Aleksander Barkov was last season’s Selke Trophy winner and is having another fantastic season defensively. But one of his teammates — Sam Reinhart — has as good of a chance to win it as anyone else. Let’s look at why that’s the case and the other leaders for the Selke Trophy as we enter the final week of the regular season.
5. Nico Hischier
Usually, once you join the club, you’re in it for the long haul. Nico Hischier was a Selke finalist in 2023 but had a down-season defensively in 2023-24. This season, he’s bounced back and has been a catalyst for the New Jersey Devils’ resurgence, partly because his two-way game has improved from where it was a season ago.
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Hischier has a defensive net rating of plus-4.8 entering the final week of the regular season. His penalty-killing numbers aren’t great, but Hischier has been a force defensively at five-on-five. Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe deploys him in difficult matchups, and he handles them quite well. I’m not sure he’ll be a finalist at this point, but he should get some first-place votes.
4. Jordan Staal
Jordan Staal may not be the offensive player he once was, but he’s still one of the best defensive forwards in the NHL. He was a finalist for the Selke Trophy a season ago, and should be in the conversation to be a finalist again.
The NHL has changed. Not all shutdown lines are shutdown lines like they were even ten years ago, but Staal is the centerpiece of what is a bit of an old-school shutdown line with the Carolina Hurricanes. He has a defensive net rating of plus-5.6, which ranks seventh league-wide among all forwards.
Staal logs incredibly difficult minutes, with head coach Rod Brind’Amour deploying him against elite competition 41.6 percent of the time. In addition to his five-on-five defensive prowess, Staal is one of the best penalty-killing forwards in the NHL. He’s having a near-repeat season defensively compared to 2023-24, so he’ll likely get some top-three votes.
3. Anthony Cirelli
Anthony Cirelli has finished in the top five of Selke voting twice in his career, but he’s never been a finalist. That may surprise you, given his reputation, but that might change this season. Perhaps it’s because his game is getting more attention since he has 56 points in 77 games, but he has not sacrificed any defense for offense.
Cirelli remains one of the NHL’s best defensive forwards, totaling a defensive net rating of plus-7, ranked third league-wide among forwards. Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper deploys Cirelli versus incredibly difficult opponents, as Cirelli has logged over just 37.5 percent of his ice time against elite competition.
Though not all his minutes have come against elite competition, Cirelli still has an outstanding 59.41 expected goals share (xG%) at five-on-five. That’s incredibly impressive considering the assignments he logs, so he may finally end up as a Selke finalist if he continues to post the numbers he is in the minutes he’s playing.
2. Aleksander Barkov
Barkov has a chance to repeat as the Selke Trophy winner with the season he’s having. He did miss some time due to injuries, but he should end up with 68 games played. That might hurt him since most of the contenders for the Selke Trophy will log 75 games or more, but I still expect him to be in contention for the award.
Barkov has a defensive net rating of plus-7.7, which ranks second among all forwards league-wide. Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice deploys Barkov against elite competition 42 percent of the time. That’s not a surprise, given who he is, but he’s been excellent in those minutes. It’s really a games-played issue for Barkov right now. Had he not missed ten-plus games with injuries, he might be first in our Selke tracker.
1. Sam Reinhart
If Barkov cedes the Selke Trophy, it could be to his teammate Sam Reinhart, who’s having an outstanding defensive season. Maybe that’s partly because he plays with Barkov at five-on-five, but I don’t think that takes away from his defensive game. Take this shorthanded goal he scored against the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 13:
Note the two stick lifts Reinhart makes once he enters the offensive zone to keep puck possession. Those aren’t defensive plays, per se, but they show the kind of defensive prowess Reinhart has. His defensive net rating of plus-9.8 leads all forwards league-wide. Wingers don’t usually get enough love in Selke voting, but Reinhart should win the trophy this season. He’s been that good defensively.
Selke Trophy Still Very Much Up for Grabs
One forward who should probably find himself in the Selke conversation is Staal’s teammate in Carolina, Jordan Martinook. His defensive net rating of plus-5.5 is eighth among all forwards league-wide, but if I had to guess, he won’t get the recognition he should because he’s on Staal’s line.
Other Selke candidates are Seth Jarvis, Brandon Hagel, Logan O’Connor, and Adam Lowry, who are all having excellent defensive seasons. Reinhart is not a shoo-in to win the Selke, so it’ll be interesting to see who voters give the award to. My guess would be Barkov, even though his teammate may deserve it more.
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