Inside the big-money battle that could decide the ACC’s future
Florida State athletic director Michael Alford knew there’d be controversy when he addressed the school’s board of trustees last week. He’d already talked with several other athletic directors around the ACC who shared his concerns. There was an elephant in the room, Alford believed, and it was time someone addressed it directly, publicly, bluntly.
“At the end of the day, for Florida State to compete nationally,” Alford told the board, “something has to change moving forward.”
The numbers, he explained, are stark.
In the next few years, new TV deals for the SEC and Big Ten will kick in that will provide member institutions in those leagues with $30 to $40 million more annually than Florida State will receive from the ACC. The ACC distributed a record $36.1 million per full-time member for the 2020-21 season, a number that should grow slightly now that the league has full distribution of the ACC Network. The SEC’s upcoming TV contract, however, is expected to result in more than $70 million per team in payouts, while the Big Ten’s new deal is expected to distribute at least $80 million per team annually.
Florida State currently splits league profits evenly with 13 other full-time members of the ACC (and shares a portion with partial member Notre Dame). But Alford told the board the Seminoles are responsible for a far greater percentage of that revenue — as much as 15%, according to a consulting firm he hired on just his second day on the job — while earning just 7% of it in league payouts.
Put the two issues together — the size of the total revenue pie, and how the league chooses to slice it up — and Alford believes it will soon be nearly impossible for the Seminoles to compete for a national championship in football.
“I know how hard the commissioner and the office are working to provide solutions to the members of the conference to the revenue gap that we are projecting in the upcoming years to the media contracts,” Alford told ESPN. “But at the end of the day, in order to compete to the standard we want to compete in, there needs to be a change, and the status quo is not good enough.”
While Alford’s concerns have been discussed at length behind closed doors over the past two years, his decision to go public with his frustrations served as a clear message to some of his less-motivated colleagues that the timeline for change must be accelerated.
At least for now, Florida State and every ACC school are tied together through the league’s grant of rights, which gives the league control over each member’s media revenue and runs through 2036. That has largely insulated the league from the realignment turmoil that has roiled the rest of the college football world since Texas and Oklahoma first announced their intention to bolt the Big 12 for the SEC in 2021, but Alford’s comments, including speculation on what a potential exit from the league might cost, have brought the ACC’s future to the forefront.
“None of the concerns that were shared during that meeting were things that we haven’t already been looking at and addressing as a conference,” commissioner Jim Phillips told ESPN. “We’ve been open about our league’s discussion on revenue generation and business innovation, and have been exploring all options to enhance overall revenue.”
And yet, as Alford addressed his board of trustees, his primary frustration was that so little had changed. He is hardly alone, but according to nearly a dozen ACC administrators who spoke with ESPN, Florida State has been the most aggressive in pursuing a more lucrative financial future, including exploring the possibility of leaving the league altogether.
Asked by the board of trustees about a potential cost for departing the ACC, Florida State’s legal counsel suggested as little as $120 million, a figure Alford said “hypothetically” could be offset after just a few years of higher earnings in another league.
Alford’s math, however, doesn’t account for the grant of rights, which would make leaving the ACC — for FSU or anyone else — a difficult task.
The league’s agreement with its member schools requires an exit fee equal to three times annual revenue, or about $120 million. But the grant of rights could potentially prevent a team from earning TV revenue — or possibly even broadcasting its games — until the agreement expires. Phillips has frequently pointed at the plights of Texas, Oklahoma, USC and UCLA as examples of how difficult it would be for a team to exit its grant of rights. The Longhorns and Sooners were forced to wait three seasons after announcing their intent to join the SEC, and still will pay $100 million to buy out the final year of their deal with the Big 12.
ACC schools have 13 years remaining on their deal.
Over the past two years, a number of schools have sent teams of lawyers to examine the official grant of rights document, either looking for a potential pathway out or assurances that the biggest brands can’t leave without a serious fight.
As one administrator told ESPN, those reviews have established several potentially compelling arguments for breaking the agreement but have uncovered no obvious loophole that would provide a pathway out without engaging in protracted litigation.
“Is it worth the paper it’s written on?” one AD said. “If one school starts to leave, then another, how strong is it? It would involve a major legal battle.”
And as one athletic director pointed out, it would also require another conference to extend an invitation to join before knowing whether it would have rights to broadcast that team’s games. It’s a legal Catch-22.
But for all the bluster — and at least one ACC athletic director considered Alford’s comments little more than playing to his fan base — the public statements were intended more as a warning than a threat.
A month earlier, ACC presidents and athletic directors met in Charlotte, where one of the primary topics on the agenda was revenue distribution. For years, bigger schools such as Clemson and Florida State have argued that dividing all revenue equally handcuffs schools hoping to contend at the highest levels in football, while a contingent of schools happily cashes the same checks without putting a serious focus the sport that drives the overwhelming majority of revenue.
