2. Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy – David Pastrnak
Pastrnak ended up sharing the Rocket Richard Trophy with Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin in 2019-20 as both of them finished the regular season with 48 goals.
If the NHL is able to start the 2020-21 season on Jan. 1 like they want to, Pastrnak will be looking at at least a month of missed hockey. However, this doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a chance at the Rocket Richard.
Right now the target date for the season start is Jan. 1, as I previously stated. However, there are rumors that the season won’t be starting until February. If this is the case, Pasta’s chances of repeating as the Rocket Richard winner increase significantly.
Either way, we’ll most likely see Pasta on pace for 50+ goals again if he were playing a full 82-game schedule. But if he misses some time due to his offseason surgery, this may not be good enough as he’ll start his season behind the eight ball.
If the season starts in February and Pasta manages to not miss any time, he’ll still have some elite competition in Ovechkin, New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad, Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl, and even Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos if he can remain healthy.