Inside The Penalty Box 06.12.08: Annual NHL Awards

Posted by Neil Borenstein on 06.12.2008

The Stanley Cup has been awarded, but there’s still some hardware to dish out. Tonight, the NHL will hold its annual awards show in Toronto. In this edition of Inside The Penalty Box, Neil Borenstein takes a look at the nominees for some of the top trophies and gives his predictions.

No shocks. No surprises. At the end of the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals, the NHL's best team skated away with the sport's ultimate prize. The Detroit Red Wings, winners of four Stanley Cups over the past 11 seasons, brought glory back to Hockeytown for the first time since 2002 by defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. The Penguins put up a fight, which stretched the series further than it appeared to be going after being shut out in two straight contests to begin the round. But the Red Wings were simply too much, European player heavy and all, and have proven that continual success is assured under the management of general manager Ken Holland and owner Mike Ilitch.

2008 Stanley Cup ChampionsDetroit Red WingsPhoto Credit: Yahoo! Sports/Getty Images

2008 Conn Smythe Trophy WinnerHenrik ZetterbergPhoto Credit: Yahoo! Sports/Getty Images

2007-08 National Hockey League AwardsMore Hardware To Be Handed Out Thursday

The most important piece of hockey hardware has already been awarded to the Detroit Red Wings, but there are plenty of awards still left to be delved out to individuals on June 12. At the top of the list are the Jack Adams Trophy (Coach of the Year), Norris Trophy (Top Defenseman), Vezina Trophy (Best Goaltender) and the Hart Trophy (Regular Season's Most Valuable Player.)

In this week's Inside The Penalty Box, I will take a look at the nominees for some of these most prestigious awards in the NHL and predict who's going to walk away with the hardware at the annual NHL Awards Show (which can be viewed on Versus in the U.S. and TSN in Canada) on Thursday night.

Calder Memorial Trophy Rookie of the Year2007 Winner: Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins

The Nominees
Nicklas Backstrom CapitalsPatrick Kane, BlackhawksJonathan Toews, Blackhawks

It's seem odd to me that Carey Price was left out of the mix in this race, considering his play throughout the year, and specifically following the trade deadline, was absolutely phenomenal. Goalies tend to get overlooked in races like this, so I guess I shouldn't be so surprised. Regardless, the NHL still nominated three extremely talented rookies that made very good first impressions this past campaign.

Nicklas Backstrom unfortunately goes into this being Alexander Ovechkin's shadow. It's certainly unfair since he brings plenty of his own talent to the table. It shouldn't count for nothing that he ranked first among rookies in assists (55) and second in points (69). Naturally, a lot of that has to do with being Ovechkin's center, which is a position he was moved to when head coach Bruce Boudreau took over the team. But for as good of a goal scorer as Ovechkin is, it doesn't hurt to have a skilled playmaker setting him up. On top of those offensive numbers, he also ranked first among rookie forwards in average ice time (18:59) and second in plus/minus (minus-13).

Patrick Kane made the unconventional move of getting drafted and going straight into the NHL. He was taken first overall by Chicago in last year's draft and signed his entry level deal one month later. Without a doubt, it was the right move. Kane played in all 82 games and went on to lead all rookies in points with 72. Not only did that point total lead rookies, but it was first on the team and tied for 28th in the NHL. His 51 assists ranked first on the team by 21 and he also led the Blackhawks with 28 power play points. Even though the Blackhawks didn't make the playoffs, Kane's tremendous rookie campaign helped the team garner its highest point total (88) and division showing (third) since the 2001-02 season. Hey, even Sidney Crosby didn't get the Penguins' into the playoffs during his first year; at least Kane got his team to within three points of it.

