NHL Awards Predictions

Sportsnet has come out with it's predictions.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2009/04/01/nhl_awards_predictions/

Here are mine:

Hart Trophy: Evegeni Malkin - He's been great all season and continues to lead the league in points.

Vezina: Tim Thomas - The feel good story of the NHL. A Journeyman AHL goalie who got his shot and now leads the league in Save Percentage and Goals Against this season.

Norris Trophy: Mike Green - You can't deny a 30 goal and 70 point season. He's also only the 8th D man in NHL history to hit that mark.

Calder Trophy: Steve Mason - Leads the league in Shutouts and is a big reason for the Jacket's success this season. A case could be made for the Vezina for him as well.

Selkey Trophy: Pavel Datsyuk - I just went with the Sportsnet choice on here because I really don't know who to pick.

Lady Byng: Pavel Datsyuk - Totally agree with Spector's take.

Jack Adams: Claude Julien - I don't agree but that's who will likely win it.

Here are mine;

Hart: Ovechkin

Vezina: Thomas or Mason

Norris: Chara all the way in May. I know that Green has been amazing and has 30 goals, and that's just unheard of for DMen, but Chara is all around better, IMO, the B's wouldn't be where they are without him.

Calder: Steve Mason - He's been amazing and probably will be the reason that they make the playoffs if they do.

Selke: Probably Datsyuk, but I also think Alfredsson should be here, to me, he's one of the absolute best in the league by far, I don't know if he's ever been nominated, and he should be every year.

Lady Byng - Don't care at all

Jack Adams: Julien will probably win, but I'd also nominate Ken
Wang here.

SensGirl11 wrote:Here are mine;

Hart: Ovechkin

Vezina: Thomas or Mason

Norris: Chara all the way in May. I know that Green has been amazing and has 30 goals, and that's just unheard of for DMen, but Chara is all around better, IMO, the B's wouldn't be where they are without him.

Calder: Steve Mason - He's been amazing and probably will be the reason that they make the playoffs if they do.

Selke: Probably Datsyuk, but I also think Alfredsson should be here, to me, he's one of the absolute best in the league by far, I don't know if he's ever been nominated, and he should be every year.

Lady Byng - Don't care at all

Jack Adams: Julien will probably win, but I'd also nominate Ken
Wang here.

I agree with this list although I think Mason will come up short on the Vezina (may not get serious consideration given his age and the fact that Leclaire had almost as good a year under Hitch's system last year)

SensGirl11 wrote:Here are mine;

Hart: Ovechkin

Vezina: Thomas or Mason

Norris: Chara all the way in May. I know that Green has been amazing and has 30 goals, and that's just unheard of for DMen, but Chara is all around better, IMO, the B's wouldn't be where they are without him.

Calder: Steve Mason - He's been amazing and probably will be the reason that they make the playoffs if they do.

Selke: Probably Datsyuk, but I also think Alfredsson should be here, to me, he's one of the absolute best in the league by far, I don't know if he's ever been nominated, and he should be every year.

Lady Byng - Don't care at all

Jack Adams: Julien will probably win, but I'd also nominate Ken
Hitchc0ck here.

Hart: Steve Mason
Vezina: Tim Thomas
Norris: Zdeno Chara
Calder: Steve Mason
Selke: Pavel Datsyuk
Lady Byng: Jonathan Toews
Jack Adams: Claude Julien/Ken Hitchc0ck/Andy Murray (if Blues make the playoffs) as nominees

davetherave wrote:

SensGirl11 wrote:Here are mine;

Hart: Ovechkin

Vezina: Thomas or Mason

Norris: Chara all the way in May. I know that Green has been amazing and has 30 goals, and that's just unheard of for DMen, but Chara is all around better, IMO, the B's wouldn't be where they are without him.

Calder: Steve Mason - He's been amazing and probably will be the reason that they make the playoffs if they do.

Selke: Probably Datsyuk, but I also think Alfredsson should be here, to me, he's one of the absolute best in the league by far, I don't know if he's ever been nominated, and he should be every year.

Lady Byng - Don't care at all

Jack Adams: Julien will probably win, but I'd also nominate Ken
Hitchc0ck here.

