11/23/24
April 17, 2007
Speculate away: Hockey brethren unite! Let's get some picks on who what trophy. For those not in the know the list is as follows:
Hart Memorial Trophy: NHL Most Valuable Player
Jack Adams Award: Coach of the Year
James Norris Memorial Trophy: Top Defenseman in the NHL
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: Player who Displays Gentlemanly Conduct
Vezina Trophy: Top Goalie in the NHL
Calder Memorial Trophy: Rookie of the Year
Frank J. Selke Trophy: Top Defensive Forward in the NHL
And for the ones we already know:
Art Ross Trophy: Top Point Scorer in the NHL Sidney Crosby-Pittsburgh Penguins-36 goals 84 assists 120 points
Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy: Top Goal Scorer in the NHL Vincent Lecavalier-Tampa Bay Lightning-52 goals
Presidents Trophy: Best Overall Record Buffalo Sabres 53-21-7 113 points
William M Jennings Trophy: Goalie(s) With the Fewest Goals Scored Against Niklas Blackstrom (44 games played) and Manny Fernandez (41 games played)-Minnesota Wild-191 goals against
posted by HATER 187 to navel gazing at 09:40 PM - 19 comments
Hart: Sidney Crosby. Plenty of worthy candidates, I go with Crosby because of the huge turn-around by the Pens. Adams: I hate to pick Michel Therrien for the same reason, but I'm going to anyway. Norris: Scott Niedermayer. Nick Lidstrom is a very close second Lady Byng: I have no idea. Vezina: Martin Brodeur. If I lived out west I'd go with Luongo. Tough call, but I'll stick with Marty. Calder: Evgeni Malkin. Enough with the Penguins already. Sheesh. Selke: Umm... Rod Brind'amour?
posted by SummersEve at 08:15 AM on April 18, 2007
Hart: Crosby - The first of many, no doubt. Adams: Toughest one to call. Therrien? Norris: Lidstrom Byng: Marty St. Louis? Who the fuck even gets nominated for this? Vezina: I'm giving it to Luongo on account of the West being a little more competitive than the East - though Brodeur will probably win it based on the record and his ludicroud stats. Luongo was, in a manner of thinking, the Vezina and Hart winner. No one meant more to his team or played better, though. Calder: Pfft. Next. Malkin - no other option. I'd say Statsny second and Staal third. Kopitar and Carle out of it. Another good year for rookies, though. Selke: Brind'amour is a good choice here.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 09:00 AM on April 18, 2007
Hart: Crosby. Luongo runner up. Adams: Alain Vigneault. Totally re-invented a Canucks team that was widely expected to miss the playoffs for third straight year. It wasn't all Luongo. Norris: Lidstrom. Guys like Barret Jackman and jay Bouwmeester deserve consideration just for having excellent +/- playing big minutes for shitty teams. Lady Byng: Probably Datsyuk. Kariya is always a good choice. Jay Pandolfo, with only 8 penalty minutes in a full season as a checking forward should be considered -- except this award always goes to a decent player who is also "gentlemanly" Vezina: Luongo. Brodeur great as well. Tiebreaker is how Luongo backstops the Canucks league-leading, and frequently called on, PK unit. Calder: I'd go Stastny. Probably will be Malkin though. Selke: Mike Fisher. Could be Pandolfo though.
posted by rumple at 12:11 PM on April 18, 2007
My picks: Hart: Crosby Adams: Babcock (Somewhat of a homer pick, but to tie for most points in the first year after losing the longtime captain -- Professor Leadership and Captain Intangibles from back when Derek Jeter was in diapers -- and last year's leading goal-scorer, I think that's pretty impressive.) Norris: Lidstrom Lady Byng: Datsyuk (I have no idea who is perceived to be the most gentlemanly player these days, although my perception is that this usually goes to a forward with above-average to good offensive skills and very few penalty minutes. Datsyuk has the highest point to penalty minute ratio (87:20 or 4.35 p/pim) of any of the top 20 scorers, so I'll say it's him.) Vezina: Brodeur (Close one with Luongo, who in some respects had a harder go of it based on how his team plays in front of him, but 12 shutouts is just ridiculous.) Calder: Malkin Selke: Brind'amour (I would have picked Draper, based purely on reputation and rampant homerism -- I've not watched a lot of hockey this year, so am particularly ill-equipped to judge an award based on criteria that don't really show up in the stat sheet -- but then this would be an exclusive Wings/Pens party). Note that the above represent who I'd pick. I think, though, that all of the picks are actually also who will win except for Babcock. I'll predict Therien wins that one.
posted by holden at 12:47 PM on April 18, 2007
Hart : Crosby. I'm not going to add any fuel to the hype fire. Jack Adams : Nolan Norris : Neidermayer. I forget where I read this, but someone commented how Niedermayer does more to help his team win, and this tipped the scale away from Lidstrom. Lady Byng : Wellwood. 129 GP. 7 minor penaltes. No one is Byngier. Vezina : Luongo. Has been the best for the past few years. Calder : Staal - Malkin had more opportunity. Kopitar isn't as deadly. Stastny has Joe to thank. Selke : Neil - because I think the NHL wants to be like the NFL when it comes to defense.
