They’ve only handed out the Maurice Richard Trophy since the 1998-99 season, but it’s already one of the most coveted awards in the NHL. Last year’s winner was Tampa Bay’s Vincent Lecavalier with 52 goals. Who’ll win this year?

It’s a tight race, as usual. In first place at press time was Atlanta’s Ilya Kovalchuk with 14 goals after 17 games. Behind him with 13 goals apiece were Detroit’s Henrik Zetterberg and Ottawa’s Daniel Alfredsson. Kovalchuk is the proven sniper of the three; Zetterberg’s top output was 39 goals in 2005-06, the same year Alfredsson potted a career-high 43. Kovalchuk had 52 goals that year.

Kovalchuk also tied for the Richard Trophy in 2003-04, when he, Calgary’s Jarome Iginla and Columbus’ Rick Nash finished with 41 goals and sent the NHL into lockout mode. The big Russian can keep up the scoring pace with the league’s best, even more so with Alfredsson’s former teammate Marian Hossa at his side.