Well on Wednesday, they are having the NHL Awards at 7 o' clock on NBC
Sports Network, and although the show is a debate
in itself, it's still fun to see these players off the ice.
This years' awards are a little interesting. The nominees are all, for
the most, good choices. Now while most awards can be narrowed down to 2
choices, there's still not really a sure-fired winner.
So I'll give my picks for the winners. Now many of you know already,
but I'm not the best prognosticator out there, no matter how well informed you
all think I am (curse
you, second round!)
So while I don't have the best luck with predictions, I'm still pretty
confident with my picks. So hopefully you tune in on Wednesday and enjoy the
show!
Before I make my first pick, I would like to point out that the votes
for these winners were made BEFORE the NHL playoffs. So I'm sorry Adam
Henrique, I'm sorry Jonathan Quick, and I'm sorry Dustin Brown. You're stellar
playoff performances can't help you here.
So let's get started with a somewhat meaningless one.
GM of the Year Award (As voted for by the general managers and a
panel of NHL executives, print, and broadcast media)
Dale Tallon-Florida Panthers
People were skeptical, at first, about Tallon's job this past
offseason. Tallon hauled in as many free agents he could find and really
transformed hockey in Florida. People weren't sure the team chemistry would
work out so well, with all the new faces in the lineup but Florida shocked
everyone with their Southeast Division win. Tallon signed Kevin Dineen as head
coach, and then signed players like Kris Versteeg, Tomas Fleischmann, Sean
Bergenheim, Tomas Kopecky, Brian Campbell, Ed Jovanovski, and goaltender Jose
Theodore. All these players were instrumental in their playoff run and it was
all thanks to Dale, the man who changed Florida Panthers hockey.
David Poile-Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are mainly the Nashville Predators because of a
rich history of drafting good talent and conditioning those players until
they're NHL ready. Look at Pekka Rinne. Look at Shea Weber. What has this
accomplished, one might ask? Well they just made it to the postseason for the
7th time in 8 seasons, a sign of consistency and strong play in Nashville.
This season, Poile was aggressive at the trade deadline and made moves
that almost led him through the playoffs. At the deadline, not only did he
acquire Hal Gill, Paul
Gaustad, and Andrei Kostitsyn, all of whom had positive impact on the team,
he also managed to get Alexander Radulov to come over from the KHL to play for
the end of the season and playoffs.
These moves were ballsy but showed everyone how willing Poile was to
get the team to the promise land.
Doug Armstrong-St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues have a somewhat similar story to the Nashville
Predators. The team consists of home-grown, well-developed draft picks who
flourished under a system. Guys like David Perron, T.J. Oshie, and David Backes
are all players drafted by the Blues and developed in their system. This year
was the breakout year for this team and Armstrong had much to do with it.
The team needed a few more pieces before they became the dominant team
they were this season. So they signed the great goalie-tandem of Brian Elliot
and Jaroslav Halak which resulted with them winning the William Jennings Trophy
for the fewest goals allowed all season. And then they made the change that
really solved everything. Mid-season, they hired coach Ken Hitchcock (more on
him later) to take over for Davis Payne and this was pretty much what led them
to the playoffs. A remarkable signing.
Who will win?
Gotta give this one to Dale Tallon of the Florida
Panthers. The dude completely reshaped the franchise and did everything in his
power to make them succeed. Many had them finishing close to last this season
but they proved everyone wrong as they had a fantastic season and start of a
promising future. And it's all thanks to Tallon.
Jack Adams Award (The NHL coach who contributed the most to
his team's success as voted for by the National Hockey League
Broadcasters' Association)
Paul MacLean-Ottawa Senators
Hey, you. That's right, I'm talking to you. Where did you have the
Ottawa Senators finishing the regular season last September? What's that? Dead
last in the East? Yeah, me too.
Right now Paul MacLean is laughing in your face. While you were drawing
up Ottawa to land in the 15 hole in the East, the newly hired MacLean was
trying to figure out what he was going to do with his team. The first thing he
did was have a long talk to veteran Jason Spezza about being a leader for the
youngsters and setting an example. He got guys like Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson,
and Erik Karlsson all to have huge seasons and really got the team going. The
team had an 18 point difference from the season before standing-wise (from 13th
seed to 8th seed) and they went from the 26th in the league to 4th in the
league offensively. Good going, Paul.
