There are some that I want to quibble about.
Hart: Corey Perry
Of the finalists, I liked Perry, too. But I would've cast Tim Thomas in first and put Pekka Rinne and Jonathan Toews in there somewhere, too.
Selke: Ryan Kesler
Total joke. I know Kesler is elite defensively (as shown by Vigneault putting him against top lines during the playoffs, even in Malhotra's absence), but he wasn't asked to play much defense this season. Datsyuk was a total stud but missed time, and Toews was more deserving as well, playing borderline top-line competition. I had Callahan as my pick.
Vezina: Tim Thomas
Legit.
Lindsay: Daniel Sedin
Weak class this year, so I won't argue much here. I think Daniel Sedin is better than Henrik Sedin, and although I think Corey Perry is a better player, the difference isn't all that big (the guys in the class of players above the Sedins and Perry all had various issues, like Crosby with injury, Backstrom and Ovechkin with an ineffective power play, etc).
Calder: Jeff Skinner
I would've picked Grabner, Skinner, Couture, but all three were good choices. John Carlson would've been a better choice, though. Oh, well.
GM of the Year: Mike Gillis (VAN)
I guess this is okay--he did construct a great roster. Peter Chiarelli (BOS) probably would be my pick, though, for his aggressive dealings throughout the season, especially at the deadline, which obviously proved successful (hindsight is a beautiful thing).
Norris: Nicklas Lidstrom
I had Lidstrom second behind Chara, but Lidstrom is one of my favorite non-Caps, so I'm not mad about this at all. Chara's now won an undeserved Norris (2009) and lost a deserved one (2011).
Adams: Dan Bylsma
Good pick. Being short two of your vaunted three centers almost the entire year (I think the Winter Classic was the only game for which all three were healthy) and putting up the best underlying numbers and getting close to winning the conference is quite the accomplishment.
All-Rookie Team: G Corey Crawford, D John Carlson, D PK Subban, C Jeff Skinner, C Logan Couture, LW Michael Grabner
Solid picks here. In goal, Sergei Bobrovsky and Michal Neuvirth would have been fine choices as well, and on defense, Cam Fowler and Kevin Shattenkirk, too. But I think they got this one right.
First All-Star Team: LW Daniel Sedin, C Henrik Sedin, RW Corey Perry, D Nicklas Lidstrom, D Shea Weber, G Tim Thomas
Second All-Star Team: LW Alex Ovechkin, C Steven Stamkos, RW Martin St. Louis, D Zdeno Chara, D Lubomir Visnovsky, G Pekka Rinne
I would've swapped Weber with Chara; otherwise, these look fine. Jarome Iginla (43-43-86 in 82), Teemu Selanne (31-49-80 in 73), Henrik Zetterberg (24-56-80 in 80), Jonathan Toews (32-44-76 in 80), Claude Giroux (25-51-76 in 82), and Ryan Getzlaf (19-57-76 in 67) all had strong seasons as well (all but the Sedins and Ovechkin played power-against-power in some form, most against top lines). In fact, Toews' rate stats are very close to the Sedins' at 5v5.
Showing posts with label Awards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Awards. Show all posts
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Awards Picks: Byng, Selke, Adams, Masterton, Lindsay, Messier, Foundation
Tonight the NHL Awards show will come to you from Las Vegas. Alex Ovechkin is up for the Hart and Lindsay (renamed this year, from Pearson), Mike Green the Norris and Foundation, and Jose Theodore the Masterton.
Lady Byng Trophy
The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy is an annual award given to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability. The winner is selected in a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association at the end of the regular season and each individual voter ranks their top five candidates on a 10-7-5-3-1 points system. Three finalists are named and the trophy is awarded at the NHL Awards ceremony after the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Selke Trophy
The finalists: Pavel Datsyuk, Ryan Kesler, Jordan Staal
NHL.com player bios
Favorite: Datsyuk
Who should win: Datsyuk
In my mind a guy more under the radar, like Mikko Koivu, would have been more deserving. Anyways...
All three are excellent defensive players that frequently play against the other teams' top lines and do well not just defensively, but offensively as well (offense is the best defense).
Jack Adams Award
The Jack Adams Award is an annual award presented by the National Hockey League Broadcasters' Association to the NHL coach judged to have contributed the most to his team's success. The winner is selected in a poll among members of the NHL Broadcasters' Association at the end of the regular season.
Masterton Trophy
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is an annual award under the trusteeship of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association and is given to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. The winner is selected in a poll of all chapters of the PHWA at the end of the regular season.
Ted Lindsay Award
The Ted Lindsay Award is presented annually to the "most outstanding player" in the NHL as voted by fellow members of the National Hockey League Players' Association.
Mark Messier Leadership Award
The Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award presented by Bridgestone has been awarded since 2006-07 and is awarded "to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice during the regular season."
