Mid-Season NHL Awards
The title says it all, so without further ado...
Biggest Surprise: Boston Bruins
From Milan Lucic, to Tim Thomas, to Marc Savard, the 1st place Bruins have cornered the market on surprises. Will they be able to keep it up for the rest of the season?
Runner-Up: Unanimous Selection
Biggest Disappointment: Tampa Bay Lightning
The only surprise here is that more people didn't see this coming. A team with suspect goaltending and weak defense lets is best defenseman leave over the summer, and then spends the money it saved on a bunch of forwards. Dumb.
Runner-Up: Ottawa Senators
Best Free-Agent Signing (so far): Dan Boyle, SJ
The leagues highest scoring defenseman is on pace for his best season ever. His 3 GWG are tops among defenseman, and his arrival is a big reason why the Sharks power-play is operating at above 20%.
Runner-Up: Marian Hossa, DET
Worst Free-Agent Signing (so far): Sean Avery, DAL
Was there ever any doubt? Avery's antics were tolerated in New York because he was scoring and the team was winning. No such luck in Dallas.
Runner-Up: Cristobal Huet, CHI
Comeback Player of the 1/2 Year: Nikolai Khabibulin, CHI
The Bulin wall was widely regarded as trade bait following the off-season acquisition of Cristobal Huet. Even yours truly felt Khabi's days were numbered. However, the Russian netminder has bounced back with a strong 2.31 GAA and a .926 save percentage with the offensive minded Blackhawks. Unfortunately, he still isn't worth 6.75 mil a season.
Runner-Up: Rob Blake, SJ
Rookie of the 1/2 Year: Steve Mason, CLB
Mason leads the league in GAA, save percentage, and shut-outs. It's hard to argue with those statistics.
Runner-Up: Unanimous Selection
Strangest Injury: Joe Sakic, COL
Sakic's snow-blower escapades brought back memories or Riders FB Chris Szarka slicing his finger tips off with a table saw. It's nice to see Sakic is still down-to-earth enough to shovel his own driveway, but from now on the Avalanche will likely send over a lackey.
Runner-Up: Matt Stajan, TOR
Slow Starter Heating Up: Erik Cole, EDM
After scoring only 3 goals in his first 30 games, Cole has racked up 5 in his last 11. That kind of production is what the Oilers had in mind when the brought him over from Carolina.
Runner-Up: Marty Turco, DAL
Hot Starter Cooling Off: Miroslav Satan, PIT
11 goals in his first 30 games followed by 1 in his next 13. I know Satan goes as Crosby and Malkin do, but this is ridiculous.
Runner-Up: Nikolai Zherdev, NYR
Player Quietly Having a Good Season: David Krejci, BOS
Does is surprise you to know Krejci is averaging a point-per-game this season? Me too. His 46 points put him 11th overall in league scoring. He's just one of many Bruins having an outstanding year.
Runner-Up: Thomas Vanek, BUF
Speed Round:
1/2 Season MVP: Tim Thomas, BOS
Fight of the 1/2 Year: Eric Godard vs. Riley Cote
Biggest Cheapshot: Tom Kostopolous on Mike Van Ryn
Hardest Hit: Doug Weight on Brandon Sutter
Best Save: Jason Labarbera on Mike Ribero (sorry about the poor quality)
Sweetest Goal: Blake Wheeler
Sweetest Goal (Shoot-Out Edition): Pavel Datsyuk
Fine Print:
All statistics accurate as of the writing of this post.
Biggest Surprise: Boston Bruins
From Milan Lucic, to Tim Thomas, to Marc Savard, the 1st place Bruins have cornered the market on surprises. Will they be able to keep it up for the rest of the season?
Runner-Up: Unanimous Selection
Biggest Disappointment: Tampa Bay Lightning
The only surprise here is that more people didn't see this coming. A team with suspect goaltending and weak defense lets is best defenseman leave over the summer, and then spends the money it saved on a bunch of forwards. Dumb.