.@FSUFootball is tops in the ACC in average TV viewership across all tiers from 2014-2021 #OneTribe pic.twitter.com/h5PC2zMG3f
— FSU Seminoles (@Seminoles) February 7, 2023
Several other administrators who spoke to ESPN quibbled with Alford’s exact numbers, but mostly agreed with his larger point: The teams serious about football deserve more because they’re bringing in more.
“I think the schools who are helping create the revenue should have an opportunity to participate in the revenue more than they are right now, rather than just slicing the pie the way it is in equal shares.” Miami athletic director Dan Radakovich said. “Rewarding success is a great motivator.”
That lack of motivation has been a point of contention for years, dating back to former commissioner John Swofford’s time at the helm. When Phillips took over in 2021, one of his primary objectives was to convince member schools to prioritize football and commit more resources to the sport. In the past year, for example, Phillips has urged schools to stop scheduling road games against Group of Five foes in order to save money. In 2022, the ACC played 10 such games, including three losses that damaged the league’s image, while the rest of the Power 5 combined played just 12.
The point is that winning at football requires a hefty financial investment, and even prior to Alford’s comments to the board of trustees, Clemson athletic director Graham Neff said the need for more revenue was “urgent” if the big brands wanted to compete with the SEC and Big Ten.
“In all candor, I put it as a need,” Neff told The [Charleston) Post and Courier. “We certainly recognize the investment that we’ve continued to make as an institution, in our community, in athletics, namely in football, which certainly drives a lot of value that is important from a television and revenue-generation standpoint. Is it time revenue distribution within conferences, or at least the ACC, is done differently? Yeah, I’ve been very active in those conversations within the league and continue to expect to take a leadership role in our desire for that to be a changed circumstance.”
Yet, after lengthy discussions at the ACC’s winter meetings, ADs emerged without anything approaching consensus on a new distribution plan, something that would require a two-thirds majority vote. Indeed, they can’t even agree on what to call the plan — “weighted distribution,” as one AD said, “alternative revenue,” as the league called it or “unequal” as most administrators opposing the plan have said.
For his part, however, Phillips believes there’s genuine energy behind finding a solution.
“I truly believe we have made progress,” Phillips said. “It’s a primary discussion point every time we get together. Not everybody liked all of the discussion or agreed with everything we said, but we left there agreeing to continue to put together options to consider as a league. We went from never discussing it to having subcommittees to help drive the conversation.”
During conversations about revising the revenue distribution plan, the league has run the numbers on a number of potential options, according to multiple sources involved in the talks, most of which involve a complicated formula that includes items like total scholarships offered, brand power, academic success and on-field success.
As one administrator at a smaller ACC school noted, however, revenue is a problem everywhere.
“I go to sleep thinking about revenue,” the administrator said, “and I wake up thinking about revenue.”
Even the most seismic shifts in distribution don’t exactly paint the picture of a financial windfall for power programs like Clemson and Florida State, however. Estimates shared by sources with knowledge of the discussions suggest a net shift of between $250,000 and $3 million annually — “pocket change,” as one AD called it — leading some administrators to wonder if it’s worth all the trouble.
“Philosophically, I believe that what’s good for one should be good for everyone,” one athletic director said. “Otherwise, you get a lot of disparity. The big thing is, if you’re making an extra $2 million because you went to the College Football Playoff, if you get asked to be in another league, like UCLA and USC did, it doesn’t matter. That’s not going to change your decision. They’re gone. So it’s not preventing what people are kind of concerned about, which is, if there was continued super expansion, people are gone.
“If you start creating those types of models within your own conference, are you really looking out for what’s best for the Big Ten or the ACC or fill in the blank? Or are you looking out for what’s best for you?”
So solving the thorny issue of whether Boston College should earn the same amount from the ACC that Clemson does wouldn’t do anything to address the larger issue that Indiana and Vanderbilt could earn twice as much from their respective leagues as anyone in the ACC gets in a TV contract that runs for another 13 years. Indeed, the SEC and Big Ten will negotiate yet another new TV contract before the ACC’s existing deal is set to expire.
And yet, as another AD noted, a change to revenue distribution is less about solving the big-picture problem and more about the principle — about getting every school on board with the idea that the status quo isn’t sustainable. As it stands, the ACC is holding steady — the No. 3 league in the Power 5, as Phillips has noted routinely — and too many of the league’s members seem content with that.
“In the last two years, we’ve seen two of our neighbors’ houses catch fire,” the AD lamented, “and we keep thinking ours won’t be next.”
