Since our last NHL Awards Watch, a pesky little bug named the omicron variant has significantly impacted the 2021-22 season.
Players are entering the COVID-19 protocol on a nightly basis, forcing the postponement of over 100 games. The NHL pulled its players out of the Beijing Games and scuttled the Olympic break so it can reschedule some of these contests. The whole thing has thrown the season off balance: Consider that the Vegas Golden Knights have now played nine more games (37) than have the New York Islanders (28).
Keep all of this in mind as we present the NHL Awards Watch for January.