posted by garfield at 01:26 PM on April 18, 2007
Hart: Crosby will win but either Brodeur or Luongo should win. However, with Crosby being the focal point of the NHL advertising as well as being "the next great one" the award will go to him. Jack Adams: Therrien Norris: Neidermayer could very well win but the Wings fan in me pulls my pick to Lidstrom. Lady Byng: Datsyuk Vezina: Either Luongo or Brodeur could win this but Brodeur had the better season statistically plus he was a huge force on my fantasy team. Calder: Stastny. Malkin was supposed to be good, there was a reason he was the number one pick. Plus he has Crosby and a decent goalie behind him. Stastny came out of pretty much no where and helped the Avs with their unsuccessful playoff push. Selke: Brind'amour because he's the biggest name.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 07:45 PM on April 18, 2007
I can hear the announcement now... "And the winner of the Vezina -- because he powered Ying Yang's fantasy hockey team -- Martin Brodeur."
posted by SummersEve at 04:23 AM on April 19, 2007
Hart: Crosby Jack Adams: Nolan Norris: Neidermayer Lady Byng: Avery Vezina: Luongo Calder: Malkin Selke: Legwand
posted by 86 at 07:48 AM on April 19, 2007
You guys are nuts on the Calder "debate". It's Malkin. He led all rookies in goals, points, PPPs, blah, blah. He was in the top 20 in scoring at more than a point per game. He is the rookie of the year. Frankly - it's not even close. Plus he has Crosby and a decent goalie behind him. Joe Sakic is chopped liver? Malkin didn't even play on Crosby's line outside of the PP, anyway.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 08:39 AM on April 19, 2007
Not sure I understand the "he was supposed to be good" argument. Ovechkin was "supposed to be good" too.
posted by SummersEve at 11:28 AM on April 19, 2007
Not even close? Stastny has 7 points less on a weaker team (woah, that feels weird saying about Colorado in relation to Pittsburgh) despite being practically invisible until hitting that 20 game point streak late in the year (when he closed to point gap significantly). And if you saw any of those games, you'd have seen that he was really the best player on the ice. Granted, he had a slower start and was overshadowed quickly by the Malkin hype, but he deserves consideration. I don't think he will win, but to say that it's "not even close" is a little bit of a disservice to his play.
posted by mkn at 12:29 PM on April 19, 2007
Hey, credit to Statsny for playing well and performing remarkably. That's why he's going to finish second. But let's not act like he deserves more credit than Malkin for doing well because his success was surprising. Instead, let's give Malkin the appropriate kudos for meeting/exceeding the high expectations that were on his shoulders going into the season. I think his was the tougher assignment. Hype works two ways. That and he led all rookies in goals, assists, points and PPP. I think it's an easy decision - but I appreciate the statistical closeness. However, I do think that three/four years from now the consensus best rookie from this year is going to be Jordan Staal. He may not even score as many points - but holy shit, that kid is a player.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 12:58 PM on April 19, 2007
And next year's Calder goes to .... Jannik Hansen! Quite possibly if I was building a team from scratch I would look at Staal first as well. I mean, he's 18 or something still, he has a complete game and obvious leadership skills.
posted by rumple at 02:02 PM on April 19, 2007
Joe Sakic is chopped liver? Malkin didn't even play on Crosby's line outside of the PP, anyway. Fourty of Malkin's 85 points came on the powerplay. I'd say that is a very significant amount. And if I am correct Stastny was not on Sakic's line, instead playing with the likes of Brad Richardson and Wojtek Wolski.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 03:41 PM on April 19, 2007
Stastny coming in to Colorado with the legendary name "Stastny" on his back must have been a lot of pressure too. And, he plays centre, a much more demanding position.
posted by rumple at 04:16 PM on April 19, 2007
According to Romig, Therrien line mixed all season(I'd put that fact in the not coach of the year column.), so it is a bit difficult to assess who played with who. All I know is Staal didn't see Malkin-type time on the PP. Stastny and Hejduk combined on 36 goals. So when Stastny wasn't playing with Sakic and Brunette, he was feeding Hejduk. Awesome performance, but quite a bit more support and opportunity. Staal was supposed to go play for the baby Pens, but he produced so much from such limited ice time, they had no choice but to keep him up. Give him a full year with free rein and more support and I'd think he'd easily have 40 and 40. For me, Legwand is the most interesting nomination, mostly because I don't know jack about him. Pahlsson deserves a mention as well.
posted by garfield at 12:41 PM on April 20, 2007
Forget the AHL, Staal was almost sent back to juniors. Talk about proving some folks wrong.
posted by SummersEve at 01:40 PM on April 20, 2007
Hart: Crosby. Helluva player! Jack Adams: Ruff-Ruff! Norris: Lidstrom. Neidermayer a close second. Lady Byng: Pandolfo (8 PIMS for the season, come on!). Vezina: Flip a coin. Heads = Hasek, Tails = Brodeur. Calder: Staal. Led the league in shorthanded goals. As a rookie no less! Selke: Datsyuk (Lead the league in the regular season with 107 takeaways).
posted by wingnut4life at 09:27 AM on April 21, 2007
Woah... "more inside", dude!