Hart: Steve Mason
Vezina: Tim Thomas
Norris: Zdeno Chara
Calder: Steve Mason
Selke: Pavel Datsyuk
Lady Byng: Jonathan Toews
Jack Adams: Claude Julien/Ken Hitchc0ck/Andy Murray (if Blues make the playoffs) as nominees

Are those your personal choices or who you PREDICT will win? I personally see the Rookie bias getting in Mason's way and he will only get the Calder but who knows.

I never even thought about Andy Murray - If they make the playoffs he's my choice for sure. Will he win it? I doubt it.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

davetherave wrote:
Hart: Steve Mason
Vezina: Tim Thomas
Norris: Zdeno Chara
Calder: Steve Mason
Selke: Pavel Datsyuk
Lady Byng: Jonathan Toews
Jack Adams: Claude Julien/Ken Hitchc0ck/Andy Murray (if Blues make the playoffs) as nominees

Are those your personal choices or who you PREDICT will win? I personally see the Rookie bias getting in Mason's way and he will only get the Calder but who knows.

I never even thought about Andy Murray - If they make the playoffs he's my choice for sure. Will he win it? I doubt it.

Hmm...I don't think it's that easy to predict who WILL win, so I suppose these are picks of who we think should win...within reason of course.

For example, I picked Toews because he definitely exemplifies the qualities cited in the criteria for the award as the "player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability". My penchant for the Hawks aside, IMHO Toews exhibits the same elegance and excellence in his play as Jean Beliveau did.

I don't see any reason why Steve Mason couldn't take both the Hart and Calder though. Without him the Jackets wouldn't be even in the playoffs.

davetherave wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

davetherave wrote:
Hart: Steve Mason
Vezina: Tim Thomas
Norris: Zdeno Chara
Calder: Steve Mason
Selke: Pavel Datsyuk
Lady Byng: Jonathan Toews
Jack Adams: Claude Julien/Ken Hitchc0ck/Andy Murray (if Blues make the playoffs) as nominees

Are those your personal choices or who you PREDICT will win? I personally see the Rookie bias getting in Mason's way and he will only get the Calder but who knows.

I never even thought about Andy Murray - If they make the playoffs he's my choice for sure. Will he win it? I doubt it.

Hmm...I don't think it's that easy to predict who WILL win, so I suppose these are picks of who we think should win...within reason of course.

For example, I picked Toews because he definitely exemplifies the qualities cited in the criteria for the award as the "player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability". My penchant for the Hawks aside, IMHO Toews exhibits the same elegance and excellence in his play as Jean Beliveau did.

I don't see any reason why Steve Mason couldn't take both the Hart and Calder though. Without him the Jackets wouldn't be even in the playoffs.

I am surprised you would suggest Hart for Mason, really surprised. As a trivia guy... anyone win the Hart as a rookie?

MurderOnIce wrote:

davetherave wrote:

I don't see any reason why Steve Mason couldn't take both the Hart and Calder though. Without him the Jackets wouldn't be even in the playoffs.

I am surprised you would suggest Hart for Mason, really surprised. As a trivia guy... anyone win the Hart as a rookie?

MOI, not sure why you're surprised...Steve Mason is clearly the Jackets' MVP and do you not agree they would not be in the playoffs without him?

My research indicated Evgeny Malkin was nominated for the Hart as a rookie but I haven't found out if a rookie has ever won the Award...working on it tho.
cool)

PS MOI...here's a link worth reading...what Lyle (Spectors Hockey) Richardson has to say in his FoxSports column about the possible MVP candidates...

http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/pgStory?contentId=9402746#sport=NHL&photo=9402538

And his take on Steve Mason:

For the first time in franchise history the Blue Jackets are poised to make the NHL playoffs, and while it's been a team effort much of the credit goes to the rookie goaltending sensation. The 20-year-old wunderkind currently leads the NHL in shutouts with 10, has the second-best goals-against average (2.22), the ninth-best save percentage (.918) and is tied for seventh with victories (32). Mason has battled through fatigue and a bout of mononucleosis to carry the Blue Jackets to sixth overall in the Western Conference. He is likely to win the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year and is the most important factor in the Jackets' unexpected rise to postseason contention.

PS don't fall for that hogwash about Mason being the 'product of a defensive system'. This kid is unreal. Watch him play.

davetherave wrote:

MurderOnIce wrote:

davetherave wrote:

I don't see any reason why Steve Mason couldn't take both the Hart and Calder though. Without him the Jackets wouldn't be even in the playoffs.

