Who will take home the NHL's top regular season awards?

This season's rookie class is arguably the most fun to have watched in recent years. (And that's being said the year after McDavid was a rookie.) The 2016-17 contingent of youngsters was so stacked and so entertaining that it is a bit hard whittling down the list of contenders.

The focus through this season has been on the rookie contingent in Toronto, led by first year Maple Leafs Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and of course, Auston Matthews. Marner and Nylander have traded off being in the Calder discussion since the start of the season, but as it progressed they have had more company – and competition – in the category. Zach Werenski was, easily, the biggest component in turning the Columbus Blue Jackets around. Matthew Tkachuk brought grit and made his presence on the Calgary Flames well known as he aided in getting the team back into the post season.

However, it s pretty clear that the discussion comes down to first-overall draft pick Matthews and second-overall pick Patrik Laine. The Finnish winger lit up highlight reels all season with outstanding offense and even more outstanding goal celebrations. Matthews, despite his hiccups throughout the season, helped get the young Leafs into the playoffs. Oh, and made history by scoring four goals in his NHL debut.

James Norris Memorial Trophy, Defensive Player of the Year

Here we are. Another season, another debate over whether the Norris Trophy for best defenseman should go to Eric Karlsson or Brent Burns.

Not to say that there isn't other competition for the coveted "best all-around blue liner" award. Kevin Shattenkirk certainly deserves a nod – he made a huge impact for the Washington Capitals after being acquired at the trade deadline. Duncan Keith continues to be the backbone of the Chicago Blackhawks. And Victor Hedman, despite the Lightning just missing the playoffs, was second in points for Tampa Bay this season, trailing only forward Nikita Kucherov.

But when you boil it down, the argument is who between Burns and Karlsson is more deserving of the award. They were neck-and-neck in scoring in the 2016-17 campaign, and both were important pieces of getting their teams past the regular season. Really, one of the only differences between the two defenseman is that one rocks a larger-than-life beard which he balances out with suits too crazy for anyone else to pull off.

Vezina Trophy, Goaltender of the Year

There was a healthy amount good goaltending coming out of both conferences this season. Honestly the only top five candidate that I'm not completely sold on is Cam Talbot. Talbot is good, but he had a really tough team playing in front of him. The real goaltending phenom out of the West is Devan Dubnyk, who went an insane stretch at the start of the season without giving up a goal and cemented the Minnesota Wild's comeback season.

The Eastern Conference became the destination to watch stealth goaltending. Hence it developed Vezina candidates in Braden Holtby, Carey Price, Sergei Bobrovsky. Price is always on the radar, probably even more so this year due to his return to the ice after being injured the bulk of last season. You can also count on Holtby to be in the discussion, with his incredible cool between the pipes for the Washington Captials. And then there's Bobrovsky, who rebounded from a dismal 2015-16 campaign to lead the league with a .931 save percentage and a 2.06 goals-against average. (Holtby was right on his heels with a 2.07 GAA.)

It's a close one, but there's a strong chance Bobrovsky takes the honors this year.

Frank J. Selke Trophy, Forward who demonstrates most defensive skill

This year's Selke race is interesting because a couple players that have typically dominated the category – most notably Patrice Bergeron and Anze Kopitar – aren't contenders this year. Ryan Kesler, who was a running up last year, is in the discussion after his play as a defensive forward earned him an All-Star nod. The Minnesota Wild have a stellar candidate in Mikko Koivu, even with teammate Mikael Granlund's break-out season, Koivu probably still has a bit of an edge on him as the defensive play goes. There has been talk of McDavid being a candidate, although it is debatable whether he is a defensive forward or just way too fast to have to be on defense at all.

Jack Adams Award, Coach of the Year

The favored candidates for the "best bench boss" award this year are an interesting mix. There's Barry Trotz, whose Washington Capitals entered the season with immense pressure to excel – and ended up dominating consistently through the campaign. Then there's Bruce Boudreau, who found a way to get the most out of a Minnesota Wild team that notoriously stops playing at 100-percent at some point late in the season. And then, there's Todd McLellan, who went from giving brutal post-game pressers to leading a tough Edmonton Oilers squad to their first playoff birth in a decade.

When it comes to predicting who might win the Jack Adams, the discussion narrows down to looking at Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella and Maple Leafs boss Mike Babcock. Both coaches took the reigns for their respective teams last season and emerged with lackluster results. In 2016-17, both teams flourished with the presence of strong young talent, with Tortorella's Blue Jackets winning 16 games in a row, and Babcock's Leafs becoming the poster team for rookie success.

Hart Memorial Trophy, MVP

Kind of seems like we have been having the MVP discussion about the same players the last several years, doesn't it? A couple of the usual suspects are in the discussion this year – defending winner Patrick Kane is a favorite again this year – but the conversation is intense as ever. Both of the top Norris Trophy candidate, Burns and Karlsson, have been mentioned in conjunction with the Hart Trophy. Boston Bruins' forward Brad Marchand was a heavy favorite at one point of the season, although there is a chance that his shenanigans towards season's end might have hurt his stock a bit. Washington's Nicklas Backstrom and Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov have also stuck around the MVP talks.

But the vote for the Hart Memorial Trophy really comes down to Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, who both have already garnered awards for their scoring abilities this season. Since how deep either one goes in the Stanley Cup playoffs is not a determining factor, it comes down to looking at how each captain led his team this past regular season. That, and comparing Crosby's veteran status to McDavid's sophomore season. A win for McDavid would appear to be a visible "changing of the guard." It's going to be very interesting to see who walks away with the award this season.