership out at different times due to different injuries, other players had to step up in their absence, and one of those players who stood out the most was Eriksson Ek. He’s always been a leader on the team, just unrecognized, as he, like Fleury, leads by example and plays the way he expects others to. 

He always gives 110 percent, and that’s part of what it means to be a leader; outside of voicing his opinion when the team needs him, stepping up his play is also essential. Hopefully, Eriksson Ek will be recognized for these qualities sooner rather than later, as he deserves it. 

Jim Gregory GM of the Year: Bill Guerin

While I may have voiced some of my concerns about general manager Bill Guerin’s choice to re-sign certain players before he had to and other things, he’s still doing an outstanding job as general manager. Getting John Hynes was one of his best decisions and nearly earned him this award alone. 

It’s hard to find the right head coach for your respective team, but he seems to have found that in Hynes. I also can’t fault Guerin for knowing what he wants in a team and going for it. He signs the players he wants and doesn’t allow them to slip away, regardless of what others think. Are there some areas he can improve in? Of course, and hopefully, he does so he can be the best all-around general manager the Wild can have. 

Bill Masterton Memorial: Mason Shaw 

There’s no one else this award can go to besides Mason Shaw. This time last season, he had just received the news that he’d torn his ACL for the fourth time, and it was unclear if he’d be able to play NHL hockey again. Well, fast forward to this season, and he was able to return to NHL hockey once again. 

He worked hard enough in rehab to earn a spot in the American Hockey League. Shaw was called back up to the Wild when there was a spot for him. His determination to return from something so devastating has earned him this award, and he should also be considered for the NHL award. 

NHL Foundation Award: The Entire Wild Team

While Merrill has done great work in the community and continues to, so do his teammates. The entire Wild roster works in different areas of the community. Some visit hospitals, others put on youth hockey clinics, and others go to different events where needed. 

There’s no lack of community involvement when it comes to the Wild, and there are always posts on their social media about how they’ve been involved. Hopefully, it will continue as the seasons progress and they stay connected to their local fanbase. 

Wild’s Awards

The Wild always has a worthy candidate for each award; some are snubbed, while others are recognized. Awards are always exciting; some agree, while others don’t. As the playoffs continue and the awards get closer, it’ll be fun to see who’s nominated and who’s not. Hopefully, the Wild will have some representatives outside of Fleury for the Clancy.