Foundation Award
The NHL Foundation Player Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) player "who applies the core values of (ice) hockey—commitment, perseverance and teamwork—to enrich the lives of people in his community".
Lady Byng Trophy
The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy is an annual award given to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability. The winner is selected in a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association at the end of the regular season and each individual voter ranks their top five candidates on a 10-7-5-3-1 points system. Three finalists are named and the trophy is awarded at the NHL Awards ceremony after the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The finalists: Pavel Datsyuk, Brad Richards, Martin St. Louis
Favorite: Datsyuk
Who should win: St. Louis
The common definition of this award is basically who played best with the least PIMs. All three had similar PIM numbers this season (more than 10, less than 20) so I will restrict it just to highest playing ability. St. Louis had the most points, and while he may not be the player Datsyuk is, he also contributed heavily to the emergence of Steven Stamkos as a top-notch goal scorer, setting him up time after time. Datsyuk and the rest of the Red Wings didn't have a very impressive first 50 or so games of the season, and Richards I think was just not as good as either of the other two.
Selke Trophy
The finalists: Pavel Datsyuk, Ryan Kesler, Jordan Staal
NHL.com player bios
Favorite: Datsyuk
Who should win: Datsyuk
In my mind a guy more under the radar, like Mikko Koivu, would have been more deserving. Anyways...
All three are excellent defensive players that frequently play against the other teams' top lines and do well not just defensively, but offensively as well (offense is the best defense).
Jack Adams Award
The Jack Adams Award is an annual award presented by the National Hockey League Broadcasters' Association to the NHL coach judged to have contributed the most to his team's success. The winner is selected in a poll among members of the NHL Broadcasters' Association at the end of the regular season.
The finalists: Joe Sacco, Barry Trotz, Dave Tippett
Favorite: Tippett
Who should win: Tippett
Which team was the most popular pick for 15th in the West?
Phoenix.
Which team finished 4th in the West, with terrific production all through their lineup, great play in overtime and shootout, and solid defense that overcame a poor offense?
Phoenix.
Tippett is their coach. While Sacco and Trotz are both deserving--Sacco doing similarly, with a younger lineup and finishing lower with his Colorado team, and Trotz once again getting Nashville to overperform salary and talent on paper (maybe that's why they're so cost-efficient...)--Tippett should get this one unanimously.
Masterton Trophy
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is an annual award under the trusteeship of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association and is given to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. The winner is selected in a poll of all chapters of the PHWA at the end of the regular season.
The finalists: Jed Ortmeyer, Kurtis Foster, Jose Theodore
Favorite: Theodore
Who should win: Theodore
In short: Ortmeyer has to inject blood thinners into his stomach every day, knowing any cut could be serious, Foster recovered from a horrific femur injury (you may recall he was pushed into the boards in a race to negate icing) to post an excellent season for Tampa Bay, and Theodore lost his son to post a very good season in goal for Washington.
Slover for the Sporting News argued that Ortmeyer deserves this award because Theodore did not show as much "dedication to hockey." I disagree. Mental focus--"There's not a day" that Theodore doesn't think about his lost son Chace--plus regaining the starting job in Washington and going on a 20+ game unbeaten streak to end the season is dedication to me. That's tremendous mental fortitude--not necessarily physical like Ortmeyer or Foster, but sometimes mental is even tougher.
Ted Lindsay Award
The Ted Lindsay Award is presented annually to the "most outstanding player" in the NHL as voted by fellow members of the National Hockey League Players' Association.
The finalists: Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Henrik Sedin
Favorite: Ovechkin
Who should win: Ovechkin
Ovechkin led the league--by far--in points per game and goals per game, plus was the captain and go-to guy offensively for the league's best offense and top power play, as well as President's Trophy winner with 121 points (the only season in which a non-Original Six team topped 120 points). Sedin and Crosby were both very good, but I don't think there's much argument against Ovechkin here, though the anti-East coast bias backlash that writers use to favor Sedin may come back to give him the award.
Mark Messier Leadership Award
The Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award presented by Bridgestone has been awarded since 2006-07 and is awarded "to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice during the regular season."
The finalists: Sidney Crosby, Shane Doan, Ryan Miller
Favorite: Toss-up
Who should win: Miller (?)
I really don't know enough to say there's a definite favorite. I do know Miller is also up for the Foundation award, which means he went out into the community to expand interest and opportunities in hockey. I'm guessing on-ice Doan and Crosby are roughly equal with Miller--it's almost impossible to judge how forwards compare to goalies in value, let alone leadership--and Miller wins off-ice, so he's my winner here.
Foundation Award
The NHL Foundation Player Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) player "who applies the core values of (ice) hockey—commitment, perseverance and teamwork—to enrich the lives of people in his community".