Last year, the ACC hired a consulting firm, FishBait Solutions, to address the bigger-picture revenue concerns, but several ACC power brokers who spoke with ESPN lamented the incremental steps forward — hosting concerts or other events at school-owned venues or working to activate new multimedia content options — might provide tens of thousands, when the gap with the SEC and Big Ten is tens of millions.
The revenue distribution changes could open the door to expansion, too — allowing the ACC to potentially pay newer members a smaller share of the total — but those talks have largely fallen flat, according to multiple sources. While the league has run numbers on what several potential expansion options might add to the pie, none looked like a financial bonanza, and several ADs were reluctant to see the league grow amidst so much turmoil both inside and outside the ACC.
“We continually evaluate all options that can further strengthen our conference, including adding new members,” Phillips said. “We’ve always looked at opportunities to expand when it’s made sense.”
But step away from the accounting ledgers, Phillips said, and there’s ample reason for optimism.
“We’re having enormous success,” he said. “When you think about where the ACC is now — winning more championships than any conference last year, the Learfield Directors Cup fall standings, the academic success — the financial aspect of this is very important but we have a tremendous league that has been prospering.”
And Phillips argued that the financials have improved, too. Last year, the ACC Network reached full distribution and is now available in the same number of homes as the Big Ten Network and the SEC Network. And the commissioner touts other new sponsorship opportunities he says will help the bottom line.
Phillips said he believes the ACC is a “prominent, dominant” league and he’s “confident that membership will stay together, now and into the future.”
“I don’t know that there’s a magic bullet on this thing. I’m not sure there’s one thing you can do to address the gap,” Phillips said. “I think you have to address it in several ways and I’m confident we’ll do that. I’m confident in the health of this league and that we’ll continue to work together.”
To Alford’s mind, however, the longer term picture remains bleak compared with the immense growth of the SEC and Big Ten. When the ACC signed its 20-year TV deal with ESPN in 2016 — a deal approved by several of the current athletic directors and school presidents, it should be noted — the payout wasn’t entirely out of step with the rest of the country, and it opened the door for the league to launch its own TV network. But six years later, the landscape has changed markedly, the frustrations have grown exponentially, and the financial constraints, which several ADs noted are already being felt, will soon become an existential threat.
Alford’s comments were a warning to his colleagues that time is running out to change those fortunes, and several administrators privately offered a similar lament to Alford’s public statements. Change isn’t about appeasement. It’s about survival.
“At the end of the day, we need to try. And if, if we can’t get things done, then, at least we can look around and say, ‘All right, we attempted to get something done, we weren’t able to do it,'” Radakovich said. “And then, if down the road, schools do choose to leave, it should not be a surprise.”
-
Pete Thamel, Senior College Sports Insider
Former Florida State and Alabama wide receiver Malik Benson, who has an extra year thanks to the recent NCAA ruling on junior college players, told ESPN that he has committed to play at Oregon next year.
Benson told ESPN on Tuesday that he picked the Ducks because he was impressed with the coaching staff and was intrigued by the opportunity to play with quarterback Dante Moore, who projects as Oregon’s starter next year.
Until the ruling on Diego Pavia‘s eligibility changed the paradigm for junior college players, Benson had been set to start training for the NFL draft process.
“I’m just glad that the Lord blessed me with another opportunity and another year,” Benson told ESPN upon entering the portal. “I will not take this for granted.”
Benson began his college career at Hutchinson Community College, where he emerged as the nation’s top junior college prospect regardless of position. He played one season at Alabama, where he had 13 receptions in 14 games for 162 yards and a touchdown.
He transferred to Florida State, where he caught 25 balls for 311 yards and a touchdown this season. On his career, he averages 12.5 yards per catch.
Oregon’s receiving room lost star Tez Johnson to the NFL and is awaiting on an NFL decision from Evan Stewart, who missed the Rose Bowl with a back injury and slumped late in the year for the Ducks.
They do bring in the country’s top receiving prospect in Dakorien Moore, who is ESPN’s No. 3 overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting class.
-
Greg Wyshynski, Senior NHL writer
Some NHL awards races are actual races. There are leaders, but ones that are looking over their shoulders at a pack of candidates closing in fast.
Other NHL awards races currently look at lot like when Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt would race: Everyone is just going to have to be content with second place because their leads are that insurmountable.
Again, the operative word is “currently.” This is the NHL Awards Watch for January. We have a lot of season to go.
We’ve polled a wide selection of Professional Hockey Writers Association voters anonymously to get a sense of where the wind is blowing for the current leaders. We’ve made sure it’s a cross-section from the entire league, trying to gain as many perspectives as possible.
Bear in mind that the PHWA votes for the Hart, Norris, Calder, Selke and Lady Byng finalists; broadcasters vote for the Jack Adams; and general managers handle the Vezina.
All stats are from Hockey-Reference.com, Natural Stat Trick and Evolving Hockey.
