(Photo credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images)

Connor McDavid, Nikita Kucherov and Macklin Celebrini were named finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award on Tuesday.

The award goes each year to the most outstanding player in the NHL, as chosen by members of the NHL Players' Association. The three finalists were among the top four points scorers in the NHL in the 2025-26 season.

Kucherov is the reigning award holder.

The date of the trophy announcement was not disclosed.

Edmonton Oilers center McDavid led the NHL in scoring with 138 points (48 goals, 90 assists) over 82 games. He is a four-time Lindsay Award recipient, most recently following the 2022-23 season, and is a seven-time finalist. Only Wayne Gretzky is a five-time winner.

McDavid, 29, had a 20-game point streak from Dec. 4-Jan. 13, tallying 46 points (19 goals, 27 assists) in that span. He captained the Oilers to a second-place finish in the Pacific Division at 41-30-11 (93 points).

Kucherov, 32, has played for only the Tampa Bay Lightning since he entered the NHL in 2013. The forward the NHL with a points-per-game average of 1.71 and was tied for third in the league with a plus-43 rating. From Dec. 20-Jan 12, Kucherov registered 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists) in 10 games.

This is Kucherov's fourth time as a finalist and he has won twice -- 2018-19 and 2024-25.

Celebrini, 19, was the No. 1 overall draft pick by the Sharks and recorded 115 points (45 goals, 70 assists) in 82 games, which was fourth in the NHL but a San Jose franchise record. He is striving to become the first Sharks player to win the Lindsay Award. The center helped the Sharks improve to a 39-35-8 record (86 points), bettering their 20 wins and 52 points from his rookie season.

The finalists for the remaining NHL Awards will be announced one per day. On Wednesday, the NHL will reveal the finalists for the Vezina Trophy, given to the top goaltender.

--Field Level Media