The National Hockey League’s awards show will take place tonight in Las Vegas. With four members of the Tampa Bay Lightning nominated for honors, I’d like to take a moment to make some predictions.
This blog contains two parts – I’ll tell you who I think the winner will be, and then I’ll tell you who I think the winner should be. I’ve excluded a few awards for simplicity’s sake. For instance, it’s tough for me to predict which player Mark Messier is going to select for his award. The Lindsay is quite similar to the Hart. The Foundation Award could go to anybody. With all that out of the way, let’s get started.
Hart Memorial Trophy – Sidney Crosby, Claude Giroux, Ryan Getzlaf
Who Will Win: Sidney Crosby Who Should Win: Sidney Crosby
Crosby was just dominant this year. On a Penguins roster that has its issues, Crosby put up 104 points in 80 games to lead the way. While the team fizzled out in the post-season, it’s hard to argue with Crosby’s superb play during the regular campaign. Without him, who knows where the Penguins would be.
Vezina Trophy – Ben Bishop, Tuukka Rask, Semyon Varlamov
Who Will Win: Tuukka Rask Who Should Win: Semyon Varlamov
Something tells me that Rask will take this one home, but I firmly believe that Varlamov should be the winner. On a Colorado team that really wasn’t all that good, Varlamov was a shining star. The team in front of him was a possession nightmare, but game after game he was there to shut the door. Rask, on the other hand, had the luxury of playing behind an elite team.
James Norris Memorial Trophy – Zdeno Chara, Duncan Keith, Shea Weber
Who Will Win: Zdeno Chara Who Should Win: Zdeno Chara
While he didn’t put up the same flashy point totals as Duncan Keith, Zdeno Chara was undoubtedly the best defenseman among the three nominees. His 17 goals and 40 points in 77 games while playing relatively tough minutes is enough for me to hand him the award. Not only that, but he was also a possession driver on one of the elite teams in hockey.
Calder Memorial Trophy – Nathan MacKinnon, Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson
Who Will Win: Nathan MacKinnon Who Should Win: Nathan MacKinnon
Electric is probably the best word I can find to describe MacKinnon’s play in his rookie season. He led all rookies in scoring and has that ‘first overall pick’ thing tagged next to his name. Both Johnson and Palat had fantastic seasons, but I’m not sure that they will be able to usurp a very deserving MacKinnon here.
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy – Patrick Marleau, Marty St. Louis, Ryan O’Reilly
Who Will Win: Ryan O’Reilly Who Should Win: Ryan O’Reilly
As per the NHL’s release on this award, O’Reilly is only the second player in NHL history to receive two or fewer penalty minutes while playing more than 80 games. Combine that with the fact that he notched 64 points while playing a solid two-way game, and this one is a slam-dunk.
Frank J. Selke Trophy – Patrice Bergeron, Anze Kopitar, Jonathan Toews
Who Will Win: Patrice Bergeron Who Should Win: Anze Kopitar
I don’t know who will win this award, but I do know that Kopitar should win this award. It was great to see Kopitar receive some national exposure during the cup run; he deserves it. This player is one of the elite centers in the NHL today. He puts up solid offensive numbers (70 points in 82 games), drives possession, and plays tough minutes for the best team in hockey. He is the true definition of two-way player.
Jack Adams Award – Mike Babcock, Patrick Roy, Jon Cooper
Who Will Win: Patrick Roy Who Should Win: Jon Cooper
I made my case for Cooper in a blog last week. You can check that out right here.
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy – Jaromir Jagr, Manny Malhotra, Dominic Moore
Who Will Win: Manny Malhotra Who Should Win: Malhotra or Moore
I’d be happy to see either Manny Malhotra or Dominic Moore take home the Masterton; that’s not meant to be a slight at Jagr, but rather a testament to the comebacks Malhotra and Moore made from devastating injury and personal loss respectively.
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If you were picking the award winners, who would take home the trophies? Let me know in the comments section.
As always, thanks for reading.
Michael Stuart has been the Tampa Bay Lightning writer for HockeyBuzz since 2012. Visit his archive to read more or follow him on Twitter.