Jump ahead:
Ross | Richard | Hart
Norris | Selke | Vezina
Calder | Byng | Adams
Art Ross Trophy (points leader)
Click here for the updated point-scoring standings.
Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy
Click here for the updated goal-scoring standings.
Hart Trophy (MVP)
Leader: Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild
Finalists: Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers; Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
A couple of things happened since the last NHL Awards Watch.
After leading the MVP race last month, Kaprizov’s lower-body injury put him out of the Wild lineup. Through Sunday, he had missed six of Minnesota’s 40 games this season. His stats remain stellar — 23 goals and 27 assists for 50 points — but other Hart contenders haven’t spent that kind of time off the ice.
The other significant happening was the entirety of Nathan MacKinnon’s December. The Avalanche star had seven goals and 18 assists for 25 points in 13 games, helping Colorado go 10-3-0 while being named the NHL’s first star for the month. Through 40 games, MacKinnon led the NHL with 65 points and 51 assists and led the Avalanche in scoring by eight points over Mikko Rantanen.
MacKinnon won the Hart last season. The NHL hasn’t had back-to-back MVPs since Alex Ovechkin won the award in 2007-08 and 2008-09. The way MacKinnon’s going, it could happen again.
And yet, Kirill Kaprizov still got the majority of the first-place votes from those canvassed this month.
“In the true spirit of the award, there is just no way Minnesota is anywhere close to the unexpectedly good team they are this year without Kaprizov,” a voter said.
But the MVP race behind the Wild star has changed dramatically. Last month, Kaprizov finished atop the Hart straw poll with 88% of the vote. This month, he earned only 37% of the first-place votes. MacKinnon is right behind him. So are the other players who received first-place votes this month: Draisaitl, Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel, Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes, Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov and Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner. All of them have compelling MVP cases.
“It’s getting crowded at the top, but Kaprizov is still producing more at even strength than any other player,” a Kaprizov voter declared. “MacKinnon has Rantanen, Draisaitl has McDavid, Kucherov is too power-play dependent.”
“I’m picking Kirill Kaprizov,” another noted. “But if Colorado gets their stuff sorted for good and takes off, MacKinnon might run away with it. Central Division is where it’s at.”
0:57
Kirill Kaprizov scores goal for Wild
Kirill Kaprizov nets goal for Wild
MacKinnon won the Hart last year with 51 goals and 140 points. He’s nowhere near that goal pace, but his points-per-game pace (1.63) isn’t far off from his pace in his MVP season (1.71). He was the clear second choice with 26% of the first-place votes. MacKinnon was in the top three in the November Awards Watch, didn’t receive a first-place vote in December and has come roaring back this month.
“MacKinnon’s surge and Kaprizov’s injury changed the face of that Hart race,” a voter concluded.
“He not only leads the NHL in scoring but kept the Avalanche afloat long enough for them to swap out both goalies and look more like a serious contender,” another explained.
Draisaitl was third in the voting (16%), right ahead of Eichel (11%). The Oilers star led the NHL in goals through Sunday with 29 tallies, well ahead of the five players tied with 23 goals. His 59 points were second to MacKinnon for the NHL lead. According to Evolving Hockey, Draisaitl leads the NHL with 22.6 expected goals above replacement.
Draisaitl helped keep the Oilers on point as teammate Connor McDavid dealt with an injury. But McDavid has played only three fewer games than Draisaitl — and trailed him by only five points for the team lead. The season Draisaitl won his only Hart Trophy (the COVID-shortened 2019-20), he played seven more games than McDavid and tallied 13 more points.
Eichel’s having the best regular season of his career. Through Sunday, the 28-year-old center led the Golden Knights with 52 points in 39 games — nearly 20 points clear of the second-highest scorer, Mark Stone (33 points).
That Eichel had played 14 more games than Stone is exactly the point: As Vegas has had more guys out of action than a casino where the house always wins, Eichel has been the constant, playing every game and playing extremely well. His career high for points is 82 in 2018-19 with Buffalo. He’s on pace for over 109 points this season.
“He’s the best player on the best team, but most impressive is how Eichel has emerged as a defensive force,” one Jack backer explained.
They’re right about his defense, which has been improving each season since his 200-foot game earned accolades during the 2023 Stanley Cup run. Internally, Vegas has talked about Eichel getting a Selke push this season. The Knights give up just 2.16 goals-against per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 with Eichel on the ice. It should be noted, however, that Kaprizov has him bested in goals-against per 60 (1.88) and expected goals against per 60 (2.05) this season.
0:41
Jack Eichel scores goal vs. Sabres
Jack Eichel scores goal vs. Sabres
Kucherov, who won the Hart in 2018-19, has led the Lightning in scoring all season. Through 35 games he had 55 points, 10 points better than the team’s second-leading scorer Brayden Point.