The finalists: Dustin Brown, Mike Green, Ryan Miller
Favorite: Unknown
Who should win: Unknown
It seems like each player has done a lot off the ice to help his community, and I'm not in a good position to judge the impact each player has had. It looks like Brown has tried more, but Miller has had more success (financially, at least). Any of these three players would be deserving.
Other awards:
Art Ross Trophy: Henrik Sedin (most points)
Rocket Richard Trophy: Steven Stamkos and Sidney Crosby (most goals)
Jennings Trophy: Martin Brodeur (fewest goals against)
Monday, June 21, 2010
Awards Picks: Hart, Vezina, Norris, Calder
The NHL Awards show will be Wednesday night in Las Vegas. Here's my take on the candidates for the Hart, Vezina, Norris, and Calder, formatted similarly to the picks of Ray Slover for the Sporting News.
Look at the NHL.com Awards homepage for more.
Hart Trophy:
The Hart Memorial Trophy is an annual award given to the player judged to be the most valuable to his team. The winner is selected in a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association in all NHL cities at the end of the regular season.
The candidates: Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Henrik Sedin
NHL.com bios
The favorite: Crosby or Sedin
Who should win: Ovechkin, in a tight one
You really can't go wrong with any of these three guys, but Ovechkin seems the best choice to me. He led the league in points per game and goals per game, narrowly missing out on the Art Ross and Rocket Richard Trophies while missing 10 games (4 due to suspension, 6 due to injury). He was named captain of the Capitals in January and the Capitals absolutely tore up the NHL thereafter, massing about 80% of the available points for the rest of the regular season. He was the most valuable player and best player on the best team, the centerpiece of the league's best offense, a catalyst on the league's best power play. Moreover, he was a +45 on the season, meaning the Caps were allowing nary a goal against at even strength while Ovechkin was on the ice. He also set a career high in assists and helped Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Knuble to career best goals per game rates.
Ovechkin is mainly hurt by playing for a very deep, strong team, and having gotten little penalty killing time (though Sedin and Crosby didn't get much either), with very strong linemates.
Crosby at first glance has the best candidacy, if you ask me. He scored 51 goals to tie for the Richard with Steven Stamkos, with easily lesser teammates than either Ovechkin (Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Knuble) or Sedin (Daniel Sedin, Alexandre Burrows) or Stamkos too (Martin St. Louis, Steve Downie). Pittsburgh as a team was nothing special this season--a strong team, to be sure, but no terrific offense like Washington or Vancouver, no superstar goalie like in Vancouver, and so on. What Crosby did was be the go-to guy on offense on a contender, one on which the wingers did little to nothing and the secondary scoring wasn't rampant in a down year for Evgeni Malkin. Marc-Andre Fleury, while possibly better than in years past, was still annoying Penguins fans to no end, and the Pittsburgh defense was going through trouble as well as top minute man Sergei Gonchar started showing his age, and also emerging as a top faceoff man for his team and in the league. All this while playing tough minutes with weak teammates (by QTeam and QComp).
What ruins Crosby's candidacy for me are a few inconsistencies. First, without Evgeni Malkin in the lineup, Crosby struggled, scoring nowhere near a point per game and in fact closer to 0 points over 82 games than 82 over a season. He also had a large discrepancy in terms of goals at home versus goals on the road--a bit larger than normal, perhaps even acceptable, but Ovechkin showed a lot more balance in his goal scoring. Nitpicky, to be sure, but that's the nature of this award.
Henrik Sedin won the Art Ross Trophy playing in the tougher conference and going one-fourth of the season without his twin brother Daniel on his line due to Daniel Sedin's injury. No other Western Conference player comes remotely close to Sedin's point totals, and that's with Sedin also not even playing 20 minutes a game, significantly less that Ovechkin or Crosby, and playing less on the power play as well. He also averaged better than an assist a game, and you have to think that with Daniel in the lineup all season Henrik Sedin would have hit the 90 assists mark and possibly made a run at 100 (a special mark indeed).
While the West is certainly better, sometimes the difference is overstated. Sedin's QTeam and QComp show him to play with very strong teammates against below average competition. While these measures are imperfect and break down when line matching (checking vs scoring) is in place, the sheer difference between the numbers for Sedin and for Crosby/Ovechkin says to me that Sedin had a bit of an easy time at even strength, since those are too big to be made up by occasional line matching. Moreover, Sedin scored only 29 goals this season, while his competitors scored 50 each while amassing similar point totals. Considering goals are rarer than assists, this is another knock on Sedin. He too played on a deep team in Vancouver, one with a better defense on paper than either Washington or Pittsburgh, yet managed a +34. While good in a vacuum, Daniel Sedin was also +34, meaning over about 20 games which Daniel missed Henrik Sedin was roughly a break-even player at even strength (+0). Not even close to good enough. He gets a lot of praise for that time, but if he was scoring a goal every two games, a point a game, yet +0 a game, then something is wrong. The Canucks as a team stepped up without Daniel Sedin, Henrik didn't just carry them on his shoulders.
