Outstanding Player Award
This season, NHL.com is nominating four players each month for the Outstanding Player Award. Read through the player capsules below and cast your vote on NHL.com for the January winner.

Alexei Kovalev
January Stats Games Goals-Assists-Points PIM 14 4-6-10 10 Alexei Kovalev Player Page Rangers Team Page Alexei Kovalev is back with the Rangers after the Penguins apparently decided they wouldn't be able to afford his free-agent value after this season. But he had some outstanding games before leaving Pittsburgh. Thanks to a hat trick against Chicago on Jan. 25, Kovalev put up 10 points in January, and his plus-6 rating was his first postive month of the season. With 58 points through 51 games, Kovalev is making a run at his first 100-point season.

Al MacInnis
January Stats Games Goals-Assists-Points PIM 15 5-7-12 8 Al MacInnis Player Page Blues Team Page Everybody wondered how the absence of Chris Pronger would affect St. Louis' defense. Well, everybody forgot that the Blues still have Al MacInnis, who continues to be one of the premier defensemen in the NHL. MacInnis anchored the Blues in an 8-6-1 January in which he played stellar defense, but also contributed with five goals and seven assists. With 45 points, MacInnis is just one shy of matching his total from all of last season. And MacInnis, who turns 40 this summer, is averaging 27 minutes per game -- fourth highest in the league.

Glen Murray
January Stats Games Goals-Assists-Points PIM 14 9-9-18 12 Glen Murray Player Page Bruins Team Page The Bruins have been tailing off since a hot start, but it isn't Glen Murray's fault. Murray tried to single-handedly stop the slide by scoring nine goals and nine assists in January to lock up the first All-Star bid of his 12-year career. Murray is well on his way to shattering his season bests of 41 goals and 71 points, set last year.

Kevin Weekes
January Stats Games Minutes Record GAA Save Pct. Shutouts 8 417:52 0-6 3.31 .890 0 Kevin Weekes Player Page Hurricanes Team Page Things aren't going so well for the defending Eastern Conference champion Carolina Hurricanes. But one of the bright spots has been the play of goalie Kevin Weekes, who's on the verge of establishing himself as a bona fide No. 1. Weekes turned heads with his play in the postseason last year, helping the 'Canes over some rough spots in the early rounds before giving way to Arturs Irbe in the Stanley Cup finals.

Vote now for the NHL.com's Most Outstanding Player

October's Winner: Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins
November's Winner: Joe Thornton, Boston Bruins
December's Winner: Sergei Zubov, Dallas Stars