Ken Hitchcock-St. Louis Blues
When Ken Hitchcock joined the Blues on November 8, he had a weak 6-7
team with a terrible powerplay and even worse penalty kill. The end result? A
potential Presidents Trophy team with very strong special teams with a brick
wall in their own zone.
If a transformation like this doesn't earn a Jack Adams Trophy, I'm not
sure what will.
Hitch's system utilized the teams solid-enough depth and made the most
of their goals with suffocating defense and two fantastic goalies. This
system really shaped the way St. Louis played for the bulk of the season, and
like I said, almost won the Presidents Trophy as top team in the whole NHL.
John Tortorella-New York Rangers
It'd be pretty fitting that John wins this trophy, the one named for a
coach who once assaulted an NHL referee. That's the type of coach John is. He's
a wise
guy to the media and someone who'll get in your face at the bench. But
his coaching style got the most out of his team this year as they almost won
the Presidents Trophy and spent much of the season atop the NHL. His style of
hockey for the Rangers consisted of A) hit anything that moves and B) dive in
front of any black rubber object approaching your net. They led the league in
hits and were fourth in the league in blocked shots. This system really cashed
in for the Rangers this year as they made it to the Eastern Conference Finals
for the first time since 1994 (the Devils beat them this year, by the way).
Just one note that Puck Daddy pointed out. This is the second year in a
row that an Adams finalist appeared in 24/7, the Road to the Winter Classic on
HBO. Last year Dan Bylsma was nominated and went on to win the thing. The
theory is that perhaps fans see a coach's work more in the show and are
therefore more pulled toward that individual. This could certainly be the case
here.
Who will win?
Can't really make a case for anyone but Ken Hitchcock winning
this thing. The guy made a total transformation with those St. Louis Blues and
actually got them to play hockey. St. Louis' success was pretty much solely on
what Ken Hitchcock directed them to do and you can't argue with the results.
MacLean can technically win if he can get some votes for being one of the
nicest figures in hockey but I feel this won't be the case.
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (the player adjudged to have exhibited
the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high
standard of playing ability as voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers'
Association)
this isn't exactly an easy thing to pick. just a few notes on each
Jordan Eberle-Edmonton Oilers
34 goals, 42 assists, 10 penalty minutes in 1,372:35 minutes of playing
time. The guy's 21 years old and is reputably a very nice character.
Matt Moulson-New York Islanders
36 goals, 33 assists, 6 penalty minutes in 1,582:48 minutes of playing
time. With six penalty minutes, he became the first player since Paul Kariya in
1996-97 to score at least 30 goals and have single-digit penalty minutes. Plus,
you can tell how nice this guy is, playing for the Islanders for 3 straight
seasons without once requesting a trade.
Brian Campbell-Florida Panthers
(As Puck Daddy pointed out, it'd be awesome if this guy won. Only 2
defensemen have ever won it and not a single Dman has won in over 50 years)
4 goals, 49 assists, (second among defensemen with 53 points), 6
penalty minutes in 2,205:31 minutes of playing time, which led the entire NHL.
A nice fellow who was willing to wave his no-trade clause in Chicago to help a
young Panthers team and helped lead them to the playoffs.
Who will win?
Not an easy thing to predict but I'll give it to Brian Campbell just
because of him being a defenseman and truly having an impact on his team. But
seriously, who cares about this?
Bridgestone Messier Leadership Award (to the player who
exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice during
the regular season as selected by fans, clubs and NHL personnel, but the
selection of the three finalists and the ultimate winner is made by Mark Messier
himself)
This award is perhaps the trickiest to choose for fans. We don't quite
have access to locker room speeches or off the ice team functions. Messier
knows a lot of information that we don't quite have access to so what I write
will most likely not be all that complete.
Shane Doan-Phoenix Coyotes
Doan has been the captain of the 'Yotes for ages. He's been associated
the team for a very long time and is the heart and soul of the bunch. He's a
smart player who has a ton of willpower and grace on the ice and truly leads
his team. With the Coyotes in the mess they're in financially along with the
fact that they aren't even sure where they're going to end up playing next
year, it takes a strong captain like Shane Doan to really hold down the fort and
get everyone going the way they did. Like, seriously. How else do you think the
Coyotes not only remained their composure all year this season, but excelled
with it? Doan is really a great leader.
