NHL insider: Handing out the season-long awards

My favorite time of year — well, in addition to the playoffs, and opening night, and the trade deadline and, uh, the opening bell of free agency — is when the awards ballot hits my inbox. As I prepare to cast my votes next week for the players, to steal a phrase, who made the NHL great again, here's what I'm thinking:

Hart Trophy (voted by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, most valuable player "to team")

Any other year I'd vote for Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn because last year's Art Ross Trophy winner is the model of consistency, but what a year for Chicago's Patrick Kane. The first American to win a scoring title by a mile, Kane topped 40 goals and 100 points for the first time after basically having to hole himself up during the offseason because of a legal issue that eventually was dropped. His 26-game point streak made for a scintillating part of this season. Winner: Kane. Runners-up: Benn; Alex Ovechkin, Washington; Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh; Roberto Luongo, Florida.

Norris Trophy (voted by PHWA, best defenseman)

The debate started weeks ago over Drew Doughty and Erik Karlsson. Karlsson has won two Norris Trophies, and his impact on the game for Ottawa is like no other, as Wild fans surely learned during two meetings. Karlsson topped 80 points, but as a former star defenseman asked me last week, "Should a guy win the Norris if he doesn't play the penalty kill or when they're up by a goal in the last minute?" Plus, the Senators didn't make the playoffs. Doughty logged the third-most ice time behind Karlsson and the Wild's Ryan Suter and had another tremendous year on a Kings blue line that isn't as good as past years. It's about time Doughty wins a Norris. Winner: Doughty. Runners-up: Karlsson; Brent Burns, San Jose; Kris Letang, Pittsburgh; Roman Josi, Nashville.

Calder Trophy (voted by PHWA, best rookie)

It's been an amazing rookie class, and in any other year, I'd probably vote for Edmonton's Connor McDavid (1.09 points per game). But even though it's not his fault, I can't vote for a guy who played only 45 games after seeing the full body of work from previously unheard of Artemi Panarin. How can you not pick a guy who probably wasn't on anyone's Calder prediction list before the season? To me, this young Chicago talent plays like a right-shot Kane. He's vying for top 10 in overall league scoring, not just being the NHL's top-scoring rookie by 20 points. Winner: Panarin. Runners-up: McDavid; Shayne Gostisbehere, Philadelphia; Jack Eichel, Buffalo; Dylan Larkin, Detroit.

I know I put Luongo on my Hart ballot, but that's because he's the most valuable "to his team." The Panthers don't win a division title without him. But this is the no-brainer of all no-brainers: What a year by Washington's Braden Holtby! He finished with the most wins in the league and was an absolute backbone on a risk-taking Capitals team. Winner: Holtby. Runners-up: Ben Bishop, Tampa Bay; Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles; Luongo; Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh.

Jack Adams Trophy (voted by the broadcasters, best coach)

This will be one heck of a battle when you think how Bruce Boudreau helped rebound Anaheim from a terrible start and how St. Louis' Ken Hitchcock led the Blues to another 100-point season despite big-time injuries to big-time players. If I had a vote, I'd be tempted to lean toward Florida's Gerard Gallant because few if anybody picked the Panthers to be this good. But the discipline and structure that Barry Trotz has brought to Washington and specifically Ovechkin is beyond impressive. It's a crime the ex-Predators boss has never won Coach of the Year. Winner: Trotz. Runners-up: Gallant; Hitchcock; Boudreau; Lindy Ruff, Dallas.

Selke Trophy (voted by PHWA, best defensive forward): Filip Forsberg, Nashville. Runners-up: Patrice Bergeron, Boston; Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles; Ryan Kesler, Anaheim; Mark Stone, Ottawa.

Lady Byng Trophy (voted by PHWA, most gentlemanly): Jared Spurgeon, Wild. Runners-up: Matt Cullen, Pittsburgh; Loui Eriksson, Boston; Patrick Marleau, San Jose; Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit.

I interviewed former Wild defenseman Brent Burns on KFAN (100.3-FM) on Monday and the San Jose Sharks star revealed he was bit by a cheetah during an off day at the Columbus Zoo on Feb. 20, 2012.

He arranged for a meet-and-greet with several animals and brought along teammates "Jumbo" Joe Thornton and Colin White.

"I had a wool sweater around my waist and I guess that kind of sets a cheetah off a little bit — and nobody really realized it," Burns said. "As I put my arm around the cheetah, the thing like snapped at me and bit me in the ribs and Jumbo could not stop laughing.

"I didn't know if I was all right, and Jumbo was laughing so hard."

The next day, Burns walked into the Sharks' trainers room and said: "Is there anything I need to worry about? I got bit by a cheetah yesterday."

Duchene told the Denver Post the air has since been cleared.