Marner received a first-place vote for holding down the fort while Auston Matthews was out with an injury. Marner has 56 points in 41 games, 13 more than the Leafs’ second-leading scorer William Nylander, while continuing to be an exceptional defensive forward, too. It’s a heck of a case he’s making in a contract year.
Marner has never finished in the top 10 for the Hart. Quinn Hughes was seventh for the award last season, when he won his first Norris Trophy. So he’s on the radar in the MVP race and pulled in one first-place vote.
In a tumultuous season for the Canucks — from infighting to injuries — Hughes has easily been their best player: 42 points in 34 games, including 34 assists. He’s not leading all defensemen in points nor ice time, but he’s leading the Canucks in both. Hughes leads Conor Garland (29 points) by 13 points for the team lead.
So it’s a very crowded field and could become even more crowded if Connor Hellebuyck starts getting the credit for the Winnipeg Jets‘ outstanding season. The NHL hasn’t had a goalie win MVP since Montreal’s Carey Price in 2014-15.
“I was this close to putting Hellebuyck down for MVP,” said a voter who ultimately broke for Kaprizov instead.
While he didn’t earn a first-place vote, it would be foolish to discount McDavid from the race. He’s won NHL MVP three times and been a finalist for the award six times in 10 seasons. With 54 points in 36 games — his 1.50 points per game average is fourth in the NHL — he’s just a stride behind the rest of these players.
Norris Trophy (top defenseman)
Leader: Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
Finalists: Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks; Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets
No major changes in the Norris race order, which we’re sure will go over well in Vancouver.
Makar’s lead has narrowed from earning 75% of the first-place votes to 58% from our panelists this month. His 49 points in 40 games led all defensemen through Sunday’s games. That’s impressive, but not nearly the total Makar’s incredible start (24 points in 15 games) seemed to portend. He’s a plus-13, skating more on average (25:31) than Hughes (25:08) but less than Werenski (26:28).
After getting dinged for his defense in last season’s Norris voting, Makar’s underlying numbers are strong: The Avalanche are giving up 2.04 goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 when he’s on the ice and have an expected goals-against of 2.14. Makar won the Norris in 2021-22 and finished third in the next two seasons.
One Makar voter anticipated some backlash for their choice. “Blah, blah, blah, you only pick points. But the dude is unreal and controls the game from the blue line. A total freak show,” they quipped.
“He leads all blueliners in goals and assists,” another Makar voter noted. “Quinn Hughes’ injury may prove the difference in what was shaping to be a tight race.”
0:22
Cale Makar tallies goal vs. Sabres
Cale Makar tallies goal vs. Sabres
Hughes, last season’s Norris winner, missed four games after Christmas with an undisclosed injury. His return is imminent, which is good news for a Vancouver team whose offense struggled to score just seven goals in his absence. Hughes (42 points in 34 games) had a razor-thin points-per-game lead (1.24) on Makar (1.23) entering Monday’s games.
Another factor for Hughes: He’s second in the NHL in expected goals above replacement (18.5) and has added three wins to the Canucks, per Evolving Hockey. Makar (13.7 xGAR, 2.3 WAR) was a distant fifth in both categories.
Hughes garnered 26% of the votes.
“The Canucks’ performance without the injured Hughes over the past few games underscores his importance to the team and gives him a slight edge over Cale Makar this time around,” a Hughes voter noted.
“It’s hard to argue with a plus-18 goal differential at 5-on-5,” another added.
Hughes play a ton at 5-on-5 (21:12) — more than Makar, in fact (19:34). He doesn’t play much at all on the penalty kill (11 seconds per game), while Makar does (2:12).
Werenski also plays in all three situations for the Blue Jackets. In fact, he plays more than any other skater in the NHL, at 26:28 per game on average. Werenski has 12 goals and 33 assists in 40 games. He entered Monday second to Makar in goals and points on the season.
“More people should be talking about Zach Werenski,” a Makar voter declared.
“The thing that stuck out to me the most [since December’s Awards Watch] was how much better the Blue Jackets are with Zach Werenski on the ice,” a Werenski voter said. “His impact is noticeable on both ends of the ice — the way he drives play, his defensive ability — and that is how he manages to be a plus-player on that bad of a team. He should be rewarded for that.”
“The Columbus Blue Jackets sit nowhere near sniffing-distance of a playoff spot if Werenski isn’t averaging 1.13 points per game while logging almost 27 minutes every night,” another Werenski voter pointed out.
These three defensemen dominated our voters’ ballots. The only other two names mentioned were Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey, who was seventh for the Norris last season after finishing fifth one year earlier; and Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson, who continues to thrive under head coach Spencer Carbery. He was second for the Norris in 2019-20.