Another star in Chicago was Jonathan Toews. Toews' chances for rookie of the year are really pretty slim considering Kane's larger point total and the fact that Toews missed 18 games over the course of the season. Granted, their point per game average was virtually the same. However, Kane's presence throughout all 82 games makes him a better candidate. Toews' success in his rookie season shouldn't be diminished, though, as he was tied among rookies in points (54) and tied for third among rookie forwards with a plus-11 rating. If he played the full season, it might be a bit more difficult to decide who is more deserving between Kane and Toews. But alas, Kane walks out between the two as a more deserving candidate.

Inside The Penalty Box Winner: Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks

James Norris Memorial Trophy League's Top Defenseman2007 Winner: Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings

The Nominees
Zdeno Chara, BruinsNicklas Lidstrom, Red WingsDion Phaneuf, Flames

The battle for the Norris Trophy is a pretty good one. There are definitely three worthy candidates in this one, especially the man who has won the award five times in the past six seasons, including the past two – Nicklas Lidstrom.

I questioned the Boston Bruins when they signed Zdeno Chara two years ago. He was a rather large investment financially for the Bruins at $7.5 million per season over five. And though a physical force with some offensive upside, I doubted whether he could really lead the Bruins to the playoffs, and deep into them once they got there – something that does rest on his shoulders at his price tag. While the latter has yet to happen, it was the stellar play of Chara this year that factored heavily in the Bruins making a return to the postseason, where they hadn't been since 2004. As usual, Chara logged a ton of minutes and added to his physically dominating defensive play with offensive numbers. He scored 51 points, which ranked tied for 10th among defenseman. Also among defenseman, Chara was third in average ice time (26:50) and eighth in penalty minutes (114). His plus-14 rating ranked first in Boston.

Every year, Nicklas Lidstrom continues to prove why he is constantly considered the elite when it comes to defensemen in the NHL. In 76 games, Lidstrom posted 70 points and 60 assists – both of which ranked first among defenseman. He also scored 34 of his points on the man advantage. His plus-40 rating was second in the entire league behind only teammate Pavel Datsyuk, who sported a plus-41 rating. He was fourth in average ice time with 26 minutes and 43 seconds played per game. Lidstrom again excelled as perhaps the best all-around defenseman the league has to offer. And while being the captain of the Stanley Cup Champions may not help him for a regular season award, leading his squad to a President's Trophy most definitely will. It's going to take a lot for Lidstrom to miss out on a second three-peat. For as high caliber players as they are, I'm not sure his adversaries have enough to offer to deny him that achievement.

Dion Phaneuf hopes he has a standing chance, though. He continues to get better with each passing season, and had a career campaign with a league-ranked fifth among defenseman of 60 points, 33 of which were registered on the power play. His 182 penalty minutes was first at the position, which just further highlights his imposing presence on the ice. A total of 263 shots on goal was also first for a defenseman. His average ice time ranked fifth behind Lidstrom (26:25) and he posted a plus/minus of minus-12, which ranked fourth on the Flames. If he hadn't done so already, this was the year Phaneuf emerged as the Flames' leader on defense. With his overall excellence in the offensive and defensive zones, and his willingness to get his nose a bit dirty in the physical game, I'm sure this won't be his last nomination for the Norris.

Inside The Penalty Box Winner: Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings

Jack Adams Award League's Best Coach2007 Winner: Alain Vigneault, Vancouver Canucks

The Nominees
Mike Babcock, Red WingsBruce Boudreau, CapitalsGuy Carbonneau, Canadiens

The Jack Adams Award is always a tricky one to predict. One would think that the coach who guided his team to the top of the NHL standings would automatically garner coach of the year honors. That's not always the case, however. And sometimes, it's that coach who leads his team to an unexpected postseason berth that gets the recognition.

Mike Babcock falls into the former category. As coach of the Detroit Red Wings, Babcock is naturally the beneficiary of one of the best built squads in the entire NHL. After all, the Red Wings haven't missed the playoffs since 1990. That's quite a streak, as is the team's run as the Central Division Champions for seven straight seasons. In that respect, it appears as if any coach could literally come in and find success with the Red Wings – at least during the regular season, which is all that matters for this award. And in all likelihood, anyone probably could. Take Babcock out of the equation and the Red Wings still win over 50 games and win the President's Trophy. Don't get me wrong, Babcock has a great hockey mind and is a perfect fit for Detroit, where he brought some grit back into the team's strategy. He's more than worthy of the three-year contract extension he recently signed with Detroit. But in this race, where coaches actually played a huge role in their teams' fortunes, I just can't see Babcock as the most worthy candidate.