I am surprised you would suggest Hart for Mason, really surprised. As a trivia guy... anyone win the Hart as a rookie?

MOI, not sure why you're surprised...Steve Mason is clearly the Jackets' MVP and do you not agree they would not be in the playoffs without him?

My research indicated Evgeny Malkin was nominated for the Hart as a rookie but I haven't found out if a rookie has ever won the Award...working on it tho.
cool)

So you are saying potentially unprecedented?

I agree that Columbus is certainly not a playoff team without him. Hart to me is most valuable player to his team, meaning if you take a guy out of the lineup how many team points does he represent...

I would suggest if you take Ovechkin out of Washington they drop huge (out of the playoffs IMO). If you take Chara out of Boston, they drop to a 7th or 8th spot IMO. If you take Luongo out of Vancouver they are out of the playoffs. If you take Lidstrom out of Detroit they fall 2 or 3 spots...

If you take Mason out of Columbus and replace him with say a healthy Pascal Leclaire, point wise I do not think it is as big a drop IMO. Leclaire had 9 shutouts last year. In fact he was 24-17 with a 2.25 GAA and a .919 sv%. I think Mason is good (better potential than Leclaire) but he benefits from Hitchc0cks coaching style as well.

Mason is 32-18 with 10 shutouts, a 2.22 GAA and a .918 sv% (with, what I would suggest is a better team in front of him).

davetherave wrote:...

PS don't fall for that hogwash about Mason being the 'product of a defensive system'. This kid is unreal. Watch him play.

I fell for the hogwash...

I think you have to compare his numbers to Leclaire's. Leclaire is not that far off...

MurderOnIce wrote:

davetherave wrote:...

PS don't fall for that hogwash about Mason being the 'product of a defensive system'. This kid is unreal. Watch him play.

I fell for the hogwash...

I think you have to compare his numbers to Leclaire's. Leclaire is not that far off...

Leclaire's a pretty good goalie too...no slight against Pascal.

...and like I always say, look 'beyond the numbers'...and ya gotta watch the games...the kid's 'compete level' is awesome.
cool)

[quote="MurderOnIce"] So you are saying potentially unprecedented?

I agree that Columbus is certainly not a playoff team without him. Hart to me is most valuable player to his team, meaning if you take a guy out of the lineup how many team points does he represent...

I would suggest if you take Ovechkin out of Washington they drop huge (out of the playoffs IMO). If you take Chara out of Boston, they drop to a 7th or 8th spot IMO. If you take Luongo out of Vancouver they are out of the playoffs. If you take Lidstrom out of Detroit they fall 2 or 3 spots...

If you take Mason out of Columbus and replace him with say a healthy Pascal Leclaire, point wise I do not think it is as big a drop IMO. [quote]

Yes, but that was not an option.

Hence Steve Mason's MVP rationale. Without him, the Jackets would have been not just been dropping in the standings..they would not even be in the playoff picture. That's a much greater relative value.

I still think Mike Green is going to beat out Chara for the Norris.

Vezina - I think it will be either Thomas, Mason or Nabakov

davetherave wrote:

MurderOnIce wrote:
So you are saying potentially unprecedented?

I agree that Columbus is certainly not a playoff team without him. Hart to me is most valuable player to his team, meaning if you take a guy out of the lineup how many team points does he represent...

I would suggest if you take Ovechkin out of Washington they drop huge (out of the playoffs IMO). If you take Chara out of Boston, they drop to a 7th or 8th spot IMO. If you take Luongo out of Vancouver they are out of the playoffs. If you take Lidstrom out of Detroit they fall 2 or 3 spots...

If you take Mason out of Columbus and replace him with say a healthy Pascal Leclaire, point wise I do not think it is as big a drop IMO.

Yes, but that was not an option.

Hence Steve Mason's MVP rationale. Without him, the Jackets would have been not just been dropping in the standings..they would not even be in the playoff picture. That's a much greater relative value.

I get the arguement, and you make a good one as always. If I am a voter, I wouldn't give it to Mason though. Next year, if Mason puts together a nice playoff, as good a year, and Pascal Leclaire doesn't have a big drop off in Ottawa then he is in the conversation for me. If Leclaire comes to Ottawa and plays poorly, you have to question whether or not it is the system unless Mason has years of pedigree. Just one opinion.

Like I said before Dave, I always think you have well thought out posts... glad you found your way here...