Calder Trophy (top rookie)
Leader: Macklin Celebrini, San Jose Sharks
Finalists: Lane Hutson, Montreal Canadiens; Matvei Michkov, Philadelphia Flyers
Last month, we likened Macklin Celebrini to a marauding T-Rex chasing a Jurassic Park jeep, as Matvei Michkov frantically glanced in his side mirror to discover that objects may be closer than they appear.
In other words, it was only a matter of time before the San Jose Sharks rookie had the body of work voters needed to put him over the Philadelphia Flyers rookie in the Calder race, and here we are.
“Sometimes, the obvious answer is the correct answer,” a Celebrini voter concluded.
After finishing second to Michkov in the December NHL Awards Watch, Celebrini pulled nearly 90% of the first-place votes from our panelists to take control of the rookie of the year race.
“A must-watch player already,” a Macklin backer said. “He’s absolutely electric despite having little help around him.”
0:50
Macklin Celebrini lights the lamp for Sharks
Macklin Celebrini lights the lamp for Sharks
Entering Monday’s action, Celebrini (28 points) trailed Michkov (29 points) by one point despite playing eight fewer games thanks to an early-season injury. Celebrini’s 0.93 points-per-game average was tops among all rookies. He also led all rookies with 13 goals, one more than Michkov.
“Matvei Michkov had the head start, but the wonder kid in San Jose has made up for lost ground,” a voter said.
Celebrini is seeing significantly more ice time (19:48) than the Flyers rookie (16:31) on average. In fact, Celebrini is second only to Hutson, a defenseman, in average ice time for rookie skaters.
“Not many rookie forwards skate almost 20 minutes per game,” a voter declared.
“I lean Macklin over Michkov because of the two-way skill and effort he regularly shows on a lesser team,” another added.
Michkov still has a strong case and could end up sweeping the goals and points titles among rookies, both of which have been harbingers for forwards winning the Calder. He’s feasted on the power play for the Flyers, with five goals and 12 points, which led all rookies. While Celebrini has managed to keep up with Michkov as far as highlight-reel moments, Michkov has thrived under — or despite? — the “tough love” of John Tortorella’s coaching.
“Michkov has restructured a broken power play with ease. He’s reminded us the extent of impact one majestic player like him can truly have on a team’s complexion,” a voter explained. “I anticipate changing this to Celebrini by the end of the year, but I’m also anticipating an extremely close call.”
Michkov is the only other player to earn first place votes for the Calder. Based on the number of mentions he received on voters’ ballots, we’re comfortable putting Hutson in that third spot just ahead of Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf.
Hutson has 27 points in 39 games while skating 22:34 per game for the Canadiens. To put into perspective how much Hutson has lapped the field among rookie defensemen: The next highest scoring rookie defenseman, Nolan Allen of Chicago, is 21 points behind.
The Canadiens defenseman is a minus-8, fourth worst on the Habs for players with at least 15 games played. That’s with Montreal having sheltered him with 63% of this zone starts coming in the offensive zone.
Wolf, who was third overall last month, is 12-6-2 in 20 games, with a .913 save percentage and a 2.63 goals-against average, to go along with two shutouts. Those are easily the best numbers for any rookie goalie with at least 10 appearances. With the Flames in the thick of the wild-card race, he should not be counted out for Calder consideration.
But right now, it’s just “consideration.” It remains Celebrini vs. Michkov, with Celebrini clearly ahead in the race.
Vezina Trophy (top goaltender)
Note: The NHL’s general managers vote for this award
Leader: Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
Finalists: Jacob Markstrom, New Jersey Devils; Logan Thompson, Washington Capitals
This is Connor Hellebuyck’s Vezina to lose, but our voters didn’t make it unanimous.
Hellebuyck is 24-6-2 for the dominant Jets, with a .926 save percentage, a 2.09 save percentage and five shutouts — leading the NHL on all of those categories for goaltenders with at least 20 appearances.
He won his second Vezina Trophy last season and looks very much poised to win a third. Since 1981 — when the NHL changed the criteria of the Vezina Trophy to no longer just honor the goalie who played the most games on the team that gave up the fewest goals — only three goalies won the Vezina more than twice: Dominik Hasek, Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy. All legends and all Hockey Hall of Famers.
“It is ‘Helle-back?’ Perhaps ‘Helle-back-to-back?'” a voter quipped.
“Five shutouts and the season isn’t half over. He’ll be on Hart ballots, too,” another voter predicted.
There was another goalie that snagged a first-place vote and it was a surprise: Thompson, the Capitals netminder who came over from Vegas in the offseason.
The Capitals have been one of season’s best teams and Thompson has been a big reason why. In 20 games, he’s an incredible 16-2-2, with a .916 save percentage and a 2.39 goals-against average. Compare those numbers to what Washington’s other netminder Charlie Lindgren has posted (10-8-1, .900 and 2.70) and the contrast is stark.