Vezina Trophy
The Vezina Trophy is an annual award given to the goalkeeper adjudged to be the best at this position as voted by the general managers of all NHL clubs.
The candidates: Martin Brodeur, Ilya Bryzgalov, Ryan Miller
NHL.com bios
The favorite: Miller
Who should win: Miller
Brodeur gets the nod because he's Martin freakin' Brodeur, but in reality more deserving of the nomination would be Tuuka Rask or Tomas Vokoun, the most underrated goalie since the lockout. Vokoun had a terrific save percentage and even-strength save percentage (special teams save percentage varies quite a bit from year to year, so ESSv% is the best indicator of a goalie's talent), well above the other candidates.
Back to the candidates--Brodeur started a lot of games for a good team coached by the master of the trap, Jacques Lemaire. Hence his numbers will look good.
Bryzgalov is an interesting case. He finished second in shutouts to Brodeur (with 8 fewer games played, so a tie could have been conceivable) while posting a better save percentage and even strength save percentage on a team that was much younger and much worse on paper than New Jersey. Phoenix, in fact, finished in the bottom 5 in goals for, yet finished 3rd in goals against, in large part due to great goaltending as Phoenix finished with 50 wins and 107 points, good for 4th in the West and well ahead of New Jersey. If New Jersey hadn't been so well disciplined Phoenix would have allowed fewer goals than New Jersey.
The knock on Bryzgalov is that his backup, Jason LaBarbera, posted good numbers as well, hinting that maybe the team defense on Phoenix was more to credit than the goaltending, much as we all love stories of goalies picked up on waivers who later win Vezinas.
So that leaves Miller. Last season Buffalo fell out of the playoffs without Miller, but this season with a healthy Miller they made the playoffs, meaning he certainly has value over replacement. He posted stellar all around numbers, including a ridiculous (and unsustainable over the long term) shorthanded save percentage. The Olympics only served to show again that he is the real deal.
Norris Trophy
The James Norris Memorial Trophy is an annual award given to the defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position. The winner is selected in a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association at the end of the regular season.
The candidates: Drew Doughty, Mike Green, Duncan Keith
NHL.com bios
The favorite: Keith
Who should win: Green
This is a very tight race. First thing to note is the time on ice numbers. Keith played much more than either Doughty or Green at even strength and on the penalty kill, while Green played much more than either Keith or Doughty on the power play.
Green led the three in goals, assists, points, power play goals, power play assists, power play points, and plus-minus, and his +/-ON/60 at 5-on-5 was the best of the three by about a goal and a half. The even strength and power play offense Green can provide, in short, is amazing.
On defense at 5-on-5, though, both Keith and Doughty are better. Doughty per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 time was giving up under two goals, compared to close to 2.4 for Green and 2.75 for Keith. Of course, competition matters as do teammates, and fact is Green played with the best teammates and against the easiest competition. Keith played the toughest competition with the worst teammates, while Doughty fell in between.
On the PK, Keith really shines. Under 5 goals against per 60 minutes of 4-on-5 time, plus about 2.3 goals for as well. Doughty gave up more than 6.5 while Green was just above 7, all this with Keith playing more than half his team's PK time. This lead in defense by Keith is somewhat mitigated though by the fact that he played on the best team by Fenwick%, had the best defensive forwards on his team, and played with the best defensive partner in Brent Seabrook (as opposed to Jeff Schultz for Green and Rob Scuderi for Doughty).
Doughty comes out ahead in the general perception of physicality--hits, blocked shots, and so on, though that may not always be the case. He, unfortunately, led (along with Green) the three in giveaways, meaning Keith was more responsible with the puck; then again, Green handles the puck more than almost any other player. Keith and Green had similar takeaway numbers (Green coming out ahead by equating games played) while Doughty came in behind.
In short, Green wins on offense, Keith on defense, and Doughty brings both well. For me though, Green's prolific offense outweighs his average defense. At one point post-Olympics, Green at 5-on-5 was +40, while Keith was +4 (remember that CHI scored a lot of shorthanded goals, which give players +1), for example. That difference is huge. Finally, Green post-Olympics was hands-down the best defenseman in the NHL by my visual analysis, while Keith struggled.
Calder Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League. The winner is selected in a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association at the end of the regular season and each individual voter ranks their top five candidates on a 10-7-5-3-1 points system. Three finalists are named and the trophy is awarded at the NHL Awards ceremony after the playoffs.
The candidates: Matt Duchene, Jimmy Howard, Tyler Myers
NHL.com bios
The favorite: Myers
Who should win: Myers
This one is easy. Duchene is automatically out for me since general knowledge is that defense and goalie are harder to come in and play than forward, and both the goalie (Howard) and the defenseman (Myers) put up not just impressive-for-a-rookie numbers, but impressive-for-anyone numbers.
