This is the final weekly NHL column this season, which means it's time to pick the winners of the major regular-season awards. The envelopes, please:
Hart trophy (MVP): Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks. Runners-up: Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals; Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars; Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks.
Kane has been the most consistent player on a good but oddly inconsistent team and is the NHL's only 100-point scorer, no small feat. Holtby's sustained excellence is the backbone of the Capitals' success and he's one win from tying Martin Brodeur's single-season record of 48.