Plus, throw in the fact that since he IS hockey in Phoenix, he does a
ton for the community there, something that's really considered in this
selection.
Plus, judging from Paul Bissonnette's Twitter feed, Doan's hilarious
and a great down-to-earth locker room guy. So ya, he's great.
Ryan Callahan-New York Rangers
As a Devils fan, I know all about Callahan's heart. He leaves
everything out there on the ice and gives it his all every shift. He's a
lead-by-example kind of guy and he does just that exceptionally well. This
year, he led the Rangers deep into the postseason for the first time in close
to 2 decades (yes, I'm trying to rub it in) and is starting to become the next
image of New York Rangers hockey.
Dustin Brown-Los Angeles Kings
Like Callahan, Brown is a lead-by-example type of guy. He's known for
his big body checks with a knack of scoring and is a brute force out on the
ice. He's got the heart of a champion and proved just that this June when he
led the Kings on to win the Stanley Cup. He's also known to be a great figure in
the LA area and is a huge ambassador of the sport. But seriously, I'm gonna
have to deduct points for his awful playoff beard.
Who will win?
Like I said, there's no way of knowing the winner based on the fact
that the fans don't have such a great sense of what these leaders do.
That being said, based on what we do have, I think Shane Doan should
win this based on the way he's led his team AND his community through such hard
times, but I just have this feeling that Dustin Brown will
take the honours.
I believe this is the only trophy awarded after the Stanley Cup Finals
so, ya, that really helps Brown's case here.
Throw into the fact that he's known for his charity work in the city of
LA and he's got a strong chance.
But I'm considering this a victory if either Doan or Brown take this
one.
NHL Foundation Award (who applies the core values of
hockey—commitment, perseverance and teamwork—to enrich the lives of people in
his community as selected by…somebody)
Matt Moulson-New York Islanders
Yes, the guy who's nominated for the "nicest guy on the ice"
award is also nominated here for the "nicest guy off the ice" award.
He started the 326 Foundation to benefit the Islanders Children's
Foundation and the Kings Care Foundation. This year, Moulson donated $500 for
each of his career-high 36 goals for a total of $18,000 to the 326 Foundation.
In two seasons of the program's existence, he's donated $32,500 to the program
thanks to his 65 goals. He also raised money for Hockey Fights Cancer and
helped out the Wounded Warrior Project, too.
Plus more.
Mike Fisher-Nashville Predators
He started Room In the Inn, a full-service homeless facility located a
few blocks from Bridgestone Arena; Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at
Vanderbilt; and Cottage Cove Urban Ministries, a Nashville based non-profit
organization that serves inner-city youth.
Plus more.
And, everyone's in love with him and his charitable wife.
John-Michael Liles-Toronto Maple Leafs
There’s Liles' Buds program, an initiative he developed early in the
season in partnership with The Canadian Safe School Network (CSSN) that recognizes
children who perform acts of kindness and give back to their community through
anti-bullying efforts. Liles donated 10 suite nights to this program, valued at
$33,000, to Maple Leafs games during the 2011-12 season to children from the
CSSN, Autism Speaks Canada and Cardiac Kids. Liles further demonstrated his
dedication to education through a $25,000 donation to the First Book Canada
program, money that purchased 5,000 books, supporting First Book Canada's
mission to address the challenge of literacy in Canada at its root by providing
new, age and language appropriate books to children who otherwise would not be
able to access them.
Plus more.
Who will win?
Another tough one to predict especially for people out of the
community. It's not easy knowing what Liles is doing up in Toronto or what
Fisher is doing in Nashville.
But just based on the reports, it seems John-Michael Liles should
win this thing. He's got a huge list of charitable stuff he's involved with.
Fisher might win this thing based on the fact he has a more-known name than
Liles but Liles should get the nod.
But seriously, no matter who wins this thing, it's going to be sold and
donated to some charitable group anyway....
James Norris Memorial Trophy (the defense player who
demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the
position, selected in a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association at
the end of the regular season.)
