The turning of the calender to 2015 means not only the start of a new year, but also that we’re approaching the back half of the NHL season, when the games start to matter and the playoff races really heat up. It also means that it’s time to look back at the first 41 games of the 2014-15 season and see who’s leading the way for some major individual hardware so far.
So, with that in mind, we give you the LWOS Hockey Department’s picks for who, if the season were to end today, would be picking up the NHL’s major awards.
LWOS Mid-Season NHL Awards 2015
Hart Memorial Trophy
Tyler Seguin – Dallas Stars
This one was a dead heat between Seguin and Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price in the LWOS Hockey Department voting, but it’s hard to argue against the incredible season Seguin is having in Dallas. Yes, picking a player on a team outside of a playoff position for the Hart trophy is never popular (the Stars are currently three points back of the Sharks for the final wildcard spot in the West), but just think about where Dallas would be without him.
Seguin is currently leading the league in goals with a whopping 26 (that’s a 56-goal pace) and sits second in the NHL with 47 points, just one point behind Flyer Jakub Voracek (they’re the only two players on pace for 100-point seasons this year).
While those numbers are impressive, they’re nothing compared to how far ahead he is of his Dallas teammates. Linemate Jaimie Benn is second in team scoring with 12 goals and 34 points, far below Seguin’s numbers, and Jason Spezza is third with 27 points. No other Star has eclipsed 20 points, or reached double-digits in goals. That’s what makes Seguin’s performance this season so impressive, the fact that he’s managing to post such massive numbers on a team that is so offensively inept. The Stars would undoubtedly be cellar-dwellers without Seguin, and he may be the only man capable of dragging them into the playoffs.
By either definition of the Hart you prefer, league MVP or most valuable to his team, Seguin meets the criteria and is a worthy winner.
Also receiving votes: Carey Price (MTL), Steven Stamkos (TBL), John Tavares (NYI), Ryan Getzlaf (ANA).
Vezina Trophy
Pekka Rinne – Nashville Predators
Unlike the Hart, where the LWOS Hockey Department was split between Seguin and Price, Rinne wins the Vezina in a landslide. Not only has Rinne been one of the busiest goaltenders this season (only Devils netminder Cory Schneider has played more minutes), but he’s also been one of the best.
After a really rough 2013-14 season when Rinne had to undergo hip surgery (and was very poor in the games he DID play), many wondered if, at 32 years old, he would ever be able to regain his 2011 Vezina-nominated form.
So far this season Rinne has silenced those doubters, as he’s having one of the best seasons of his career. He leads the NHL with 25 wins and is a huge part of why the Predators have been able to emerge as a contender in the Western Conference. His stellar 2.00 goals against average is third among eligible goaltenders, as is his 3 shutouts, while he sits fourth with a .929 save percentage. By any measurement, Rinne is the NHL goaltender adjudged the best at his position thus far in 2014-15
Also receiving votes: Carey Price (MTL), Marc-Andre Fleury (PIT).
James Norris Memorial Trophy
Mark Giordano – Calgary Flames
Giordano flew under the radar a little bit in 2013-14 when he had an outstanding season with the Flames, but he certainly has the league’s attention now.
Calgary’s 31-year-old captain is tied for the league lead in scoring among defensemen with 35 points (a 72-point pace) and is likewise tied for first in goals with 10 (a 21-goal pace). However, he’s also doing most of the heavy lifting on a Calgary club that has struggled to keep the puck out of the back of the net at times.
Therein lies the key to Giordano’s Norris win here. Occasionally Norris voters can get blinded by strong offensive numbers (see: Karlsson, Erik) over defensive contributions, but Giordano combines the best of both worlds. He’s simply a monster on the blueline for the Flames this season, and a first half Norris trophy is well-deserved.
Also receiving votes: Duncan Keith (CHI), Kevin Shattenkirk (STL).
Jack Adams Award
Peter Laviolette – Nashville Predators
As the old saying goes, “show me a good coach, and I’l show you a good goaltender.” However, that’s not the only reason that Laviolette takes home the hardware as the NHL’s best coach over the first half of 2014-15.
To be sure, Rinne has been a huge reason for the resurgence in Nashville, not to mention the astute moves by GM David Poile to bring in some offense in the form of Mike Ribeiro and James Neal, as well as the stunning play of rookie Filip Forsberg (who we’ll get to soon enough in this article), but Laviolette was the man tasked with bringing all these pieces together into a competitive team.
