This upcoming summer in Denver could be heavy on the hardware for the Avalanche, although there’s one they all care about more than the others.

Barring a surprise in the second half, the Norris Trophy will be staying in Denver with Cale Makar. Nathan MacKinnon has a chance to reclaim the Hart Trophy the way things are headed. And both Avalanche netminders have played so well they’ve thrown themselves into the Vezina conversation, although they may end up cancelling each other out.

But don’t forget about what Brock Nelson is doing on that second line, because his two-way play has put him in the conversation for the Selke Trophy, given annually “to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game.”

For the past few years, it’s been the Barkov/Bergeron award. This year, it will not be. Alexander Barkov will not be winning it due to a knee injury he suffered in training camp, and Patrice Bergeron has retired. That means someone who’s never won the award before will likely take it home when the award winners are announced in June.

So why not Nelson?

The Athletic recently published their December check-in for the yearly awards, and the analytics they use had Nelson cracking the top 10 contenders for the Selke. ESPN, polling PHWA voters anonymously, said that Nelson’s name came up for the award. It’s a strange award, one that is supposed to reward the player who gets it done at both ends of the ice, but the winner always seems to be someone who’s producing at a high rate as well.

Nelson has become “Mr. Everything” for the Avalanche. In his last 20 games, he’s been a point-per-game player, but that only tells a small portion of the story with the Minnesota native. He’s one of four forwards the Avalanche always use on their league-leading penalty kill and has become coach Jared Bednar’s matchup center, meaning he sees a lot of the opposing team’s best forward. You can tell he’s got the trust of the coaching staff, as no other forward on the team has started more shifts in the defensive zone than Nelson.

Sounds like Selke material to me, although it’s not something he’s focusing on.

“Honestly haven’t really thought about that,” Nelson told The Denver Gazette. “My focus is always being reliable both ways. If you’re not going to impact the game offensively, (you have) to be responsible defensively.”

The Nelson Avalanche fans are seeing right now is a little bit different than the one they saw at the end of last season. He’s more sure of himself on and off the ice. The difference has been night and day, which is why the coaching staff is willing to use him in every situation possible.

“Being a guy that can be relied upon in a number of different situations and crucial times to impact the game, I want to shoulder that,” Nelson said. “We got a lot of guys that can do it. I think it comes from being detailed, responsible, and being on the same page with everybody out there. It’s a unit of four or five, whatever it may be at the time, and (we’re) a connected group.”

His coach might be a little biased, given he’s the one who decides the ice-time, but Nelson is as good a nominee as any in the league.

“I think he’s certainly a good candidate,” Bednar said. “I just know what he does for our team. It’s a lot of everything. He’s involved in every aspect of the game. I think he’s really good and really solid in all areas that he touches in the game.”

Nelson was a member of Team USA during the 4 Nations Face-Off this past February and, given his strong start to the season, has put himself in a good position to be named to the team for February’s Olympics. The USA roster is set to be announced on Jan. 2 on the “Today Show.”

Nathan MacKinnon has been freed up offensively by Nelson’s ability to take on difficult matchups. He expects to see him at the Olympics in a few months.

“I don’t see why he would be off (the team),” MacKinnon said. “He’s peaking at the right time. He looks amazing. A guy that big, that can move like that, one of the best defensive centers in the league. Honestly, at 4 Nations, it was all about defense. It was very difficult hockey and you have to check hard, so he’s a perfect player.”

What I’m hearing

• The NHL gets it right by giving everyone a few days off at Christmas. You don’t need sports every holiday, although the NBA and the NFL seem to think differently. “It’s great,” Nelson said of the break. “My kids are fired up, so Christmas break is always a fun time of the year for them…it’s a great break. Try to enjoy it with the family. Some guys maybe go home, guys with kids stick around here. Hopefully we’ll find some time to get on the ice too, go out there and skate with (the kids) and enjoy the game with them.”
• Bednar had no issues unplugging over the break…for the most part. “I’ll get up in the morning and have coffee these next few days and pick through some tape, then enjoy the time off,” he said.

What I’m seeing

• If an Avalanche goaltender is named to Team Canada, I think it will be Mackenzie Blackwood. Scott Wedgewood has been incredible, but something tells me they’ll take Blackwood because of his higher ceiling.
• Things really fell apart quickly in Chicago, who now sit last in the NHL standings. No Connor Bedard hurts, but eventually the wheels were going to fall off when you’re getting outshot and out-chanced every night.

What I’m thinking

• Bednar has spoken highly about the pairing of Sam Girard and Sam Malinski. They’re undersized, but he also says they can do things other defensive pairs cannot. Girard has six points in his last six games and seems to be getting going after injuries slowed his start. That being said, I’d still be surprised if the Avalanche started the playoffs with those two together.
• One thing I don’t understand about the NHL is how coaches have to run their own bench before they’re considered for a head coaching job. Nolan Pratt has run Colorado’s defense for a decade, and it’s consistently one of the best defenses in the NHL, yet you never hear his name in the running when a head coaching job opens up. Some of the best NFL coaches came from years of experience as assistants, so why is the NHL so different?