Just to specify, this award doesn't necessarily mean "the leading
point scoring defenseman" although that's what many believe is the case.
The NHL should really make 2 Dman trophies, one specifying offensive ability
and the other focusing on the defensive aspect (well, duh) so guys like Dan
Girardi can get rightfully nominated. But, alas, it is not so.
Zdeno Chara-Boston Bruins
Chara had his best season offensively for the Bruins this year with 12
goals and 40 assists which ranked 4th among all Dmen in scoring. He led the
Bruins in power-play goals (eight) and average ice time per game (25:00) and
continues to be the face of the franchise. He's always considered one of the
toughest guys to face off against given his tremendous size (6"9),
incredible reach, pure strength, and physicality. It's his fifth time being a
nominee for this lovely award. Chara faced tougher quality of competition
(0.089) on average than the other finalists. He’s viewed as one of the
best shutdown defensemen in the NHL. Like I pointed out, his points were up
from last season, and he again posted a plus-33. The description of this trophy
states "all-around ability" and here's a guy who is close to the best
in both aspects of the game. It's tough to see him not winning but there's a
small dilemma.
Erik Karlsson-Ottawa Senators
Hello Mr. Dilemma.
As I noted above, this award isn't a contest of who can score more
points than the other nominees. However, this is getting close to what this
trophy has become.
So Karlsson is receiving a ton of love for this trophy for his
remarkable season with 78 points in 81 games, an unheard of number for a
defenseman. We can go on and on about how he's joining conversations with
legendary Dmen Paul Coffey or Bobby Orr for defensemen with offensive capabilities.
Or how the most points for a Dman after him is 53. This is a defenseman's
award.
This is a similar situation we saw a couple of years ago with Mike
Green being nominated for the award, mainly because of his 31 goals in a season
(which is ridiculously impressive, by the way). Puck
Daddy wrote a great piece about why Karlsson shouldn't win and I'll
echo some of it.
True, he's not a defensive liability like Mike Green was the year he
was nominated so the nomination isn't that bad. But he's honestly not the best
defensive player we've seen and that's a tad bit struggling.
But one HUGE point, and one that Puck Daddy pounded on, is that
Karlsson barely ever plays on the penalty kill.
A part of the game when you NEED your best defensive players out on the
ice, and you're "best defenseman" nominee isn't out there. What type
of message does that send to you? It tells me everything I'll know.
But Karlsson will make this thing very darn interesting with his point
total.
Oh well.
Shea Weber-Nashville Predators
Weber ranked near the top of several categories, leading the Predators
to their seventh Stanley Cup Playoff berth in the past eight seasons. The
Nashville captain placed sixth in scoring among all defensemen with 49 points
(19 goals, 30 assists). His 19 goals tie him with Erik Karlsson for most goals
by a Dman, by the way. He ranked fifth in the NHL in average ice time per game
(26:09), tied a career high and led all defensemen with 10 power-play goals. He
ranked 16th in quality of competition faced (0.067) on average. He's got good
speed and is aggressive with the puck. Perhaps one of the most well-rounded
defensemen in the league .
Who will win?
Everyone is expecting Karlsson to take home the Norris but I have faith
that we'll see the right winner, Shea Weber, chosen. Shea has the
offensive capabilities and the defensive capabilities to earn him this one.
Weber is just 29 assists off from Karlsson's total in points. While it
seems Weber isn't quite on the same level as Karlsson, this great post tells us otherwise,
as it points out that many of Karlsson's assists are not quite as legitimate as
they should be. It's a case of his shots going through from the point and
winding up in the net off a teammate or two. So skill-wise I think these guys
are pretty close together (no, obviously Karlsson is better but Weber is close
enough).
Throw in the fact that he's a stalwart on defense, and we
have ourselves the Norris winner.
Frank J. Selke Trophy (the forward who best excels in the
defensive aspects of the game as chosen by the Professional Hockey Writers'
Association)
Just to let you guys know beforehand, +/- is most likely one of the
worst stats in hockey. It doesn't show all that much about a given player and
could be very deceiving at times. It's supposedly taken into consideration
here, but most people in the hockey world know it's fakeness. I leave that stat
out here.