In that regard, he’s been better than anyone could have hoped for. Laviolette’s system has helped establish a new identity for the Predators – one of aggressive offense balanced with responsible defense. It’s the reason that Nashville has shot up to second in the NHL after two straight years without playoff hockey, and also the reason why Laviolette takes home the mid-season Jack Adams.
Also receiving votes: Bob Hartley (CGY), Jack Capuano (NYI).
Calder Memorial Trophy
Filip Forsberg – Nashville Predators
Now we get to Forsberg, who was in a tough battle with Florida defenseman Aaron Ekblad for the Calder Trophy as top rookie, but ultimately got more votes from out staff. At this point, barring injury, it looks like Forsberg has the Calder all but wrapped up, unless the voters are swayed by player position (it could be argued that what Ekblad is doing as an 18-year-old defenseman is far more impressive than Forsberg as a 20-year-old forward).
However, that shouldn’t detract from the amazing season Forsberg is having for the Predators. Forsberg not only leads his own team in scoring, but is also tops in the NHL rookie scoring race by a fair margin – he has 37 points to Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau’s 31 – and nobody else is even close. That’s a 30-goal, 80-point pace for the Swede originally drafted by the Washington Capitals. Forsberg is also carrying a +22 rating and a 56 CF% at even strength, impressive numbers for any player, let alone a rookie.
It’s not a landslide, Forsberg will be fighting off Ekblad and Gaudreau (and possibly others) for the rest of the season, but at this point he’s a worthy first-half Calder winner.
Also receiving votes: Aaron Ekblad (FLA), Johnny Gaudreau (CGY).
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
Pavel Datsyuk – Detroit Red Wings
The Byng is one of the most subjective of all the NHL awards, and the LWOS Hockey Department put forth a number of nominees, including Patrick Kane (2 PIMs), Cam Fowler (0 PIMs) and one (hopefully) joke vote for Milan Lucic (69 PIMs). However, it looks like four-time Byng winner Datsyuk gets to add another to his trophy shelf.
One can quickly run out of superlatives and tend to fall into hyperbole when discussing Datsyuk, but it’s not a stretch to suggest he may be the classiest player of his generation. The 36-year-old Russian hasn’t eclipsed 20 penalty minutes in a season since 2009, and with only 6 so far this year, it doesn’t appear as though he will again.
Of course a worthy Byng winner must also combine his gentlemanly play with an impressive offensive game. For his part, Datsyuk has been up to his usual standards in that regard as well, notching 28 points (and 13 goals) in 28 games.
Also receiving votes: Patrick Kane (CHI), Cam Fowler (ANA), Max Pacioretty (MTL).
Frank J. Selke Trophy
Patrice Bergeron – Boston Bruins
The Selke has always been somewhat like the Byng – a bit ambiguous in how it’s winners have been decided. For most of the NHL’s history, a good “defensive forward” has been hard to substantiate.
However, with the recent statistical revolution in the hockey world, fans (and voters) have some hard data to back up what we already knew: that Patrice Bergeron is the best defensive forward in hockey.
For the fourth season in a row, the two-time Selke winner’s Corsi For % at even strength is hovering around a spectacular 60% (59.3% to be exact, second to only Kings forward Trevor Lewis among forwards with 30 games played). He is likewise second in the league with a dominant 59.0% faceoff percentage (second only to faceoff ace Manny Malhotra).
As with the Byng, the Selke also necessitates a certain level of offensive production. While Bergeron isn’t going to hit the 30-goal mark for a second consecutive season, his 28 points has him on pace for 59, a number that actually isn’t too far off of his career average, making him the first-half Selke winner in the NHL this season.
Also receiving votes: Anze Kopitar (LAK), Joe Thornton (SJS), Ryan O’Reilly (COL).
Non-Voting Awards
Art Ross Trophy: Jakub Voracek, Philadelphia Flyers – 48 Points
Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy: Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars – 26 Goals
William M. Jennings Trophy: Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks – 84 Goals Against*
*(Crawford has only played 24 games and the Jennings requires 25 as a minimum, but for the purposes of this article we can declare him the first-half Jennings winner)
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