Wyshynski Awards at midseason: Best team, player, goal, feud - ESPN

The 2024-25 NHL season has been a little difficult to get a read on. Some teams that were expected to be very good aren't very good. Some teams that were expected to be mediocre are anything but. As teams pass the midpoint of the campaign, there's still time for either of those fortunes to be reserved.

What we do know about this regular season so far: a lot of goals have been scored, and not just by Leon Draisaitl and Alex Ovechkin. Through 649 games, the NHL averaged 6.1 goals per game, making its fourth straight season above the six-goal pace. This scoring spike has added to unpredictability: The NHL reports that 44% of those games had comeback wins, tied for the second-highest rate in history.

So what the season has lacked in clarity of contenders it has made up for with goal horns and scoreboard volatility. Which is nice.

That established, here are 20 NHL awards and superlatives for the midpoint of the season:

This could have been the Capitals, who led the NHL standings after 44 games and weathered their best goal scorer missing 16 games. This could have been the Edmonton Oilers, who have in fact been the best team in the NHL since Oct. 31 and a 10-game Stanley Cup Final hangover to begin the season.

But it's the Jets for a few reasons. They had the best start in NHL history with 15 wins in their first 16 games. While they couldn't keep that sprint going, they've settled into a solid split, leading the Central Division by a good margin while being in the top three teams offensively and defensively.

Do we wish they were a little better at 5-on-5 and less reliant on the league's best power play? Sure. But Connor Hellebuyck papers over a lot of deficiencies when he's this dominant, looking very much like the first