Here are my trophy favorites at the halfway mark

Hard to believe we're already halfway through the 2005-06 season, but time flies when you're having fun. And if you want to use one word to describe the new NHL, fun is as good as any.

The games have been faster paced, shorter in length, and more entertaining than we've seen in 20 years.

Chalk that up to the new rules, the unwavering execution of which has freed up the game's skill players to exercise all their gifts on the ice. That's not only made for better hockey, it's also making the races for this season's awards more contentious than ever.

Here are my picks for the NHL's best at the halfway mark:

Calder (top rookie)

NOMINEES: Alexander Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Dion Phaneuf

Alexander Ovechkin S. Cunningham/Getty Images

Life's all about timing, isn't it? Any other year and guys like Marek Svatos (26 goals) and Henrik Lundqvist (17 wins, 2.13 GAA) might be running away with the Calder race. This year? They can't even break into the top three.

While Crosby has done all that can be expected of him and should continue to make this a compelling two-man race, I've got to lean towards Ovechkin as the top freshman of the first half. The 20-year-old winger has demonstrated that he's not only the league's best rookie, he may be its single most exciting player.

Is that praise a little over the top? Maybe. But all it takes is to watch this kid for a few games to realize how his presence impacts a game. When Ovechkin steps on the ice, it's like watching a legendary basher stride up to the plate. You're holding your breath waiting for something magnificent to happen so that you can tell your grandkids about it. Even when he fails to score, Ovechkin still manages to deliver more excitement in one shift than many established stars can in an entire game.

Having just passed the halfway mark, Ovechkin had 27 goals and 52 points in 42 games, putting him on pace for 100 points this season. You can count on one hand the number of rookies who've done that before.

And how important is Ovechkin to the Caps? He's accounted for nearly 25 percent of the team's goals himself and had a hand in another 21 percent.

Forget about the Calder. If we're going by the definition, this kid deserves the Hart.

Adams (top coach)

NOMINEES: Lindy Ruff, Barry Trotz, Tom Renney

Lindy Ruff R. Stewart/Getty Images

Simply on the basis of talent, there aren't many teams less intimidating than the Sabres.

The team's top scorer, Tim Connolly, stands 71st overall and is on a scorching 65-point pace. The defense is led by the non-descript Brian Campbell and Teppo Numminen, the latter given up for dead after struggling with the Stars in 2003-04. The team has three NHL goalies, and prefers to sit one in the press box rather than make a deal.

Altogether it's a recipe for a lottery pick, yet somehow Ruff has molded this unimposing lot into a cohesive, Three Musketeers-style unit. With all hands rowing in the same direction, the Sabres stand fourth in the East and are a good weekend away from catching the Senators. And all this despite losing key players to injury for extended periods.

There've been some magnificent coaching efforts this season (add Andy Murray, Bryan Murray, Ken Hitchcock, Mike Babcock and Peter Laviolette to the names above), but if he keeps rolling sevens, Ruff's a lock for the Adams.