Pavel Datsyuk-Detroit Red Wings
After winning 3 straight Selke Trophies, Datsyuk lost it last year due
to injuries and the like. This year he was back to his old tricks as he did
what he does best. Steal the puck.
Datsyuk was third in the NHL in takeaways (97), and his stickhandling
and passing skills helped the Red Wings' renowned puck possession game. A
PERFECT example of both of these would be his goal in game 3 in
the first round of the playoffs against Nashville. In the faceoff circle (yes,
another factor) Datsyuk is one of the best in the game. He was the Wing's
top face-off man, posting a 56.2% winning percentage.
David Backes-St. Louis Blues
Most people view the Selke winner as someone who should be slick
defensively and stealthy as he slides into the zone and steals the puck away
from opponents. It doesn't happen too often that we have a guy who's a huge
physical force like Backes. The 6'3", 225-lb. center again was a
punishing physical presence, doling out a team-leading 226 hits, joining Los
Angeles forward Dustin Brown as the only players to record 200 hits or more in
each of the past five seasons. His physical play leads to good scoring chances
for the Blues.
Additionally, Backes had the highest average ice time per game
among forwards (19:59) on the club that allowed the fewest goals in the NHL by
a wide margin. Also, Backes led the Blues in face-offs (1,353), blocked 72
shots. It's about time this man received some love for the Selke.
Patrice Bergeron-Boston Bruins
Think for a minute. Try to come up with a forward in the East who's
better defensively than Patrice Bergeron.
You're having trouble too, right?
Patrice is truly a pleasure to watch. He's quick and skillful and plays
smart hockey. He topped all Bruins forwards in shorthanded time on ice
(1:48 per game) and was dominant in the face-off circle, posting a 59.2%
winning percentage. He is one of the few likable Boston players, and
that's not something easy for me to say. People say he's due to win this thing
and it looks like there's a good chance that'll happen.
Who will win?
After looking at this thing, I feel like David Backes will
grab the trophy. I like his physical game and think people will appreciate that
in him. The one downside with Backes is that, unlike the other two finalists,
he isn't a faceoff man, so the other two (who am I kidding. If Backes doesn't
win, it's all Bergeron) have that advantage. But I hope Backes pulls this one
out.
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (the player who best exemplifies
the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey as
chosen by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association)
One of the most deserved trophies in the sport. I've talked about the dedication
in our brutal sport and how it's on display in the postseason. But every
year, we see 3 (this season 2, really...) heartwarming stories about a
miraculous comeback from a sort of injury.
Daniel Alfredsson-Ottawa Senators
It's not really a secret that Alfie is getting the nomination here just
because he's Alfie. He's been in the league for quite some time and has been
the captain in Ottawa forever. True, he did have back surgery during the summer
and he had one helluva season this year, in unexpected fashion. The reception at the All Star Game was touching as well and pretty much we're all happy to see Alfie doing well. But there's not such a big chance he pulls the upset in this one.
The award calls for "perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey." Being a career Ottawa Senator...that's all of those things, no?
Joffrey Lupul-Toronto Maple Leafs
In 2010, Joffrey Lupul underwent 2 extreme back surgeries and a bad blood infection that could have potentially threatened the way he lived his life. As he noted at the time, "You don't know if you'll ever play again, even be able to lead a normal life again."
The story was tragic and saddening.
This year, Lupul was placed on a line with Phil Kessel and had a tremendous season. He didn't go more than one game without not getting a point until January. He got a career high 67 points (in only 66 games!) and was nominated to be an Assistant Captain at the NHL All Star game.
Lupul had to overcome the odds, overcome an injury, and overcome a complicated blood problem and somehow had this miracle season.
Oh, and he had to overcome lining with Phil Kessel, also.
Max Pacioretty-Montreal Canadiens
In probably one of the craziest hockey situations in the past few seasons, Patches suffered a severe concussion and a broken neck. It happened on March 8, 2011, that Zdeno Chara (be it intentional or not) drove Max Pacioretty's head into the turnbuckel at the Bell Centre, knocking him out and requiring a stretcher to take him off the ice.
The road back has been difficult. But it's been inspirational also.