Myers finished second in points to Duchene, while playing against seriously tough competition. This is a defenseman, folks. Howard had a great team ahead of him, one which really turned it on down the stretch (leading to Howard love; before, though, he was more of a dark horse candidate). Furthermore, defense is the hardest to come in and play, by conventional wisdom. This one is a slam dunk.
Look at the NHL.com Awards homepage for more.
Hart Trophy:
The Hart Memorial Trophy is an annual award given to the player judged to be the most valuable to his team. The winner is selected in a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association in all NHL cities at the end of the regular season.
The candidates: Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Henrik Sedin
NHL.com bios
The favorite: Crosby or Sedin
Who should win: Ovechkin, in a tight one
You really can't go wrong with any of these three guys, but Ovechkin seems the best choice to me. He led the league in points per game and goals per game, narrowly missing out on the Art Ross and Rocket Richard Trophies while missing 10 games (4 due to suspension, 6 due to injury). He was named captain of the Capitals in January and the Capitals absolutely tore up the NHL thereafter, massing about 80% of the available points for the rest of the regular season. He was the most valuable player and best player on the best team, the centerpiece of the league's best offense, a catalyst on the league's best power play. Moreover, he was a +45 on the season, meaning the Caps were allowing nary a goal against at even strength while Ovechkin was on the ice. He also set a career high in assists and helped Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Knuble to career best goals per game rates.
Ovechkin is mainly hurt by playing for a very deep, strong team, and having gotten little penalty killing time (though Sedin and Crosby didn't get much either), with very strong linemates.
Crosby at first glance has the best candidacy, if you ask me. He scored 51 goals to tie for the Richard with Steven Stamkos, with easily lesser teammates than either Ovechkin (Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Knuble) or Sedin (Daniel Sedin, Alexandre Burrows) or Stamkos too (Martin St. Louis, Steve Downie). Pittsburgh as a team was nothing special this season--a strong team, to be sure, but no terrific offense like Washington or Vancouver, no superstar goalie like in Vancouver, and so on. What Crosby did was be the go-to guy on offense on a contender, one on which the wingers did little to nothing and the secondary scoring wasn't rampant in a down year for Evgeni Malkin. Marc-Andre Fleury, while possibly better than in years past, was still annoying Penguins fans to no end, and the Pittsburgh defense was going through trouble as well as top minute man Sergei Gonchar started showing his age, and also emerging as a top faceoff man for his team and in the league. All this while playing tough minutes with weak teammates (by QTeam and QComp).
What ruins Crosby's candidacy for me are a few inconsistencies. First, without Evgeni Malkin in the lineup, Crosby struggled, scoring nowhere near a point per game and in fact closer to 0 points over 82 games than 82 over a season. He also had a large discrepancy in terms of goals at home versus goals on the road--a bit larger than normal, perhaps even acceptable, but Ovechkin showed a lot more balance in his goal scoring. Nitpicky, to be sure, but that's the nature of this award.
Henrik Sedin won the Art Ross Trophy playing in the tougher conference and going one-fourth of the season without his twin brother Daniel on his line due to Daniel Sedin's injury. No other Western Conference player comes remotely close to Sedin's point totals, and that's with Sedin also not even playing 20 minutes a game, significantly less that Ovechkin or Crosby, and playing less on the power play as well. He also averaged better than an assist a game, and you have to think that with Daniel in the lineup all season Henrik Sedin would have hit the 90 assists mark and possibly made a run at 100 (a special mark indeed).
While the West is certainly better, sometimes the difference is overstated. Sedin's QTeam and QComp show him to play with very strong teammates against below average competition. While these measures are imperfect and break down when line matching (checking vs scoring) is in place, the sheer difference between the numbers for Sedin and for Crosby/Ovechkin says to me that Sedin had a bit of an easy time at even strength, since those are too big to be made up by occasional line matching. Moreover, Sedin scored only 29 goals this season, while his competitors scored 50 each while amassing similar point totals. Considering goals are rarer than assists, this is another knock on Sedin. He too played on a deep team in Vancouver, one with a better defense on paper than either Washington or Pittsburgh, yet managed a +34. While good in a vacuum, Daniel Sedin was also +34, meaning over about 20 games which Daniel missed Henrik Sedin was roughly a break-even player at even strength (+0). Not even close to good enough. He gets a lot of praise for that time, but if he was scoring a goal every two games, a point a game, yet +0 a game, then something is wrong. The Canucks as a team stepped up without Daniel Sedin, Henrik didn't just carry them on his shoulders.
Vezina Trophy
The Vezina Trophy is an annual award given to the goalkeeper adjudged to be the best at this position as voted by the general managers of all NHL clubs.
