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With the New Jersey Devils' 2013-14 campaign in the books, there is plenty of time to reflect on the season that was.
In today's post I'm handing out most of the major awards to the Devils player I feel is most deserving.
Art Ross: Jaromir Jagr
Jaromir Jagr led the Devils with 67 points which led the team by a significant margin. Patrik Elias was 2nd on the team with 53 points, though he did play 17 less games.
Hart Memorial Trophy: Jaromir Jagr
I gave consideration to Travis Zajac, and Andy Greene for this award, but I have to give it to Jagr. What he was able to accomplish this season, especially at his age, was unbelievable. He was a consistent scoring threat every time he was on the ice, and because of his offensive abilities the Devils spent a lot more time in the offensive zone than their own. If the Devils didn't have Jagr and his 67 points, they'd probably have finished a lot lower in the standings.
Vezina Trophy: Cory Schneider
The number of starts both goaltenders had would indicate they played equally throughout most of the season, but Schneider was exceptional this year, and was consistently much better than Martin Brodeur. Schneider finished the year with a .921 save percentage and 1.97 goals against average, both of which were much better than the numbers Brodeur posted.
Calder Memorial Trophy: Eric Gelinas
Jon Merrill would have been the safe pick for this award as he's steady, reliable and played very well down the stretch in what was his first season of pro hockey. That said, despite his defensive shortcomings at times, I'm going to give this award to Eric Gelinas. The Devils won more often with Gelinas in the lineup than they did without him, and because of his powerplay efficiency the Devils were able to stay in the race longer than they should have. It wasn't always pretty and there were some rough patches, but he produced a lot of offense.
Maurice Rocket Richard Trophy: Adam Henrique
Despite scoring just five times in the first 25 games of the season, Henrique was the Devils' leading goal scorer this season. He scored 11 goals in the final 18 games of the year which was just enough to edge out Jaromir Jagr for the team lead.
James Norris Memorial Trophy: Andy Greene
Greene was exceptional on the Devils' backend all season long, and was far and away the best defenseman on the team this season. He more than held his own against top competition every single night, and never seemed to dire despite averaging almost 25 minutes a night. He also posted good possession numbers, and finished the year with 32 points.
Frank J. Selke award: Travis Zajac
This is an absolute no brainer for me. Zajac went up against opposing team's top players every night, and did an excellent job of shutting top competition down. Not only that, but he carried possession more often than not against said players, and finished the season with a pretty respectable total of 48 points as well.
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On Pete DeBoer, scoring chances, and possession
On Pete DeBoer and how low event hockey helps the Devils
Western Conference playoff predictions
Eastern Conference playoff predictions
Time For Some Change
Could George McPhee end up in New Jersey?
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