Enter Bruce Boudreau. Before he stepped in as head coach in Washington, the Capitals were 6-14-1 in their first 21 games under Glen Hanlon. Following Hanlon's dismissal, Boudreau stepped in and took the Capitals the rest of the way on a 37-17-7 record. The Capitals closed out the season with 94 points, a first place showing in the Southeast Division and the third seed in the Eastern Conference standings. The playoff berth was Washington's first since 2003, and the placing atop the division marked the end of a three-year streak at the bottom. Boudreau really brought a winning philosophy to Washington and the team's decision to bring him in paid off very well. The problem he runs into, however, is that for as much as he changed the culture of the Capitals, the fact that he had Ovechkin will undoubtedly hang over his head. And Ovechkin will always been deemed the prime reason the Capitals had the season they did, regardless of how poorly they opened it up.

It took a whole team effort in Montreal, with a lot of pushing from Guy Carbonneau, to land the top spot in the Eastern Conference this past season. There were definitely some individual highlights for the Canadiens. Alexei Kovalev had a comeback year with his best offensive campaign since 2000-01 in Pittsburgh. Carey Price stepped up big in his rookie season to instantly become the Habs' goaltender of the present. Mark Streit and Andrei Markov left the Canadiens barely missing Sheldon Souray's offensive presence, especially on the power play, with 62 and 58 points, respectively. But they really shined as a team. On offense, the Canadiens ranked second in goals with 257 – just one behind the league-leading Ottawa Senators. On the power play, there were the most lethal squad in the NHL by converting on 24.2 percent of their 372 opportunities. It wasn't just those three players that got that accomplished. It took the input of players like Tom Plekanec (69 points), Saku Koivu (40 assists), Christopher Huggins (27 goals), Andrei Kostitsyn (26 points) and, before being traded, Cristobal Huet (21 wins in 39 appearances) – just to name a few. And all that success could not have come without the great coaching from Carbonneau. And while I'll admit I never really bought into this team as a true contender, you can't argue with a 47-win and 104-point season – which is the team's highest point total since accumulating 115 in 1988-89.

Inside The Penalty Box Winner: Guy Carbonneau, Montreal Canadiens

Vezina Trophy League's Top Goaltender2007 Winner: Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils

The Nominees
Martin Brodeur, DevilsHenrik Lundqvist, RangersEvgeni Nabokov, Sharks

The Vezina Trophy is an important award for goaltenders, considering it's basically the equivalent of the Hart at their position. While it's happened before, it's very rare for a goaltender to grab the Hart (the last time it happened was when the recently retired Dominik Hasek scored back-to-back honors in 1997 and 1998 in Buffalo.) So winning the Vezina is pretty much as good as it gets for individual recognition. And this year, we've got a three-time winner vs. a three-time nominee vs. a newcomer to nomination.

Martin Brodeur is the veteran in this Vezina race. The defending winner, who also took top goalie honors in 2003 and 2004, almost seems like a lock to be nominated every year. This season, he scored his third straight and seventh overall 40-win season with a 44-27-6 record in 77 starts. Those 44 wins were second in the league and he ranked fifth and tied for sixth, respectively, in goals against average (2.17) and save percentage (.920). Brodeur also registered four shutouts – raising his career total to 96. He had a wretched October by his standards, losing six of nine games while allowing three goals per game. But he picked it up quickly and won 32 games from November-February. He had a 6-6-1 March and then won three of four to close out the season in April. And he did all of this with a defense that's not quite up to snuff with what he had been used to previously in his career. Of course, no matter who the coach in New Jersey is, they'll never learn that playing damn near every game over the course of a season will eventually lead to a gassed Brodeur come playoff time, especially at 35 years old. But, after October, he played in typical Brodeur-fashion over the course of the regular season and played the biggest role in the Devils landing the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.

