We're one quarter of the way through the season, so it's not too early to think about superlatives -- and to highlight some surprising folks who have shouldered their way into the awards discussion. These folks aren't necessarily all household names (yet), but they'd be my picks for the major hockey hardware if the season ended today.

Hart Trophy (MVP)

Yeah, Connor McDavid is pretty special. The Edmonton Oilers' captain is just 19 and leads the NHL in scoring. But the guy who has impressed me most is Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov. Coming off a career-best 30-goal season in 2015-16, a bit of a step back would have been understandable for the 23-year-old winger, especially after Lightning captain Steven Stamkos went down with a knee injury.

Nope. Kucherov has been one of the catalysts for a resurgent Tampa Bay team that has not only survived Stamkos' absence but has actually thrived without him. Through Tuesday, Kucherov was second in the league in scoring -- and just three points back of McDavid, despite having played one fewer game. So he deserves the quarter-season Hart Trophy nod.

Norris Trophy (top defenseman)

From afar, this looks like a two-person race between Shea Weber and Brent Burns, the latter having just signed an eight-year contract extension. But when I dug a little deeper, Ryan Suter stood out. Yes, his minutes are down from last season, but the smooth-skating Minnesota Wild veteran is still averaging 27:34 a night in ice time, second in the NHL. And he continues to log those minutes mostly against opposing teams' top offensive units while having to line up with three or four different defensive partners because of the Wild's injury issues.

Suter is also producing slightly ahead of last season's pace, with 0.67 points per game, and his 14 points are tied for ninth in the league. Most impressive is that the Wild lead the league in goals allowed per game and are the only team with a goals-against average under 2.00. Suter is a key part of coach Bruce Boudreau's defensive game plan.

Craig Anderson has dealt with more than his share of off-ice adversity this season, but has remained steady in goal for the surprising Senators. Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

Vezina Trophy (top goaltender)

No one is disputing that Carey Price remains the top goaltender in the world. But his Montreal Canadiens are less one-dimensional than they have been in the past -- specifically, less dependent on Price being Price every single night. And Minnesota's Devan Dubnyk has been a key part of the stingiest team in the NHL. But for me, the early Vezina nod goes to Craig Anderson in Ottawa.

First, what Anderson is dealing with on a personal level, with his wife battling cancer, is formidable enough. But for the 35-year-old to be playing at such a high level for the surprising Ottawa Senators given his personal circumstances is more than a little mind-boggling. Anderson has faced the third-most shots in the league and boasts a .936 save percentage and 2.03 goals-against average. He's 7-3 in November as the Senators have clawed their way into second place in the Atlantic Division. Who saw that coming?

Zach Werenski leads all rookies in average ice time per game and his 16 points are two off the rookie scoring lead. Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire

Calder Trophy (top rookie)

You thought last season's rookie-of-the-year race was hard to handicap? This season's is going to be nuts. Patrik Laine might win the Rocket Richard Trophy for most goals in the league -- before he turns 19. Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander are all on the list of exceptional first-year players.

But my pick -- and I'm sticking by it -- is Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Is there a bigger surprise than the Blue Jackets, who hit the quarter mark of the season sitting in a playoff berth? Not to me. And has there been a player of more impact, regardless of age and experience, for the Blue Jackets than Werenski, a 19-year-old Grosse Point, Michigan, native? Nope. Werenski leads all rookies in average ice time per game, and his 16 points are two off the rookie scoring lead. He sits sixth among all defenders.

It's not just the offense that has been so impressive. The Blue Jackets are sixth in the league in goals allowed per game while rolling out the game's most deadly power play. Werenski is a huge part of what has become one of the most unlikely storylines in the NHL.

Jack Adams (top coach)

The coaching hardware, more often than not, goes to someone whose team overachieves. I don't have a problem with that, and it's why you'll hear John Tortorella's name in the mix given his work for the Blue Jackets. Alain Vigneault has done a masterful job with the league-leading New York Rangers, as has the Chicago Blackhawks' Joel Quenneville.

But my quarter-mark vote goes to Darryl Sutter. There was grumbling that the window was closing on the hard-as-nails veteran coach after his Los Angeles Kings missed the playoffs two springs ago and were bounced in the first round by the San Jose Sharks last spring.

But after losing three in a row to start the season, the Kings have rediscovered their identity. Los Angeles has gone 12-6-1 in its last 19 games, is tied with San Jose for second place in the Pacific and is just one point out of first place. The Kings have done all that without former Vezina Trophy winner and playoff MVP Jonathan Quick -- and, until very recently, veteran winger Marian Gaborik.