Even so, with NHL playoff rosters to be set on Monday - in reality, the NHL "trade deadline" is a roster-setting deadline for every team's list of playoff-eligible players - now is a good time to take stock of which individual Flyers are making cases for themselves to deserve consideration for leaguewide awards.

The Flyers wake up on Sunday morning just one point out of first place in the Metropolitan Division. It has been a wild ride to the stretch drive, when every game takes on a playoff-like intensity. The campaign is far from over. Nothing has been won yet, and the playoff picture could still change for the better or worse depending on whether the Flyers take care of business over the final five weeks of the regular season.

CLAUDE GIROUX (Hart Trophy)

A top-three finalist for NHL Most Valuable Player honors in 2013-14, the Flyers captain is deserving of consideration again for the league's top regular season individual award. Giroux's candidacy is partially for statistical dominance and partially for the intangibles brought by his leadership by example and his competitive drive.

On the statistical side, Giroux is third in the Art Ross Trophy race with 74 points in 62 games. He is fourth on the NHL assist leaderboard, which is paced by teammate Jakub Voracek. Now that he is healthy again after a season-plus of stoically battling through physical ailments that clearly impaired him on the ice, Giroux has returned to being one of the NHL's top point-producers.

Underlying Giroux's numbers are the leadership he's displayed. He enthusiastically embraced the idea of a position switch from center to left wing. He never quit on the team or the season, even when things were looking bleak. As intensely competitive and self-critical as Giroux is, he brings a confident demeanor and team-oriented approach to his leadership style as captain. He lets his preparations and his play on the ice do the talking rather than trying to send messages through the media.

Even if he didn't have the "C" on his sweater, Giroux would be the fulcrum of the Flyers' locker room leadership group. When a player of his stature willingly does whatever the team feels brings the best chance to win, it resonates throughout the club.

The Hart Trophy is selected annually by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA). Two Flyers players have won the Hart Trophy. Bob Clarke captured it three times (1972-73, 1974-75 and 1975-76). Eric Lindros won in 1994-95; he was a finalist again the next year but was beaten out in the balloting by Mario Lemieux.

SEAN COUTURIER (Selke Trophy)

Throughout his NHL career, Couturier has been an excellent defensive center. However, the Selke Trophy, despite officially going to the forward "who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game," has become a two-way player award. It typically takes impressive offensive statistics as well as defensive acumen to be considered a serious candidate.

Although Couturier finished last season with 17 points over the final 19 games, the 2017-18 season is the first full campaign in which he's posted the type of offensive numbers to garner support outside Philadelphia as a Selke candidate. Through 62 games, he has posted 61 points (29 goals, 32 assists). His goal-scoring pace has dropped a bit in the second half but his assists have spiked.

Just as importantly, given the stated criteria for the award, Couturier has remained an outstanding defensive center even as his offensive role has increased. His advanced stats that measure puck possession via shot attempts and/or location are excellent (Couturier's numbers in these areas are superior this year to perennial Selke favorite Patrice Bergeron). So, too, is Couturier's traditional plus-minus rating (+27), which is sixth-best in the NHL and fifth among forwards.

One of the biggest impacts of Couturier's promotion to the Flyers' top line at even strength has been that the team has become harder to match up against when they are playing on the road and the opposing team gets the last line change. The Flyers have full confidence in going head-to-head with their top line against the opponents' top trio, which in some cases, may be better offensively than defensively. The completeness of Couturier's game, as well as his size and strength, makes him a tough player for opposing teams to match up against.

Named for Frank J. Selke, a former general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens, the Selke Trophy was first presented after the 1977-78 season. Two Flyers have won the award: Bob Clarke (1982-83) and Dave Poulin (1986-87). The award is voted upon by the members of the PHWA.

SHAYNE GOSTISBEHERE (Norris Trophy)

After placing as the top runner-up for the Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year) in 2015-16, Gostisbehere had a rough second season in the NHL. Now fully healthy and with a variety of learning experiences under his belt, Gostisbehere has not only re-emerged as one of the NHL's best offensive defensemen but he's also by far playing the best two-way hockey of his career.

From an offensive standpoint, Gostisbehere ranks third among NHL defensemen with 50 points. He is also a plus-15 at even strength. Defensively, "Ghost" has shown an active stick, improved positional awareness and even an occasional physical element that belies his lack of size.

While Gostisbehere is a dark horse for the Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman, he stands a good chance of winning his second Barry Ashbee Trophy as the Flyers' best blueliner. "Ghost" may have forged ahead of Ivan Provorov for the honor, although stretch drive performance could ultimately tip the scales. More important to the team, Gostisbehere and Provorov have shown good chemistry since being paired together atop the Flyers' blueline.

Selected by the members of the PHWA, the Flyers have never had a Norris Trophy winner. Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman Mark Howe finished as the top runner-up three times in his Flyers career: 1982-83, 1985-86 and 1986-87. The Norris Trophy is named for James E. Norris, the longtime owner of the Detroit Red Wings.

DAVE HAKSTOL (Jack Adams Award)

Selected by a poll of the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association at the end of the regular season, the Jack Adams Award goes to the NHL head coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success. There have been 34 winners to date in the 40 seasons in which the prize was awarded.

On an all-time basis, the Flyers and Detroit Red Wings have had the most winning coaches, with four apiece. Flyers coaches to win the honor include Fred Shero (1973-74), Pat Quinn (1979-80), Mike Keenan (1984-85) and Bill Barber (2000-01).

Could Hakstol become the fifth Flyers head coach to win the Jack Adams Award? This year, Vegas Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant seems virtually certain to take the honors, with his first-year expansion team boasting the top record in the Western Conference and having already set a points record for a first-year team. However, a finalist spot for Hakstol as a top-three finisher is a realistic possibility given the team's dramatic turnaround.

Hakstol never panicked when the Flyers were at their lowest point in early December. He made some small tweaks, having the team slightly alter its forecheck as it went into what proved to be a springboard road trip through western Canada. Overall, though, he stuck with the program through the team's trial by fire and steered away from overreacting either to the team's situation or to exterior pressures for the Flyers to take drastic actions.

Just as important, over the course of the season, Hakstol pushed the right buttons in terms of the decision to restructure the top line twice - first by moving Couturier up to the first line and Giroux to left wing and, later, to spread the offensive wealthy by moving NHL assist leader Jakub Voracek off the line at 5-on-5 and giving second-year pro Travis Konecny a chance to play with Couturier and Giroux. Both changes paid off handsomely, as did the decision to stack the top defense pairing by placing Gostisbehere with Provorov.

Ultimately, it is the players who make their coach look good or bad. Hakstol would be the first to deflect any credit for the team's turnaround or for the successes of the aforementioned players. Nevertheless, Hakstol deserves credit for being bold in situations where he could have stuck with the familiar (such as separating Giroux and Voracek at five-on-five) and for remaining steadfast in his message to his club when the team was at a dangerous crossroads.

The Flyers' 25-8-3 record since the end of their 10-game winless streak of November to early December ranks near the very top of the NHL over the ensuing time span. Hakstol's roll-up-our-sleeves mentality has been an important part of the team's climb.

Now, in case you missed it, the Flyers broadcasting team and I recorded the lastest podcast on this issue and more on Flyers Radio 24/7 - you can download it HERE.