The candidates: Martin Brodeur, Ilya Bryzgalov, Ryan Miller
NHL.com bios
The favorite: Miller
Who should win: Miller
Brodeur gets the nod because he's Martin freakin' Brodeur, but in reality more deserving of the nomination would be Tuuka Rask or Tomas Vokoun, the most underrated goalie since the lockout. Vokoun had a terrific save percentage and even-strength save percentage (special teams save percentage varies quite a bit from year to year, so ESSv% is the best indicator of a goalie's talent), well above the other candidates.
Back to the candidates--Brodeur started a lot of games for a good team coached by the master of the trap, Jacques Lemaire. Hence his numbers will look good.
Bryzgalov is an interesting case. He finished second in shutouts to Brodeur (with 8 fewer games played, so a tie could have been conceivable) while posting a better save percentage and even strength save percentage on a team that was much younger and much worse on paper than New Jersey. Phoenix, in fact, finished in the bottom 5 in goals for, yet finished 3rd in goals against, in large part due to great goaltending as Phoenix finished with 50 wins and 107 points, good for 4th in the West and well ahead of New Jersey. If New Jersey hadn't been so well disciplined Phoenix would have allowed fewer goals than New Jersey.
The knock on Bryzgalov is that his backup, Jason LaBarbera, posted good numbers as well, hinting that maybe the team defense on Phoenix was more to credit than the goaltending, much as we all love stories of goalies picked up on waivers who later win Vezinas.
So that leaves Miller. Last season Buffalo fell out of the playoffs without Miller, but this season with a healthy Miller they made the playoffs, meaning he certainly has value over replacement. He posted stellar all around numbers, including a ridiculous (and unsustainable over the long term) shorthanded save percentage. The Olympics only served to show again that he is the real deal.
Norris Trophy
The James Norris Memorial Trophy is an annual award given to the defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position. The winner is selected in a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association at the end of the regular season.
The candidates: Drew Doughty, Mike Green, Duncan Keith
NHL.com bios
The favorite: Keith
Who should win: Green
This is a very tight race. First thing to note is the time on ice numbers. Keith played much more than either Doughty or Green at even strength and on the penalty kill, while Green played much more than either Keith or Doughty on the power play.
Green led the three in goals, assists, points, power play goals, power play assists, power play points, and plus-minus, and his +/-ON/60 at 5-on-5 was the best of the three by about a goal and a half. The even strength and power play offense Green can provide, in short, is amazing.
On defense at 5-on-5, though, both Keith and Doughty are better. Doughty per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 time was giving up under two goals, compared to close to 2.4 for Green and 2.75 for Keith. Of course, competition matters as do teammates, and fact is Green played with the best teammates and against the easiest competition. Keith played the toughest competition with the worst teammates, while Doughty fell in between.
On the PK, Keith really shines. Under 5 goals against per 60 minutes of 4-on-5 time, plus about 2.3 goals for as well. Doughty gave up more than 6.5 while Green was just above 7, all this with Keith playing more than half his team's PK time. This lead in defense by Keith is somewhat mitigated though by the fact that he played on the best team by Fenwick%, had the best defensive forwards on his team, and played with the best defensive partner in Brent Seabrook (as opposed to Jeff Schultz for Green and Rob Scuderi for Doughty).
Doughty comes out ahead in the general perception of physicality--hits, blocked shots, and so on, though that may not always be the case. He, unfortunately, led (along with Green) the three in giveaways, meaning Keith was more responsible with the puck; then again, Green handles the puck more than almost any other player. Keith and Green had similar takeaway numbers (Green coming out ahead by equating games played) while Doughty came in behind.
In short, Green wins on offense, Keith on defense, and Doughty brings both well. For me though, Green's prolific offense outweighs his average defense. At one point post-Olympics, Green at 5-on-5 was +40, while Keith was +4 (remember that CHI scored a lot of shorthanded goals, which give players +1), for example. That difference is huge. Finally, Green post-Olympics was hands-down the best defenseman in the NHL by my visual analysis, while Keith struggled.
Calder Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League. The winner is selected in a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association at the end of the regular season and each individual voter ranks their top five candidates on a 10-7-5-3-1 points system. Three finalists are named and the trophy is awarded at the NHL Awards ceremony after the playoffs.
The candidates: Matt Duchene, Jimmy Howard, Tyler Myers
NHL.com bios
The favorite: Myers
Who should win: Myers
This one is easy. Duchene is automatically out for me since general knowledge is that defense and goalie are harder to come in and play than forward, and both the goalie (Howard) and the defenseman (Myers) put up not just impressive-for-a-rookie numbers, but impressive-for-anyone numbers.
Myers finished second in points to Duchene, while playing against seriously tough competition. This is a defenseman, folks. Howard had a great team ahead of him, one which really turned it on down the stretch (leading to Howard love; before, though, he was more of a dark horse candidate). Furthermore, defense is the hardest to come in and play, by conventional wisdom. This one is a slam dunk.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Non-NHL Awards Part 3
The Wade Redden Award is the player who, signed to a new contract coming into effect in the season just passed, underperforms expectations the most.
