Insider drops exciting Auston Matthews announcement

Auston Matthews put together an incredible 2023-24 campaign, scoring 69 times and adding 38 assists, completing a career high 107-point season. Given the fact that Matthews had scored more goals than any player in a single season since Mario Lemieux scored 69 goals back in 1995-96, he seemed like a shoo-in to be named a Hart Trophy finalist - an award given to the player deemed most valuable to his team.

Well, when the voting came down, it was Nikita Kucherov, Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid up for the award. However, Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli has announced on Wednesday that Matthews is up for perhaps an even more prestigious award. Matthews has been named a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award, an award given to the player who is deemed the most outstanding player in the regular season.

This award is voted on by the NHLPA, and is often viewed as the most prestigious NHL award outside of the Stanley Cup, due to it being essentially decided on by a player's peers. Matthews won the award during the 2022-23 season as well, after potting 60 goals that season.

Even though Matthews was snubbed in Hart Trophy voting, he still has a chance to clean up at the NHL Awards ceremony at the end of June, as he has already won the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy, and is also up for the Frank J. Selke Trophy and the Lady Byng Trophy - though, if you asked Matthews, I bet he'd trade them all for a Stanley Cup ring.