Stars And Sticks 2014 NHL Award Picks
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
On Tuesday, the NHL awards will be given out in a ceremony in Las Vegas. Here are a list of the finalists for each award, and my predictions
NHL Awards: Hart Memorial Trophy
The finalists:
I absolutely loathe Crosby, but he’s my pick for the award. He was truly the most valuable player to his team during the regular season, which is what the award is for. I’m not saying Getzlaf and Giroux didn’t have excellent seasons, because both of them did, but this is Crosby’s award to lose.
NHL Awards: Ted Lindsay Award
The finalists:
Again, I hate Crosby. I have no idea how the players will vote, but I’m pretty certain they will vote for Crosby. With all the Penguins’ injures, Crosby had to be spectacular for the Penguins to make it to the playoffs. Crosby was nothing short of spectacular. Let’s hope I don’t have to write any more nice things about Crosby because this feels weird.
NHL Awards: Norris Trophy
The finalists:
Wow, what a motley crew. You could easily make a strong case for any of these three guys. My pick is Keith. The Norris Trophy has tended to go towards the more productive defensemen as far as points are concerned, and this year, Keith is that guy. I could honestly see any of these three guys winning it though, as each of the three players are incredible defensemen. I’d love to have any one of those three guys on the Capitals!
NHL Awards: Selke Trophy
The finalists:
This one should be between Bergeron and Kopitar. They are very similar players who are equally excellent on both ends of the ice. I’d give Kopitar the ever so slightest edge because he logged the most time on the PK of any of the top 30 scorers in the NHL. However, Toews is a big name. Kopitar or Bergeron should win this, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Toews won it. Toews is very good on defense, but I hope Kopitar wins it because he deserves it the most.
NHL Awards: Vezina Trophy
The finalists:
Another impressive group of finalists. I don’t think Bishop will win because while he was great this season, he wasn’t Rask or Varly great. Varlamov deserves the award this season. Many nights, Varly had to be close to flawless in net for the Avalanche to win, and Varly rose to the occasion. Quite frankly, Henrik Lundqvist should win this award, but I guess he’s too awesome to be eligible.
NHL Awards: Calder Trophy
The finalists:
You’ll be hearing these three names a lot over the next ten years. There was an extremely impressive crop of rookies this year, and these three stood out. MacKinnon is my pick for the award. He immediately made a huge impact on an Avalanche team that desperately needed a spark. MacKinnon was that spark.
NHL Awards: Lady Byng Trophy
The finalists:
The Lady Byng Trophy is awarded to “the player judged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability”. I’m not really sure how a team captain who demanded a trade from said team because he was mad that he was excluded from the Olympics (and wound up going anyway) exhibits sportsmanship or gentlemanly conduct, but who am I to judge?
The clear winner here is Ryan “Baba” O’Reilly. Not only did he have a career year as far as scoring, he only committed one minor penalty all year. That’s extremely impressive. Part of me wants St. Louis to win it so I can laugh my head off, but O’Reilly is definitely the most deserving candidate.
NHL Awards: Mark Messier Leadership Award
Yes, this is an actual award. Mark Messier literally gets to choose who wins it. Hey, it’s better than the alternative: the Mike Milbury Leadership Award.
The finalists:
- Dustin Brown
- Getzlaf
- Toews
It’s quite hard to pick the winner of this award considering Messier decides who wins it. It should go to Brown or Toews though. I think that it speaks volumes that Brown wasn’t even one of the five best players on the Kings this season, but he was still their captain and leader. I wouldn’t be shocked if Getzlaf won it either. Basically, unless I become a mind reader and happen to encounter Messier, my pick for this award means nothing.
NHL Awards: Jack Adams Award
The finalists:
- Mike Babcock
- Jon Cooper
- Patrick Roy
It’s hard to choose between these three guys. Babcock had injuries galore with the Red Wings and still managed to lead Detroit into the playoffs. Jon Cooper did a very good job until his goalies all got injured. Patrick Roy had one heck of a rookie season as a head coach. I think it should go to Babcock, but Roy is equally deserving as well. Cooper just didn’t do enough for me. It’s not that Cooper didn’t do a great job because he did, it’s just that Babcock and Roy were outstanding.