NHL Awards 2016: Ceremony Date, Start Time, Candidates and Predictions

Before the draft kicks off Friday, the NHL is set to hand out its annual awards Wednesday night at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas at 7 p.m. ET. NBC Sports Network will televise the event.

It could be a huge night for Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane.

Kane led the NHL in scoring this year with 106 points, far outdistancing Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars (89 points) and Sidney Crosby of the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins (85 points). 

Kane, Benn and Crosby are finalists for the Hart Trophy, which goes to the league's MVP. Kane seems to be the favorite to take home the hardware since he won the scoring title by such a significant margin and was consistent all season.

Crosby got off to a slow start, but he started to pick up his scoring shortly after Mike Sullivan replaced Mike Johnston as Pittsburgh's head coach. Crosby was almost certainly as valuable as Kane over the last half of the season, but look for Kane to win it because he was dependable for head coach Joel Quenneville all season long.

Award	Candidate	Candidate	Candidate	Predicted Winner
Vezina Trophy (Top Goalie)	Ben Bishop, Tampa Bay	Braden Holtby, Washington	Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles	Holtby
Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year)	Shayne Gostisbehere, Philadelphia	Connor McDavid, Edmonton	Artemi Panarin, Chicago	Panarin
Jack Adams Award (Top Head Coach)	Gerard Gallant, Florida	Lindy Ruff, Dallas	Barry Trotz, Washington	Trotz
Norris Trophy (Top Defenseman)	Erik Karlsson, Ottawa	Brent Burns, San Jose	Drew Doughty, Los Angeles	Karlsson
Selke Trophy (Defensive Forward)	Patrice Bergeron, Boston	Ryan Kesler, Anaheim	Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles	Bergeron
Hart Trophy (MVP)	Patrick Kane, Chicago	Jamie Benn, Dallas	Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh	Kane

Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators is perhaps the best offensive defenseman in the NHL, and he had a remarkably productive season in which he scored 82 points. He appears to have an excellent chance of picking up his third Norris Trophy as the league's top all-around defenseman.

Brent Burns, who keyed the San Jose Sharks' rise during the regular season and played a big role in their run to the Stanley Cup Final, tallied 75 points this season. Burns has the ability to control play with his offensive instincts, and he excels at getting his hard shot through the defense and on goal.

Veteran Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings is also a candidate for the award. Doughty has been a stalwart on the blue line for years, and he is a steadying influence for head coach Darryl Sutter.

Doughty had 51 points, and while he is not the same kind of offensive factor as Karlsson or Burns, he is superb in the defensive zone and enough of a scoring threat to warrant consideration.

Look for the high-scoring Karlsson to get the most votes and make it a hat trick with his third Norris Trophy.

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

The Vezina Trophy goes to the top goaltender, and Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals is coming off a spectacular year in which he proved he was one of the most consistent goalies in the league.

Holtby had a 48-9-7 record during the regular season along with a 2.20 goals-against average and .922 save percentage. Holtby also had three shutouts during the regular season.

Ben Bishop is a worthy finalist for the honor as a result of his fine year with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Bishop had a 35-21-4 record, and he earned that mark as a result of his 2.06 goals-against average and .926 save percentage. Bishop also doubled Holtby with six shutouts.

Jonathan Quick is the other finalist, and he had another consistent season. Quick had a 40-23-5 record with a 2.22 goals-against average, a .918 save percentage and five shutouts. 

Since the Capitals were the Presidents' Trophy winners with the most regular-season points by a wide margin, Holtby is the favorite. He was one of the primary reasons behind their regular-season success, and he should win the honor Wednesday.