His opposition to that fourth seed came in the form of Henrik Lundqvist from the New York Rangers, who landed the fifth seed in the East. Lundqvist might not have that whole 40-win season down, but he's won 30 or more games in as many seasons in the NHL, and he's been nominated for the Vezina in just as many seasons, as well. A seventh round (205th overall) draft pick by the Rangers in 2000, Lundqvist has really provided that elite goaltending the team has sorely missed since the good ‘ol days of Mike Richter. The one thing that hurts him in this race is that his 37 wins in 72 games doesn't quite stack up to the competition, even if it's not too shabby considering only three goaltender posted better win totals. Lundqvist did, however, lead the league with 10 shutouts and ranked sixth with a 2.23 goals against average. Again, though, winning at least seven less games than the competition in only five fewer appearances will hurt him.

Evgeni Nabokov had no problem winning games. He was the league-leader with 46 – just two behind Brodeur's record breaking single-season total from last season. Nabokov was pretty superhuman for the San Jose Sharks in 2007-08. He started in 43 consecutive games from the start of the season and didn't grab a game off until mid-January. He only got four more after that. Aside from the win total, he was tied for third in goals against average (2.14) and posted six shutouts. His only bad month came in January, when he went 6-4-1 and allowed 31 goals in 11 games and. Otherwise, he was tremendous all season, including taking only two losses in his final 15 games played of the season. Though not the only prize on San Jose's roster, I think it's safe to say his play between the pipes was the biggest factor in the Sharks taking the second seed in the Western Conference.

Inside The Penalty Box Winner: Evgeni Nabokov, San Jose Sharks

Hart Trophy League's Most Valuable Player2007 Winner: Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

The Nominees
Jarome Iginla, FlamesEvgeni Malkin, PenguinsAlexander Ovechkin, Capitals

Welcome to the Hart Trophy race that's probably already been decided. Three worthy candidates are up for the award, but only one had a t-shirt promoting a Hart Trophy win "accidently" posted to the NHL's store Web site. Yup, that's right. On June 6, the NHL shop had this t-shirt on display for several hours, according to The Sports Network in Canada:

Photo Credit: tsn.ca/nhl

And here was the excuse from NHL spokesperson Frank Brown:

"In an effort to offer our fans the merchandise they want in a timely manner following an event such as the NHL Awards, our licensees prepare product for all possible outcomes. In this situation, the link for one of the possible products became live early through an error by our e-commerce provider. We regret the error and have since taken steps to amend."

Now, if these licensees simply created images for the product, without the actual t-shirts being made, then maybe this excuse is reasonable. But what I read from this is that the shirts are handled in a similar manner to conference and Stanley Cup Championship merchandise – the products are actually made. And while championships are reasonable for such a practice since those shirts and hats need to be available literally right away, Hart Trophy merchandise really doesn't. It's not like Ovechkin is going to wear the damn shirt when accepting the award. As a result, the NHL didn't actually have three t-shirts made for this occasion – one for Iginla, one for Malkin and one for Ovechkin. Instead, only Ovechkin's was made and they f'ed up by allowing the image to go live on the site long before it should have. So, sorry Mr. Brown, I'm not buying it – the excuse nor the shirt. You spoiled the surprise; just admit it.

To keep consistent, though, and also prepare in case the league tosses us a curveball, I'll go through each candidate.

