2016 NHL Awards: Benn, Kane, Holtby named Ted Lindsay Award finalists

Patrick Kane, Jamie Benn, and Braden Holtby have been announced as the 2016 Ted Lindsay Award finalists.

Every year, the Ted Lindsay Award, named after the late Detroit Red Wings legend, is awarded to the player who is deemed to be the most outstanding player by his own peers. Unlike the Hart Trophy, the Ted Lindsay Award is voted on by the players. This year’s three finalists are Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks, Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars, and Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals.

Kane is the likely favorite to win the award. While it’s hard to guess how the players voted, Kane won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s leading scorer. He had 102 points, becoming the first United States-born player to lead the league in scoring. The Blackhawks needed Kane to be outstanding to have success this season and Kane answered the bell. He also finished second in the league in goals to Alex Ovechkin.

Benn won the Art Ross Trophy in 2014-2015 and finished second in the league in scoring with 89 points in 2015-2016. He emerged as the Stars’ best player and stepped up his game in a huge way while center Tyler Seguin was injured. Despite not leading the league in scoring, he actually had a better season this year (89 points) than last year (87 points).

Holtby tied Martin Brodeur’s single-season record for most wins with 48. Losing only nine games in regulation and 16 games overall, Holtby was also named one of the three Vezina Trophy finalists. He was also among the league leaders in save percentage and goals allowed average.

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