Anyway, some of the eventual winners are fairly obvious, while I have no idea who's going to win some others. But I was also surprised that some players I thought would definitely be in the running weren't even finalists for the award I expected. For example, how is Braden Holtby NOT a Hart Trophy finalist? He had a better year this year than Carey Price did last season, when he won both the Vezina and the Hart. Likewise, can someone tell me how Dylan Larkin isn't a finalist for the Calder Trophy?
The NHL has a lot of awards, but I'm going to narrow my picks down to the eight biggest ones, which doesn't include the Ted Lindsay Award since it's voted on by the players (although, interestingly, Holtby IS a finalist for the Lindsay, proving the players sometimes know better than the media).
Hart: Patrick Kane (Blackhawks)-Like I said, I'm shocked Braden Holtby isn't a finalist. I figured this would be a nice battle between Kane and Holtby. I was just trying to figure out who the third finalist would be. Holtby certainly should've finished in the top three over Sidney Crosby. But since he's not a finalist, I don't see how Patrick Kane isn't the MVP. He led the NHL is scoring by a wide margin, becoming the first American scoring champion. He'll also become the first American-born Hart Trophy winner (Brett Hull was born in Canada).
Vezina: Braden Holtby (Capitals)-Duh. They didn't really need to name any other finalists for the Vezina. This is the biggest no-brainer of them all. Holtby's name is probably already engraved on the base. He tied Martin Brodeur's record with 48 wins for a Capitals team that had the best record in the league.
Norris: Drew Doughty (Kings)-Ottawa's Erik Karlsson won it last year and will probably win it again this year. He had 82 points in 82 games, becoming the first defenseman with a point a game in 20 years. But this is my pick, not who I think will win. And I'm going with Drew Doughty. Simply because I think he's the best defenseman in the NHL at the moment.
Calder: Shayne Gostisbehere (Flyers)-There were a lot of good rookies this season. So many in fact that Larkin and Jack Eichel aren't even finalists. Chicago's Artemi Panarin scored 77 points and led all rookies in both goals and assists, but he was Patrick Kane's linemate, so that has to be taken into account. Gostisbehere didn't have nearly as big an offensive impact as Panarin, but he was a big reason why the Flyers made the playoffs. They wouldn't have without him.
Selke: Patrice Bergeron (Bruins)-Bergeron is the two-time reigning best defensive forward, and I think he makes it three in a row. Although, it'll be close between him and the Ducks' Ryan Kesler, who's never won the Selke, I think Bergeron's reputation will precede him and push him over the edge. The third finalist is Anze Kopitar, who's the Kings' best player and I still think of more for his scoring than anything else, so a Selke nomination is quite a testament to his all-around game.
Lady Byng: Anze Kopitar (Kings)-Kopitar is also a finalist for the Lady Byng, and this is the one I think he wins. His 16 penalty minutes were the most of the three finalists, but Kopitar also had a lot more ice time than either Loui Eriksson or Alekansder Barkov. The other half of the critera for the Lady Byng is combining gentlemanly play with "a high standard of playing ability," and Kopitar certainly lived up to that end of the bargain, leading his team in points and ranking second in the NHL in plus/minus.
Masterson: Mats Zuccarello (Rangers)-How can you not give the award for "perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey" to the guy that suffered a brain contusion in last year's playoffs, only to come back and set a career-high for points while playing every game but one this season? Pascal Dupuis has a compelling story, too, but Zuccarello is the clear winner here.
Adams: Gerard Gallant (Panthers)-You could make an argument for any of the three finalists as the NHL's Coach of the Year. But I'm going with Gerard Gallant. The Panthers came out of nowhere to win the Atlantic Division. It's tough to go against Barry Trotz after that outstanding regular season the Capitals had. But Washington being good didn't completely come out of the blue. Dallas being good kind of did, especially their having the best record in the Western Conference, but we've already established that Lindy Ruff is an excellent coach. Still, if you needed to choose a more unexpected team, I've gotta go Panthers over Stars. As a result, I've gotta give Gallant the nod over Ruff.
Of course, there's one more major individual award that won't be handed out in Las Vegas. Can't make predictions for who's going to win the Conn Smythe this early in the playoffs, though. I can't even begin to narrow it down. There are seven teams still in the running for the Cup.
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