Here's a post by Puck Daddy (ya, I know, another one. The dude's great with these stuff) about Pacioretty becoming involved in helping out other brain trauma victims and is really dedicating himself to brain damage research.
This year, he set career highs for goals (33), assists (32), and was fourth in the league in even strengthed goals (29). He also became apart of Montreal Canadiens history as he became the first American bourn player in Montreal to reach the 30 goal mark.
So after his experience, Patches stayed strong and not only excelled in hockey, he dedicated himself to a worthy cause.
Who will win?
If you read anything that I just wrote I think you should know that this belongs to Max Pacioretty. After such a tough stretch, it's nice to see a lot of good come out of this for him and for the city.
Ted Lindsay Award (the "most outstanding player" in the NHL. As opposed to the Hart Memorial Trophy (see later), this award is voted on by members of the National Hockey League Players' Association)
Henrik Lundqvist-New York Rangers
There have been few goalies (if any) that have been better over the last few years than King Henrik. Lundqvist, over the past few years, has had to be huge for the Rangers in net if they ever had a shot at making a deep playoff run. His numbers were always good, but this year the Rangers invested a little more in their team play and it helped Henrik's numbers go up.
He got a career high in wins, 39 wins in 62 games, third in the league. He had the third most shutouts (8), fourth lowest goals against average (1.57) and fourth highest save percentage (.930).
Lundqvist has been on the brink of being considered "Best Goalie in the World" for a little while now and has been looking to make a big step as of late.
Evgeni Malkin-Pittsburgh Penguins
Last year, Malkin battled injuries and really struggled to maintain the superstar status that he had. Coming into this season, people weren't sure if Geno would be 100% or not.
However, Malkin had perhaps one of his best seasons in his young career. He won the Art Ross Trophy for player with the most points in the league (109). He got at least one point in 80% of the games he played in. He is the first Art Ross winner to lead in points by double digits 1999 and he truly dominated the league this year.
Steven Stamkos-Tampa Bay Lightning
At this point, we should know what to expect out of Stamkos. The dude's a scoring machine and nearly impossible to stop. He's got tremendous hands and a wicked shot and is a threat to score from anywhere on the ice.
So this season, we shouldn't have been surprised when he got to the 60 goal mark, only the second time a player has done this since 1995 and the first time since 2008. He also led the league in even strength goals and had the most in that department since 1993. He also was tied for the league lead in game winning goals (12) and had an NHL record 5 overtime goals.
Anyway you look at it, just a great season for Stamkos.
Who will win?
The award for "Most outstanding player" is different from "most valuable to his team" (see Hart Trophy later). I think Steven Stamkos really deserves this one based on his incredible season. The guy's a scoring machine and has put up unfathomable numbers, especially when you think about how great the defense is in this league nowadays.
Calder Memorial Trophy (the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the NHL as decided on by the Professional Writers' Association)
Adam Henrique-New Jersey Devils (woot! woot!)
Let's be real here for a moment. There's less than a 3% chance Henrique wins this thing. People weren't sure if Henrique would even be nominated over the leading rookie goal scorer Matt Read of the Philadelphia Flyers.
Now, don't get me wrong. Had this been a vote about who the most complete rookie was after all 82 games AND the postseason, then Henrique would most likely win this thing. He was stellar in the playoffs and became New Jersey's mister clutch.
But in the regular season, you have to look at a few things. True, without him this season, the Devils would have been toast. He stepped into the lineup after Travis Zajac was out with an injury and really stepped up his game (a point-per-game player in November and December). He also saw significant time in both special teams situations.
Here's where this goes a little sour. Henrique mostly played on a line with Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk, two proven, bona fide NHL superstars. And when he wasn't with them, he pretty much did next-to-nothing.
So the rookie did have a very good season for the Devils and the future looks bright to him, but it's not very realistic that he'll win this thing.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins-Edmonton Oilers
Being the first overall pick in the 2011 NHL draft, the Nuge had a lot of expectations going into this season. How would he hold up to the pressure of playing with the big boys. And he did just fine.
RNH (thank GOD for acronyms...) was most likely the best offensive rookie. While all 3 are stacked up pretty closely with points and goals, RNH rocked them in points-per-game (.84) because he accomplished close to what the other finalists did, but in just 62 games. There's no question he was the more dynamic rookie in a smaller time frame. The 18 year old was also sick on the powerplay and really helped the team out a lot.