Jarome Iginla is one of the more respected leaders across the league. Not only is he gifted scorer and defensive asset, but he's not one to back down from the physical part of the game. Unlike some of the league's stars, he doesn't need protection. He stands up for himself and his teammates. He's a warrior. The 2007-08 season was no different for Iginla. If anything, it was his most productive season. He not only reached the 50-goal plateau for the second time in his 11-year career, but he also posted a career-high 98 points over the course of a full 82-game schedule. Both his point and goal totals ranked third in the entire league. Iginla was also tied for ninth in plus/minus (plus-27), tied for eighth in power play goals (15) and tied for third in game-winning goals (nine). This career year was what Calgary needed to just get into the playoffs by six points, landing the seventh seed and a first round matchup against San Jose. It was especially important for Iginla to have a banner year because Calgary's other usual MVP – goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff – was a bit off from his normal phenomenal self. Iginla did have some support, or at least not less than he's typically used to. Daymond Langkow did score 30 goals, Dion Phaneuf had a 60-point season, Kristian Huselius posted 66 points and Owen Nolan came up with some important scores with 16 goals, three of which counted as game-winners. But that's really more a testament to Iginla's leadership than anything else, as the Flames go where he goes. And they went to the playoffs.

Evgeni Malkin may not have been a leader through all 82 games of the season for the Pittsburgh Penguins. But he sure stepped up big time when Sidney Crosby went down and missed 21 games between late-January and early-March. He had 36 points in those 21 games and became a real inspiration to the rest of the team – sending the message that they were going to be all right without their captain. Malkin went on to post a total of 106 points through a full 82-game schedule, which was second in the league. He also ranked fourth in goals (47), sixth in assists (59) and tied for fourth in power play goals (17). That 21-game stretch in the middle of the season was crucial for Malkin, though. It really made people believe that perhaps he was the best player on the Penguins and not the much hyped first overall pick in 2005. Now, I still think Crosby is the best player in the NHL, so I don't subscribe to that belief. But Malkin proved he's not just a shadow player to Crosby. He's just as important as Crosby when it comes to scoring. And when it comes to motivating his teammates, Malkin can step up big time and take charge if Crosby misses some time. He kept the Penguins in the right direction this season when it needed him the most.

One thing is for sure about the Washington Capitals. If Alexander Ovechkin ever went down, they'd be screwed. In his third year in the NHL, Ovechkin ruled the hockey world. And it's a good thing he had a tremendous year on the ice, otherwise this season might otherwise be known as the one Ovechkin signed a 13-year deal at $124 million – the richest in NHL history. Instead, Ovechkin's 2007-08 will go down as the one where he not only led the league in points (112) and goals (65), but it's the one where that 65-goal milestone marks the first time since 1996 that a player reached 60 goals (Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr.) Ovechkin also broke Luc Robitaille's single-season goal record for a left wing (63). Eleven of his goals were game-winners and 22 came on the power play, which were both league-bests. Like Iginla, he's a physical player. And while not a great locker room leader, his passion on the ice can do nothing but motivate the guys around him. I don't think anybody can really argue that the reason the Capitals made the playoffs was because of Ovechkin. He had talent around him and a coaching change that better fit the team definitely helped. But if Ovechkin played any less than the superstar he was, Washington would have been on the outside looking in by season's end. Iginla kind of falls into the same boat, but Ovechkin's point and goal totals is far better than Iginla's. Malkin could have scored less and the Penguins would have still made the playoffs. But Ovechkin had to produce just like he did. He took his team on his shoulders and got it a postseason appearance – something Washington hadn't seen since 2003. If that's not an MVP-worthy accomplishment, I'm not sure what is. Plus, hey – he's got a t-shirt!

Inside The Penalty Box Winner: Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals

Photo Credits: Player Photos – http://tsn.ca/nhl & www.nhl.com; Trophy Photos – www.nhl.com

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In other news:

Dominik Hasek retires … for the second time: Yeah, this was kind of a bigger deal the first go around – when he went out on top following the 2002 Stanley Cup victory, which was actually earned on his part. Since returning to the NHL from the first retirement, which only came about since he was suspended in the Czech Republic and didn't quite give a damn that he was screwing over Curtis Joseph by coming back, he's been bitten by the injury bug a bit too often. Yes, he still put up numbers. And a 38-win season in 2006-07 is mightily impressive from a then-42-year old. But the second part of his career didn't quite stack up to the first, and I think he hurt his legend just a tad. He's still one of the best the league has ever seen. But as opposed to going out on top, he went out on the bench. Doesn't quite paint the same picture.

