What is the purpose of this trophy anyway? Is it possible that standards changed and we have a strange award of accomplishment now? I don't get the idea of this trophy and I feel unconfortable complaining about it. What I see is time have changed, maybe not for better, maybe not for worse. I feel I just woke up in a new century, like time travelling.
You could just check the award history.
The 1972 Masterton Trophy winner (5th year of this trophy existing) was Bobby Clarke who won it for playing in the NHL with Diabetes.
The 1978 winner won it for being small.
The 1990 winner tried to overcome injuries, played 2 games then retired.
The 1992 winner won it for overcoming EMS.
The 1993 winner (Lemieux) won it for overcoming lymphoma.
The 1998 winner overcame bacterial meningitis.
The 1999 winner overcame lymphoma.
The 2000 winner overcame alcoholism.
The 2002 winner (Koivu) overcame lymphoma.
The 2003 winner (Yzerman) overcame health issues and played 16 games.
The 2011 winner won despite playing 0 game (Ian Lapperriere).
The 2012 winner won for playing despite being diagnosed with MS.
The 2018 winner won for overcoming leukemia.
The 2020 winner won it for overcoming alcoholism and playing 24 games.
The 2022 winner won it for overcoming substance abuse and career threatening injuries to play 5 games.