With more than half of the NHL season in the rear view mirror and the Olympic hockey tournament starting up next week, eDraft has decided to take a look at our midseason award winners. Let’s use the standard set of hockey awards named after people that we have all never heard of and bear the names of people who have long since passed and donated trophies many, many, many years ago.
We’ll leave out the Conn Smythe Trophy or any awards that require a postseason to be played. We’re projecting enough at this point without delving into who will excel in the postseason.
Hart Memorial Trophy (Most Valuable Player)
Top Candidates: Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks, Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
And the winner is……Sidney Crosby. The Penguin’s captain will win his second (it is actually stunning that he’s only won a single Hart Trophy) award for the NHL’s most valuable player. Last year’s winner was Alexander Ovechkin as the most valuable to his team, but let’s be honest, Crosby has been the best player in the NHL all year.
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (Gentlemanly Play)
Top Candidates: Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay, John Tavares, New York Islanders, Phil Kessel, Toronto
And the winner is……Martin St. Louis. The Lightning captain celebrates back-to-back trophies that no one really cares about. The spirit of the award is based on good sportsmanship and playing the game the “right way”, but it generally is given to the best player with the fewest penalty minutes.
Calder Memorial Trophy (Top Rookie)
Top Candidates: Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado, Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay, Hamphuis Lindholm, Anaheim
And the winner is……Nathan MacKinnon. The number one overall pick takes the crown as the top rookie of the year. The biggest story will be that the other top candidates came into the league with much less fanfare. Johnson could really push for the upset before the season is done, but at the mid point it is MacKinnon.
Art Ross Trophy (Leading Scorer)
Top Candidates: Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh, John Tavares, New York Islanders, Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim
And the winner is……Crosby, again. The biggest shocker in the season so far has been that Crosby is only leading the scoring race by ten points at this point in the season. Chances are by the end of the year, health pending, Crosby will have a fifteen to twenty point lead over second place.
Vezina Trophy (Top Goaltender)
Top Candidates: Tuukka Rask, Boston, Carey Price, Montreal, Ben Bishop, Tampa Bay
And the winner is……Ben Bishop. If you had Ben Bishop pegged as the top goaltender in the NHL last September, please DM me so I can get some stock tips. While you would expect to see Rask and Price mentioned here, Bishop has been a stunner all year.
James Norris Memorial Trophy (Top Defenseman)
Top Candidates: Duncan Keith, Chicago, P.K Subban, Montreal, Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis
And the winner is……Duncan Keith. After winning the award in 2010, Keith seemed to coast for a few seasons. He has been head and shoulders above the rest of the crop this year as the best overall blue liner all season.
Jack Adams Award (Top Coach)
Top Candidates: Bruce Boudreau, Anaheim, Ken Hitchcock, St. Louis, Dan Bylsma, Pittsburgh, Patrick Roy, Colorado
And the winner is……Bruce Boudreau. The salty-mouthed boss from Anaheim has made all the right moves for the NHL’s top team so far. A winner of the Adams award in 2008 with the Washington Capitals, Boudreau has evolved into a more well rounded coach that swears a lot less on camera. Slight edge over rookie coach Roy.
Frank J. Selke Trophy (Top Defensive Forward)
Top Candidates: Patrice Bergeron, Boston, Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit, Jonathan Toews, Chicago
And the winner is……Henrik Zetterberg. No homer-ism here, but given how bad Detroit has been all year, it is pure sorcery that Zetterberg has a plus/minus of plus-20. With Pavel Datsyukmissing out on so many games so far this year, the defensive responsibility has been entirely on the shoulders of the Detroit captain.
Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy (Top Goal Scorer)
Top Candidates: Alexander Ovechkin, Washington, Phil Kessel, Toronto, Corey Perry, Anaheim
And the winner is……Alex Ovechkin. He’s projected to pass the magical 50-goal mark for the fourth time in his career. With 39 goals in 53 games so far, Ovechkin has been a one-man show for the Capitals all year.
General Manager of the Year (General Manager of the Year, in case you didn't know)
Top Candidates: Bob Murray, Anaheim Ducks, Ray Shero, Pittsburgh Penguins, Jarmo Kekalainen, Columbus Blue Jackets
And the winner is……Jarmo Kekalainen. I’m going to give the nod to the Blue Jackets boss who has assembled quite the upstart crew in the Ohio capital city. The emergence of some young talent has Columbus in the thick of the playoff picture. Kekalainen helped assemble much of the current St. Louis Blues roster during his time there and has made a similarly impressive impact in Columbus.