“Thompson has been so incredibly efficient. Sixteen of his 20 appearances qualify as quality starts (80%),” the Thompson voter noted. “When the goals dried up for the Capitals following their hot start — and Alex Ovechkin was injured — Thompson kept them on track.”
The other Vezina spot could go to Filip Gustavsson of the Minnesota Wild, who was in the top three in last month’s NHL Awards Watch. He certainly has the numbers: 18-6-3 in 27 games, with a .926 save percentage and a 2.20 goals-against average. He also leads the NHL with 13.5 goals saved above expected per Stathletes.
But the goalie with the highest down-ballot mentions was Markstrom. He’s 19-8-2 with a .911 save percentage and a 2.18 goals-against average. He hasn’t been perfect, and has just 3.1 goals saved above expected this season, but a handful of voters believe he belongs in the Vezina conversation, such as it is.
“This is not a conversation by any stretch of the imagination,” a Hellebuyck voter opined.
Selke Trophy (best defensive forward)
Leader: Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers
Finalists: Nico Hischier, New Jersey Devils; Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs
Barkov earned 42% of the first-place votes, which slightly down from his total last month (50%) but puts him in position to win back-to-back Selke trophies and his third Selke in five seasons.
The Panthers have a 2.06 goals-against and a 1.87 expected goals-against per 60 minutes with Barkov on the ice. The Panthers get 60% of the high-dander chances. He’s also winning an exceptional 61% of his faceoffs this season while putting in work on the penalty kill as well.
“Aleksander Barkov is still the guy,” a voter concluded.
While Barkov remains on top of the Selke leaderboard, the finalists from the December Awards Watch have changed. Out are Anthony Cirelli of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Sam Reinhart of the Florida Panthers; in come Hischier and Marner.
Hischier was second in the Selke voting in 2022-23. He wins 55.8% of his faceoffs and leads the fifth best penalty kill in the NHL, as the forward with the most short-handed ice time on average for New Jersey. His underlying numbers aren’t stellar from a defensive standpoint, although he wins a good amount of puck battles. But he’s a player that certainly passes the eye test as a defensive force for New Jersey.
The same goes for Marner, a winger whose speed and tenacity make him a terrific defensive player. He leads the NHL in turnovers created (8.67) and steals per 60 (2.18) for players with at least 700 minutes of ice time, per Stathletes. He’s the ice time leader for the eighth best penalty kill in the NHL.
It’s here we note that a non-center hasn’t won the Selke Trophy since 2002-03, when Dallas Stars winger Jere Lehtinen captured the award for the third time.
Reinhart was one of five other players to receive a first-place vote, is listed as a center although he plays on Barkov’s wing. He has slightly better defensive metrics than his center, and also plays on the penalty kill.
Cirelli also received a first-place vote. He wins 51.7% of his faceoffs and he’s an outstanding penalty killer, with two goals and two assists shorthanded. His underlying numbers (3.51 expected goals against per 60 minutes) don’t mount a strong argument at the moment. Keep in mind that Cirelli was selected for Team Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off as a defensive specialist, and that certainly raises his profile.
Anze Kopitar won the Selke in 2015-16 and 2017-18. He’s having an outstanding season for what might be the best defensive team in the NHL. The Kings have a 1.66 goals-against per 60 minutes when Kopitar is on the ice.
Jordan Staal has been searching for his first Selke win for 15 years, and finished second for the award last season. He’s once again the linchpin at forward defensively for the Hurricanes, who have a 1.69 goals-against average per 60 minutes when the center is on the ice.
The other player to receive a first-place Selke vote was Jack Eichel. As mentioned earlier, the Golden Knights believe his name should be in the hat for this award. Vegas gives up 2.16 goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 with Eichel on the ice, and he’s an effective penalty killer, too.
Barkov leads, but this is certainly still a competitive race.
Lady Byng Trophy (gentlemanly play)
This is the part where I mention that the Lady Byng Trophy for gentlemanly play should be voted on by the league’s on-ice officials or by the NHL Players’ Association instead of the PHWA.
Traditionally, this award goes to a player with a top 20 point total and the lowest penalty minutes among those players. Brayden Point is 16th overall in scoring with 45 points, and had only two penalty minutes through 33 games. But keep an eye out for Anze Kopitar, who won the award in 2015-16 and 2022-23. He’s 34th in scoring (39 points in 38 games) and also has just two penalty minutes. What a race!
Jack Adams Award (best coach)
Note: The NHL Broadcasters’ Association votes on this award.