Runner-Up: Ottawa Senators
Best Free-Agent Signing (so far): Dan Boyle, SJ
The leagues highest scoring defenseman is on pace for his best season ever. His 3 GWG are tops among defenseman, and his arrival is a big reason why the Sharks power-play is operating at above 20%.
Runner-Up: Marian Hossa, DET
Worst Free-Agent Signing (so far): Sean Avery, DAL
Was there ever any doubt? Avery's antics were tolerated in New York because he was scoring and the team was winning. No such luck in Dallas.
Runner-Up: Cristobal Huet, CHI
Comeback Player of the 1/2 Year: Nikolai Khabibulin, CHI
The Bulin wall was widely regarded as trade bait following the off-season acquisition of Cristobal Huet. Even yours truly felt Khabi's days were numbered. However, the Russian netminder has bounced back with a strong 2.31 GAA and a .926 save percentage with the offensive minded Blackhawks. Unfortunately, he still isn't worth 6.75 mil a season.
Runner-Up: Rob Blake, SJ
Rookie of the 1/2 Year: Steve Mason, CLB
Mason leads the league in GAA, save percentage, and shut-outs. It's hard to argue with those statistics.
Runner-Up: Unanimous Selection
Strangest Injury: Joe Sakic, COL
Sakic's snow-blower escapades brought back memories or Riders FB Chris Szarka slicing his finger tips off with a table saw. It's nice to see Sakic is still down-to-earth enough to shovel his own driveway, but from now on the Avalanche will likely send over a lackey.
Runner-Up: Matt Stajan, TOR
Slow Starter Heating Up: Erik Cole, EDM
After scoring only 3 goals in his first 30 games, Cole has racked up 5 in his last 11. That kind of production is what the Oilers had in mind when the brought him over from Carolina.
Runner-Up: Marty Turco, DAL
Hot Starter Cooling Off: Miroslav Satan, PIT
11 goals in his first 30 games followed by 1 in his next 13. I know Satan goes as Crosby and Malkin do, but this is ridiculous.
Runner-Up: Nikolai Zherdev, NYR
Player Quietly Having a Good Season: David Krejci, BOS
Does is surprise you to know Krejci is averaging a point-per-game this season? Me too. His 46 points put him 11th overall in league scoring. He's just one of many Bruins having an outstanding year.
Runner-Up: Thomas Vanek, BUF
Speed Round:
1/2 Season MVP: Tim Thomas, BOS
Fight of the 1/2 Year: Eric Godard vs. Riley Cote
Biggest Cheapshot: Tom Kostopolous on Mike Van Ryn
Hardest Hit: Doug Weight on Brandon Sutter
Best Save: Jason Labarbera on Mike Ribero (sorry about the poor quality)
Sweetest Goal: Blake Wheeler
Sweetest Goal (Shoot-Out Edition): Pavel Datsyuk
Fine Print:
All statistics accurate as of the writing of this post.
Labels: Jason, Mid-Season Awards
posted by Jason Kerr at
6:03 PM
2 Comments:
Two thoughts: First Dan Boyle was not a free agent signing, he signed his big contract with Tampa Bay and then was traded to San Jose with Brad Lukowich for Matt Carle, prospects, and picks. So he shouldn't qualify for that category.
Second, I don't think Cristobal Huet has had that poor of a season, or was a horrible free agent signing. He's been injured for much of the season, and he and Khabibulin have actually formed one of the best goalie tandems in the league. They are making way too much money between the two of them, but that doesn't mean that Huet was a poor free agent signing.
Hmmm, I'm not sure how the Boyle thing slipped by me. I new he was a free-agent, I guess I just assumed too much. Unfortuanetly the boards decision is final: Boyle wins, but from now on he will have an artisk next to his name.
As for Huet, as far as I know he hasn't been injured at all this season. Plus, in my opinion, being overpayed qualifies as a bad signing. I'll give Huet credit, he has improved as the year's gone on, but he's still underperforming.
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