Another thing to note, people questioned the physicality and toughness of this young player coming into the season. At just 6"1, 175 pounds (!) most people expected him to just be bowled over by the big players in the league. But he really impressed everyone with that aspect of his game as he didn't really let it phase him.
Gabriel Landeskog-Colorado Avalanche
Being picked second overall in the 2011 NHL draft, Landeskog was obviously overshadowed by the Nuge. But that didn't stop his tremendous season.
Unlike the other 2 players, Landeskog had a bit of a different role on his squad.
While Nugent-Hopkins and Henrique both played on lines with talent, Landeskog didn't receive quite the same luxury. Landeskog also was somewhat of a leader on the Avs, a difficult position for the rookie.
He led the team and set a season high for the Avs franchise with 270 shots on net and was the only rookie to lead his team in goals, something that says a lot about the type of team he was on.
Landeskog also faced off against tougher opponents on average than the 2 other finalists yet he shared the rookie scoring lead. He also led all rookies with 38 even-strengthed points. Additionally, he was a pretty important physical force on the Avs with 219 hits (which led all rookie forwards) and played a fantastic game on both ends of the ice.
One last point, Landeskog was instrumental in Colorado's push for the playoffs late in the season. He excelled down the stretch and really boosted his game when it matter most. He had a huge goals in big games and none was more dramatic than his sweet OT game winning goal agaisnt Anaheim in the final month of the season (and yes, this was the goal that led to Landeskoging)
Who will win?
So this is an interesting toss up. It's between one player who was infinitely more important to his team (based on game situations and the way he played) and one player who was just all out dynamic and huge offensive threat. I think Landeskog deserves to win this one based on his situation down in Colorado and how he excelled but I'm gonna give this one to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins based on his incredible numbers and how he shined in Edmonton.
Vezina Trophy (the goalkeeper adjudged to be the best at his position as voted by the General Managers of all NHL clubs)
Jonathan Quick-Los Angeles Kings
At times, it seemed Jonathan Quick was the only LA King playing hockey. While the rest of the team was doing nothing all throughout the regular season, Quick was fighting off shots and playing as well as he good to get the Kings into a position to make the playoffs. And when the Kings finally got to that mode late in the season where they were going to start playing hard, it's all because of Jonathan Quick that they still had a shot at the postseason.
The Kings had the 29th ranked offense in the NHL, a miserable statistic for a goalie's team. So Quick had to make the most of what he had to work with. And he did just that.
He was second in GAA (1.95), fifth in SV% (.929), tied for fifth in wins (35).
Plus, he allowed one goal or shut out the opposition in 27 games and surrendered two goals or fewer in 46 games. Oh, and his 10 shutouts were the league's best. Not bad for a guy with no offensive support.
Wait, a guy with no offensive support? Reminds me of a goalie that plays in New York.
Henrik Lundqvist-New York Rangers
To the liking of Henrik Lundqvist the Rangers finally became a real hockey team. While in the past, it was the Henrik Lundqvist show, this year the Rangers had some offense and staggering defense, something that really lightened the load on the King. Hank's numbers were also very impressive. He was third in the league in wins (39), tied for third in shutouts (8), fourth in GAA (1.97), and fourth in SV% (.930).
In the Rangers best season in years, Lundqvist was huge for them and pretty much unbeatable. He benefits from the fact that there are 2 goalies nominated from the Western Conference so there's a good chance he'll get the majority of the vote out of the Eastern General Managers, something that could tip this thing in his favour. Throw in the fact that he's pretty much the face of New York hockey plus, it's his fourth nomination, a small indicator that he's due to finally win this thing.
Pekka Rinne-Nashville Predators
Similar to Adam Henrique with the Calder, Rinne totally deserves the nominee but there's about a 0% chance he wins this thing.
He pretty much led the leagues in starts with 72 and somehow thrived under the tremendous workload. Because he started so much, he led the league in categories like shots faced and saves along with most wins (43). He had a 2.39 GAA with .923 SV% along with 5 shutouts. The Predators had the league's best winning percentage after scoring firset (.833) and that's in part to Rinne's stellar play.