~ Trevor Linden and Mattias Norstrom also announced their retirements. Linden is a legend in Vancouver and that locker room is going to feel a lot different without him, I'm sure. He played a 19-year career in the NHL (not all of which were with the Canucks), and he leaves forever a fan favorite in Vancouver. As far as Norstrom is concerned, he was a decent defenseman for 14 years and all the best to him.

Ron Wilson Is Toronto's Man: The Toronto Maple Leafs have a new head coach in former Sharks head coach Ron Wilson. Time will tell if this was the right move or if they should have gone with John Tortorella, who I believe is a better choice. And, man, do I wish him luck since he's stepping into a very hostile situation. But it's going to take this team adopting a single and logical philosophy from the top – management – before Wilson has any affect on the team. This team needs players who believe in the goal, are willing to work toward it and follow a singular message that's also followed by the rest of the organization.

On a side note, they can't be handcuffed by Mats Sundin. If he wants to be an asshole and jet after not allowing them to trade him at the deadline, then so be it. Let him walk and let that be his legacy.

~ In other coaching news, Mike Babcock got a three-year extension with Detroit. Not too surprising here. He guides his team to the Conference Finals last year and then to a Cup just one year later. A well-earned contract for a coach that's a perfect fit with the Red Wings.

~ Marc Crawford, on the other hand, is probably not a right fit for anybody. He was let go by Los Angeles and rightfully so. They disappointed very much in 2007-08. I think Crawford's luster is gone and he'll never return to prominence like when he was with Colorado. If he does coach again, it will probably be with a small market team. But with so many choices, why bother with him?

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Feedback …

Excellent article on the Wheeler situation. I am amazed at the shoulder shrugging going on around the league with regard to this move. I hope it puts chills in every fan's bones knowing their top pick could potentially walk away in four years time.

- Richard Nickerson, http://mvn.com/nhl-coyotes

Great article. I think you captured just how wrong this is, from a legal perspective. It also illustrates just how unfair it is to the Coyotes and their fans. The Yotes did Wheeler a big favour by selecting him that high and thus setting him up for a max contract offer. I strongly question either his character or the advice he is receiving. Unfortunately, some team WILL sign him. I hope that Wheeler has a long career in the AHL.

- Sean

How did the Coyotes do him a favor by picking him 25-40 spots higher than he deserved? He is not top 5 NHL pick material in any draft of the last 25 years. I don't agree with what Blake did in a morale sense. You can't tell me the team wouldn't have cut him if he came in and sucked. It goes both ways. Just like the rest of the us, Wheeler is allowed to work where he wants. He doesn't need to apologize for that. They were played beautifully by a 21 year old kid, live with it.

- What Would Wheeler Do?

Well, WWWD, I agree that the Coyotes didn't necessarily do him a favor since they picked him with their interests in mind. However, it's not as if this kid isn't talented. Maybe it's true that he's not top five talented. But the kid would have still been a reasonable first round selection, perhaps outside of the one he was chosen in. And no, Phoenix wouldn't have just cut him if he had come in and sucked. This isn't the NFL. If a prospect doesn't perform well right away, he gets a bit more seasoned in the minors. The fact is, when he was drafted by the Coyotes, he became an immediate investment to them. Does he, according to the CBA, have the right to work where he wants? Absolutely. It's not just like the rest of us because athletes have different rules to follow. But he does have this right based on a CBA loophole. But morally, which you already stated you don't agree with him, this kid sent a big "F*** You" to Phoenix. It's selfish and really says a lot that at 21 years old, he's already developed a knack for being disloyal and self-centered. That's nothing to be proud of.

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Until next week, you have just been Inside The Penalty Box!

~ Neil Borenstein