Leader: Spencer Carbery, Washington Capitals
Finalists: Dean Evason, Columbus Blue Jackets; John Hynes, Minnesota Wild
Alex Ovechkin has 19 goals in 23 games this season. When he fractured his leg in November, there wasn’t just concern about the state of his NHL all-time goals record chase. There was concern that it might derail what had been a stellar start for the Capitals, who went 13-4-1 with Ovechkin in the lineup through Nov. 18.
In between his injury and Ovechkin’s triumphant return to the lineup on Dec. 28? The Capitals went 13-6-2, thanks in no small part to the steady leadership and strong fundamental systems of Spencer Carbery.
The second-year coach had Washington with the Eastern Conference’s top points percentage heading into Monday’s games. They were the top scoring team in the league (3.72 goals per game) and sixth in goals against (2.64).
Perhaps that’s why Carbery was the only unanimous choice in any category in this month’s NHL Awards Watch.
“He’s going to run away with this, and for justifiable reasons,” a voter declared.
While Evason and Hynes didn’t get any first-place votes, they both received a lot of love down the ballot from our voters.
Hynes coached the Wild through some injury adversity to get near the top of the Central Division, with strong underlying defensive numbers.
“Hynes deserves a little love here,” a voter argued.
Evason, in his first season with the Blue Jackets, has Columbus right at the Eastern Conference wild-card bubble after 40 games. He also has something that other candidates don’t have: an emotional backstory, as Evason helped lead this Blue Jackets team through its grief following the tragic death of star forward Johnny Gaudreau before the season.
“The job Dean Evason is doing in Columbus, given everything that franchise has endured, is remarkable. To have them remotely close to a playoff spot is a huge feather in his cap,” a voter explained. “If Columbus gets in, he may beat Carbery and Hynes, but those two have their teams playing consistently solid hockey.”
Other coaches mentioned by our voters include Los Angeles Kings first-year coach Jim Hiller, Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper and Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar. The Winnipeg Jets‘ Scott Arniel, who was in the top three last month, did not receive a mention.
“Steven Stamkos is gone, Mikhail Sergachev was traded and they’re one of the highest scoring teams in the league, one of the top in goal-differential, and radically turned their 5-on-5 play around,” a Cooper backer noted.
“Considering injury list and goaltending woes, though, Jared Bednar should get more love in this category,” another voter said.
Other coaches will get love. But it’s hard to imagine any one of them breaking through the infatuation with Carbery this season.
-
Jeff Passan, Senior MLB Insider
Designated hitter Brent Rooker and the Oakland Athletics are in agreement on a five-year, $60 million contract extension, sources told ESPN late Monday night, continuing a winter of uncharacteristic spending with a long-term deal for the late-blooming slugger.
Before he joined the A’s in 2023, Rooker had bounced among three teams without finding consistent playing time. The A’s saw Rooker blossom into an All-Star in his first season with them, a 10th-place MVP finisher last year and the receiver of the second-largest extension in franchise history.
The A’s, who will play in Sacramento for the next three seasons before a planned move to Las Vegas after leaving Oakland, already had spent $67 million this winter to sign right-hander Luis Severino and added left-hander Jeffrey Springs in a trade with Tampa Bay. The deals, as well as Rooker’s, continue to push the A’s payroll toward the $100 million range. If they do not spend at least 1½ times the revenue-sharing money they receive, the A’s run the risk of a union grievance.
The deal signals the latest in an attempt to rebuild after years of minuscule payrolls and lackluster results. Though the A’s were a success story of a team that managed to succeed in spite of meager support from ownership, recent seasons with slashed payrolls have yielded awful results and coincided with vitriol toward owner John Fisher as A’s bid the city of Oakland farewell.
Rooker becomes the lone A’s player under contract through their planned Las Vegas debut in 2028. The deal, which was first reported by The Athletic, will pay him $30 million over the first three seasons and includes a sixth-year vesting option for $22 million that can escalate by $10 million. The previous largest extension had gone to star third baseman Eric Chavez, who also held the record for largest contract at $66 million until Severino exceeded it.
The deal buys out a potential three years of free agency for Rooker, who three years ago wasn’t sure how much longer his big league career would remain afloat. After debuting with Minnesota in 2020, Rooker struggled and eventually was traded to San Diego in April 2022. Four months later, the Padres dealt him to Kansas City. Three months later, the Royals designated him for assignment, and the A’s claimed Rooker off waivers.
In his first season with the A’s, Rooker nearly doubled his previous career plate appearances and hit 30 home runs. He was even better last season, hitting .297/.365/.562 with 39 home runs and 112 RBIs.
The A’s surprised teams at the July trade deadline when they declined to discuss Rooker in trade discussions. Rooker was similarly off-limits this winter, as Oakland understood an extension for him would further push their payroll toward the number needed to avoid collective-bargaining issues. Rooker was set to make around $5 million in arbitration, but the contract will count for $12 million because that’s its average annual value.
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports9 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business2 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway