Welcome to the THW’s 2022-23 Selke Trophy Tracker, an ever-shifting list looking at the top defensive forwards that will be updated every month throughout the regular season. With the NHL season hitting its midpoint, there is enough data to properly judge who will walk away with the Frank J. Selke Trophy at the season’s end. As always, these are subjective rankings meant to initiate discussion, so feel free to disagree (civilly) in the comments and offer your own picks.
Last season, Patrice Bergeron ran away with the trophy after receiving 161 first-place votes. In the process, he set the record for most wins in franchise history, collecting his fifth Selke Trophy. This award is voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. It causes a lot of debate as some may have different opinions on how to measure which forward best excels in the defensive aspects of the game. With that being said, here is a breakdown of the top five Selke contenders as of the end of the season.
All advanced metrics are based on five-on-five play and are provided by Natural Stat Trick.
November’s Rankings: 1) Patrice Bergeron 2) Elias Pettersson 3) Nico Hischier 4) Mitch Marner 5) Anže Kopitar
December’s Rankings: 1) Patrice Bergeron 2) Nico Hischier 3) Mark Stone 4) Elias Pettersson 5) Mitch Marner
January’s Rankings: 1) Patrice Bergeron 2) Nico Hischier 3) Elias Pettersson 4) Mitch Marner 5) Jordan Staal
February’s Rankings: 1) Patrice Bergeron 2) Jordan Staal 3) Nico Hischier 4) Elias Pettersson 5) Mitch Marner
5) Mitch Marner
2022-23 Stats: 80 Games Played (GP), 45 Blocked Shots (BkS), 104 Takeaways (TkA), 21:17 Time on Ice (TOI)
Only one forward in the NHL this season forced over 100 takeaways this season, and that was Mitch Marner. The Toronto Maple Leafs winger was a force when it came to creating turnovers, as he was responsible for just under 15% of the team’s 704 takeaways during the 2022-23 campaign. He also lead all forwards who played at least 10 games in takeaways per 60 (TkA/60) with 3.66 and finished tied for third in shorthanded goals with four.
Related: Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Woll, Marner, Tavares & Nylander
At even strength, Marner played over 1200 minutes this season, holding the opposition to 28.55 shots per 60 (SA/60). He also finished the season with a 2.85 expected goals against per 60 (XGA/60), while his high danger chances against per 60 (HDCA/60) finished at 11.69. While mostly known for his offence, as he posted a career-high 99 points, his two-way game saw serious improvements to the point where he should be considered one of the best two-way wingers in the league.
4) Nico Hischier
2022-23 Stats: 81 GP, 61 BkS, 64 TkA, 19:17 TOI
This season, Nico Hischier not only set a new career high with 80 points but also established himself as one of the league’s best up-and-coming two-way centers. His 64 takeaways led all New Jersey Devils players this season, while his three shorthanded goals were more than he had scored in his entire career prior to this year. He was also a crucial part of a Devils’ penalty kill that went from 14th in 2021-22 to finishing fourth this season, playing more minutes than any other forward on the team.
As for Hischier’s even strength analytics, they back up the eye test as the opposition struggled to generate chances when he was on the ice. He finished the season at 27.61 SA/60 and an XG/60 of 2.56. As for his HDCA/60, he finished the season at 10.26 which was lower than former Selke winners Anže Kopitar and Aleksander Barkov. The Devils have a bright future, especially if their captain continues to play like he did this season.
3) Jordan Staal
2022-23 Stats: 81 GP, 39 BkS, 33 TkA, 16:16 TOI
The Carolina Hurricanes are an extremely difficult team to play against in large part because of Jordan Staal. The 34-year-old led all Carolina players with 155 hits this season and played more minutes on the penalty kill than any other Hurricanes forward. His strong play also helped the Hurricanes claim the league’s top penalty kill as well as the top spot in the Metropolitan Division, a title they have now held in back-to-back seasons.
Related: Carolina Hurricanes: 3 Big Questions As Playoffs Approach
When breaking down Staal’s even-strength analytics, it is a wonder how teams scored with him on the ice at all. He finished the season with a SA/60 of 22.68 as well as an XGA/60 of 2.36. As for his HDCA/60, that was also impressive, as his end-of-season total was 10.2 and ranked 14th among players who played at least 950 even-strength minutes this season. Despite not being as fast as he once was, the Hurricanes captain continues to impress, as he is still one of the premier shutdown centers in the league.
2) Elias Pettersson
2022-23 Stats: 80 GP, 89 BkS, 56 TkA, 20:33 TOI
The 2022-23 campaign will be one to remember for Vancouver Canuck fans as it became the year Elias Pettersson turned into a star. The Canucks center finished the season tied with J.T. Miller in shorthanded goals with five and penalty kill points with nine, as the two were often more dangerous down a player than on the power play over the final 30 games of the season. He also showed a willingness to get in front of pucks whenever possible, as his 89 blocked shots ranked second among forwards across the entire NHL.
Vancouver struggled defensively for most of the season, but Pettersson still ended the year with decent analytics at even strength. He had a SA/60 of 27.7 while also recording an XGA/60 of 2.8. Lastly, his HDCA/60 finished at 11.46, which was lower than centers like Sebastian Aho, Nazem Kadri and Bo Horvat. Despite the Canucks once again missing the playoffs, fans in Vancouver can at least take solace in knowing they have one of the brightest young stars in the league on their team and one that will be a favourite for the Selke Trophy next season.
1) Patrice Bergeron
2022-23 Stats: 78 GP, 54 BkS, 38 TkA, 17:24 TOI
What more can be said about Patrice Bergeron? The future first-ballot Hall-of-Famer and only five-time Selke Trophy winner was once again the best two-way forward in the game as he lead the Boston Bruins to the most dominant season in NHL history, all at the age of 37. There is little doubt that he will win the Selke once again this season; the only question is will it be his last?
Related: 7 Reasons the Bruins Broke the NHL Wins Record in 2022-23
This season, Bergeron finished the campaign at 27.16 SA/60 along with an XGA/60 of 2.38, which ranked ninth amongst forwards with at least 950 even strength minutes. He also finished the year with an HDCA/60 of 9.81, which ranked third amongst forwards with at least 950 even strength minutes. If this is his final season, all that can be said is that it has been an honour watching him develop into arguably the best two-way center in history and that, hopefully, one day, the NHL renames the Selke Trophy after him, as no one can match what he has accomplished over the past 19 seasons.
Honourable Mentions
- Phillip Danault (L.A Kings)
- Brad Marchand (Boston Bruins)
- Yanni Gourde (Seattle Kraken)
- Mikael Backlund (Calgary Flames)
- Frederick Gaudreau (Minnesota Wild)
That will do it for this year’s updates. We hope you enjoyed it and will follow along in 2023-24 as we keep you updated on who deserves to win the Selke Trophy next season.