True, his stats are down a bit from last year, but his games played total and wins were astronomically high. But it's hard to make a legitimate case for Rinne to win this year.
Who will win?
I'm under the impression that Jonathan Quick was not only better than Lundqvist, but he was more important to his team than Lundqvist. He just had so much less to work with yet he still had a better save percentage. The Rangers were fourth in the league in blocked shots. The Kings were second to last. The Rangers were 17th in takeaways. The Kings were 28th. Quick faced 347 shots shorthanded to Lundqvist's 263. And yet Quick still had the better numbers.
But at the end of the day, Henrik Lundqvist is gonna win this thing. C'mon, he's Henrik Lundqvist.
Hart Memorial Trophy (the player judged to be the most valuable to his team. As opposed to the Ted Lindsay Award (see above), this award is voted on by the Professional Writers' Association)
Evgeni Malkin-Pittsburgh Penguins
Last year, Malkin battled injuries and really struggled to maintain the superstar status that he had. Coming into this season, people weren't sure if Geno would be 100% or not.
However, Malkin had perhaps one of his best seasons in his young career. He won the Art Ross Trophy for player with the most points in the league (109). He got at least one point in 80% of the games he played in. He is the first Art Ross winner to lead in points by double digits 1999 and he truly dominated the league this year.
Steven Stamkos-Tampa Bay Lighting
At this point, we should know what to expect out of Stamkos. The dude's a scoring machine and nearly impossible to stop. He's got tremendous hands and a wicked shot and is a threat to score from anywhere on the ice.
So this season, we shouldn't have been surprised when he got to the 60 goal mark, only the second time a player has done this since 1995 and the first time since 2008. He also led the league in even strength goals and had the most in that department since 1993. He also was tied for the league lead in game winning goals (12) and had an NHL record 5 overtime goals.
Anyway you look at it, just a great season for Stamkos.
Henrik Lundqvist-New York Rangers
There have been few goalies (if any) that have been better over the last few years than King Henrik. Lundqvist, over the past few years, has had to be huge for the Rangers in net if they ever had a shot at making a deep playoff run. His numbers were always good, but this year the Rangers invested a little more in their team play and it helped Henrik's numbers go up.
He got a career high in wins, 39 wins in 62 games, third in the league. He had the third most shutouts (8), fourth lowest goals against average (1.57) and fourth highest save percentage (.930).
Lundqvist has been on the brink of being considered "Best Goalie in the World" for a little while now and has been looking to make a big step as of late.
Who will win?
If you were paying attention, you'd realize that my summaries were word-for-word with the summaries for the Lindsay. Well that's because people view the Hart and the Lindsay as pretty much the same award. Ever since they started handing out the Ted Lindsay award (formerly Lester B. Pearson Award) in 1971, there have been 24 players who received both the Lindsay and the Hart.
But they aren't necessarily the same. For example, last year, Corey Perry took the Hart while Daniel Sedin took the Lindsay.
One is for best player. One is for most valuable to his team.
One is voted for by the NHLPA. One is voted for by the PHWA.
So here's who'll win the Hart.
Stamkos is an enigma because no matter how good he was this year, what did he do for his team? Not lead them into the playoffs? People were shocked that a player from a non playoff team was a finalist and I doubt he'll win the award.
As I mentioned in the Vezina prediction, I don't think Lundqvist was AS important to his team as Jonathan Quick was yet Lundqvist is nominated nonetheless. Lundqvist could potentially win the Hart but it's hard to see happening. While I projected him to win the Vezina, only three goalies have ever pulled off the Hart Vezina sweep; Jacque Plante in 1962, Dominik Hasek twice, in 1997 and 1998, and Jose Theodore in 2002. So it's been done but it's a rarity.
I think the obvious choice though has to be Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The dude put up his best season ever. And did we mention he did it mainly without Sidney Crosby? The typical discussion for MVP is "if this player's team loses their best player, how will they perform?" and Malkin was given that exact scenario and excelled with it. Malkin led his team and without him, they'd be picking close to the top in this years NHL draft. Instead, they were the 4 seed with 108 points.
So that's it.
This may have been my longest post and if you're reading this, congratulations on reading the whole thing.
Enjoy the show tonight.
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