The winner: Jay Bouwmeester!
Bouwmeester was highly coveted prior to last year's free agency period, so much so that the Calgary Flames traded impending free agent defenseman Jordan Leopold and a third round pick for the rights to negotiate with Bouwmeester a few days before July 1. He signed a 5 year deal worth $33.4 million, a cap hit of about $6.7 million per season, and put up 3 goals and 29 points for Calgary. The Flames were supposed to have the second best if not the best top-3 in the NHL this past season, with Robyn Regehr, Bouwmeester, and Dion Phaneuf, but instead ended up out of the playoff picture, in cap aches, and having traded Phaneuf and top defensive prospect Keith Aulie to Toronto for a package involving Matt Stajan and Ian White.
At the very least, while Bouwmeester wasn't even close to worth his salary (the Capitals got similar if not better play from Jeff Schultz for about $6 million per season less in cap hit) he wasn't a complete liability like Redden turned into.
Runner up:
Vincent Lecavalier--Lecavalier entered the first year of an 11 year, $85 million contract as captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning. If he had performed even close to expectations the Lightning would have made the playoffs, Rick Tocchet would still have a job, and the Capitals would have been in the Stanley Cup Finals. Instead, he went 24-46-70, not even close to good enough for a guy with a cap hit close to $8 million per season for the rest of his career and who made $10 million in raw cash this season. So thanks, Vinny.
Bouwmeester was highly coveted prior to last year's free agency period, so much so that the Calgary Flames traded impending free agent defenseman Jordan Leopold and a third round pick for the rights to negotiate with Bouwmeester a few days before July 1. He signed a 5 year deal worth $33.4 million, a cap hit of about $6.7 million per season, and put up 3 goals and 29 points for Calgary. The Flames were supposed to have the second best if not the best top-3 in the NHL this past season, with Robyn Regehr, Bouwmeester, and Dion Phaneuf, but instead ended up out of the playoff picture, in cap aches, and having traded Phaneuf and top defensive prospect Keith Aulie to Toronto for a package involving Matt Stajan and Ian White.
At the very least, while Bouwmeester wasn't even close to worth his salary (the Capitals got similar if not better play from Jeff Schultz for about $6 million per season less in cap hit) he wasn't a complete liability like Redden turned into.
Runner up:
Vincent Lecavalier--Lecavalier entered the first year of an 11 year, $85 million contract as captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning. If he had performed even close to expectations the Lightning would have made the playoffs, Rick Tocchet would still have a job, and the Capitals would have been in the Stanley Cup Finals. Instead, he went 24-46-70, not even close to good enough for a guy with a cap hit close to $8 million per season for the rest of his career and who made $10 million in raw cash this season. So thanks, Vinny.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Non-NHL Awards Part 2
The Todd Bertuzzi Award:
The Todd Bertuzzi Award is awarded to the player judged to have committed the most horrifying play on the ice this season by the amateur hockey bloggers named Red Army Line.
The winner: Patrice Cormier!
Cormier had this horrible elbow to Mikael Tam, putting the latter into convulsions on the ice and later in the hospital with brain trauma. Cormier was charged off the ice with assault and would later be traded to Atlanta as part of the Ilya Kovalchuk trade.
Viewer discretion advised.
Runners-up: (viewer discretion advised on all the videos save the second Savard one)
Alex Ovechkin--Ovechkin already won our inaugural Sidney Crosby award for his hit on Brian Campbell that broke Campbell's collarbone, a few ribs, and set the defenseman out for more than a month, among other things.
Marian Hossa--Hossa made a similar hit as Ovechkin, but on Dan Hamhuis in the Western Conference Quarterfinals (video).
Matt Cooke--Cooke, most of the hockey world thought, crippled the Bruins' playoff hopes with this hit on Marc Savard that gave Savard a mild concussion (of course, hockey players come back early from concussions to score overtime game winning goals in the playoffs)
Dan Boyle--although he's not as well reputed as a "dirty" or controversial player since going from Tampa Bay to San Jose (the "media bias" for the East working in his favor), he had a vicious slew foot on Alexander Semin in Canada's thrashing of Russia in the Olympic quarterfinals (no video readily available, though NBCOlympics might have something).
Mike Richards--he absolutely nailed David Booth, giving the latter a concussion that kept him out for almost the rest of the season. This hit wasn't so much "dirty" as vicious yet clean (under the then-rules with no supplementary discipline for "head shots).
Steve Downie--on the same day as Ovechkin's hit on Campbell, Downie had this vicious slew foot on Sidney Crosby. We're lucky he didn't end Crosby's season there.
James Wisniewski--Wisniewski just went right after Brent Seabrook for some sort of petty revenge. This is the definition of head-hunting.
