As each of the NHL’s 32 teams reach the midway point of the 2024-25 regular season, pundits and writers have begun to share their midseason awards, highlighting which players and bench bosses have succeeded so far this year.

One of those awards is the Jack Adams, and many are pointing to Spencer Carbery of the Washington Capitals as a favorite to win it. The Capitals were a team that barely squeaked in the playoffs last spring but are now among the best teams in the league. However, Columbus Blue Jackets’ coach Dean Evason is in the conversation as someone who’s taken a near last-place squad and turned them into a playoff contender.

On Thursday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk discuss potential options for coach of the year, and who might be an underrated choice for the award.

Tyler Yaremchuk: It’s a perfect time for us to talk a little coaching, Frank, and the Jack Adams Award has a somewhat open race. If we look at the odds on the betting front, Spencer Carbery is the odds-on favorite, but I think there’s a lot of really good candidates.

I think Dean Evason in Columbus deserves to be getting a lot of love, I think Ryan Huska and the Calgary Flames deserves a lot of love in this conversation, and I think Jim Hiller is right up there, as well. I’m not totally sold that Carbery should be this big of a favorite.

Frank Seravalli: I don’t think so at all, and I love the work that Carbery has done in Washington, as it’s been eye-opening over these two years. He would have been a really strong candidate last year, to be honest.

But to me, it’s really Dean Evason in Columbus: he would be No. 1 if I were submitting a ballot right now. This team plays with so much more structure, their attention to detail is there, and it’s a positive vibe. Everything about this Columbus team feels different than last year. Look, Evason is not in control of all that, but it’s a reminder that he’s a really good coach.

You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…