By JOSH HELLER
Staff Writer
Now that we’ve hit the playoffs, it’s time to look at the new favorites for the NHL Awards. Keep in mind, the awards are based solely on regular season performance.
Hart Memorial Trophy (MVP): Carey Price, goaltender, Montreal Canadiens.
Although this trophy has been hotly debated, it should go to Price. The stats and game tape suggest that if Price were to miss extended time with an injury, the Canadiens would be a below-average team. We saw a glimpse of this in last season’s Eastern Conference Finals. Once New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider ran into Price, breaking his leg, the series took a 180-degree turn.
Many have argumed, saying that if Dustin Tokarksi did not have to come in, and Price had been available for the whole series, maybe Montreal would have been the team to play the L.A. Kings in the final. Due to Price being such a huge part of a good team, it’s a lock for the Hart to go to him.
Vezina Trophy (top goaltender): Carey Price
In the past 30 years, there have been three instances where a goaltender has won the Hart trophy: Dominik Hasek (1996-97, 1997-98) and Jose Theodore (2001-02). In each of these three instances, they also went on to win the Vezina Trophy. If Price gets the Hart, which many believe he is a lock for, then he’s even more of a lock for the Vezina.
Calder Memorial Trophy (top rookie): Johnny Gaudreau, forward, Calgary Flames.
Gaudreau, defensemen John Klingberg and Aaron Ekblad, and forwards Filip Forsberg and Mark Stone are all fitting candidates for this award. All of the above rookies posted outstanding seasons, but only three were able to push their teams into the playoffs, Stone of the Senators, Forsberg of the Predators, and Gaudreau.
Stone and Gaudreau both posted 64 points in 80 games, while Forsberg posted 63 points in 82 games. The main debate comes down to Stone versus Gaudreau, but the edge goes to Gaudreau. Stone had a very hot ending to the season, boosting his points total through the roof. Gaudreau, meanwhile, was consistent over the course of the season.
Neither rookie pushed their teams into the playoffs alone, as Stone got help from goaltender Andrew Hammond and fellow rookie Mike Hoffman, while Gaudreau got help from nearly-a-point-per-game player Jiri Hudler, as well as Norris Trophy candidate Mark Giordano. The size difference between the two is outstanding, as Gaudreau is 5’8”, 155 lbs., and Stone is 6’2”, 203 lb. The size, as well as the types of goals and assists he had, help to push Gaudreau over Stone in the debate, but it truly is anyone’s trophy.
Jack Adams Trophy (Coach of the Year): Paul Maurice, Winnipeg Jets
Maurice’s Jets team finished with 99 points in the regular season, as the Jets were able to squeak into the playoffs to take on the Anaheim Ducks. Not only did Maurice turn a bottom-of-the-standings team into a playoff team, but he did so with countless injuries to the roster. Some of the biggest names who were injured include defensemen Jacob Trouba, Toby Enstrom, and Dustin Byfuglien, as well as forwards Mathieu Perrault and Blake Wheeler. Not only were injuries a problem, but Maurice had to figure out what to do with his two goaltenders.
At the beginning of the year, Jets rookie goaltender Michael Hutchinson was posting astounding numbers, putting him in talks for the Calder trophy at the time. At the same time, veteran goaltender Ondrej Pavelec was posting poor numbers, so Maurice went with Hutchinson. Over time, the numbers regressed, and Pavelec was back to number one on the depth chart. Pavelec ended up being the reason the Jets made the playoffs, posting surreal numbers in the final weeks of the season.
Maurice’s handling of the injury and goaltending situations put him at the top of the list for coach of the year.
James Norris Trophy (best defenseman): Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings
Like the Calder, this year’s Norris trophy race is wide-open, with candidates including P.K. Subban of the Canadiens and Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators. Karlsson is currently first in the NHL in points among defensemen, while Subban is one of the best two-way defensemen in the game. But, even though his L.A. Kings missed the playoffs, Doughty deserves the honors this year. He sits behind Minnesota Wild’s Ryan Suter in time-on-ice per game, average 29 minutes per game. Also, Doughty can help to contribute offensively, contributing 46 points in 82 games played this season. If the Kings had made the playoffs, Doughty would be the absolute favorite, but since they did not, the race is more open and the award could go to anyone.
Frank J. Selke Trophy (best two-way forward): Patrice Bergeron, center, Boston Bruins
This award, for the past five years, has been between Bergeron, Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks, and Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings. This year, even though his Bruins missed the playoffs, Bergeron should get the award. He had the highest faceoff percentage this season, as well as one of the best shot attempt percentages in the league. The percentage means that Bergeron had the puck a lot of the time, and even just watching him shows how good he can be defensively.