Past winners: none
(If you feel I've forgotten anything, just add it in the comments and I will add it as a runner-up if it's good enough)
The Todd Bertuzzi Award is awarded to the player judged to have committed the most horrifying play on the ice this season by the amateur hockey bloggers named Red Army Line.The winner: Patrice Cormier!
Cormier had this horrible elbow to Mikael Tam, putting the latter into convulsions on the ice and later in the hospital with brain trauma. Cormier was charged off the ice with assault and would later be traded to Atlanta as part of the Ilya Kovalchuk trade.
Viewer discretion advised.
Runners-up: (viewer discretion advised on all the videos save the second Savard one)
Alex Ovechkin--Ovechkin already won our inaugural Sidney Crosby award for his hit on Brian Campbell that broke Campbell's collarbone, a few ribs, and set the defenseman out for more than a month, among other things.
Marian Hossa--Hossa made a similar hit as Ovechkin, but on Dan Hamhuis in the Western Conference Quarterfinals (video).
Matt Cooke--Cooke, most of the hockey world thought, crippled the Bruins' playoff hopes with this hit on Marc Savard that gave Savard a mild concussion (of course, hockey players come back early from concussions to score overtime game winning goals in the playoffs)
Dan Boyle--although he's not as well reputed as a "dirty" or controversial player since going from Tampa Bay to San Jose (the "media bias" for the East working in his favor), he had a vicious slew foot on Alexander Semin in Canada's thrashing of Russia in the Olympic quarterfinals (no video readily available, though NBCOlympics might have something).
Mike Richards--he absolutely nailed David Booth, giving the latter a concussion that kept him out for almost the rest of the season. This hit wasn't so much "dirty" as vicious yet clean (under the then-rules with no supplementary discipline for "head shots).
Steve Downie--on the same day as Ovechkin's hit on Campbell, Downie had this vicious slew foot on Sidney Crosby. We're lucky he didn't end Crosby's season there.
James Wisniewski--Wisniewski just went right after Brent Seabrook for some sort of petty revenge. This is the definition of head-hunting.
Past winners: none
(If you feel I've forgotten anything, just add it in the comments and I will add it as a runner-up if it's good enough)
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Non-NHL Awards Part 1
The Sidney Crosby Award:
The Sidney Crosby is awarded annually to the league's most controversial and/or polarizing figure by the amateur hockey bloggers named Red Army Line.
The winner: Alex Ovechkin!
Ovechkin had another controversial season. Aside from his normal goal-scoring, prolific shooting, and Penguins fan hate, he was involved in three controversial hits. He got a boarding major and game misconduct on a hit on Buffalo's Patrick Kaleta, a play some people still think wasn't manufactured by Kaleta. He also had a kneeing incident with Carolina's Tim Gleason that earned Ovechkin a two-game suspension. Finally, he broke Brian Campbell's collarbone on this hit, earning himself a second two-game suspension.
Ovechkin also fell flat (along with the rest of Team Russia) at the Olympics (and pushed an amateur reporter away from an interview), then lost to Montreal in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals after notoriously calling out Jaroslav Halak's shaking hand. Ovechkin this season will not even receive the consolation of a guaranteed award, as Steven Stamkos and Sidney Crosby won the Richard, Henrik Sedin the Ross, and likely one of the latter two for each of the Hart and Lindsay (formerly Pearson).
Runners-up:
Chris Pronger--Pronger reportedly caused locker room issues in Philadelphia, a pre-season Stanley Cup favorite.
Sidney Crosby--no explanation needed here, if you've followed hockey at any time over the last six years or so.
Past winners: none
The Sidney Crosby is awarded annually to the league's most controversial and/or polarizing figure by the amateur hockey bloggers named Red Army Line.
The winner: Alex Ovechkin!
Ovechkin had another controversial season. Aside from his normal goal-scoring, prolific shooting, and Penguins fan hate, he was involved in three controversial hits. He got a boarding major and game misconduct on a hit on Buffalo's Patrick Kaleta, a play some people still think wasn't manufactured by Kaleta. He also had a kneeing incident with Carolina's Tim Gleason that earned Ovechkin a two-game suspension. Finally, he broke Brian Campbell's collarbone on this hit, earning himself a second two-game suspension.
Ovechkin also fell flat (along with the rest of Team Russia) at the Olympics (and pushed an amateur reporter away from an interview), then lost to Montreal in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals after notoriously calling out Jaroslav Halak's shaking hand. Ovechkin this season will not even receive the consolation of a guaranteed award, as Steven Stamkos and Sidney Crosby won the Richard, Henrik Sedin the Ross, and likely one of the latter two for each of the Hart and Lindsay (formerly Pearson).
Runners-up:
Chris Pronger--Pronger reportedly caused locker room issues in Philadelphia, a pre-season Stanley Cup favorite.
Sidney Crosby--no explanation needed here, if you've followed hockey at any time over the last six years or so.
Past winners: none
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