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NHL Postpones Combine, Awards & 2020 Draft

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Due to the uncertainty surrounding the current coronavirus pandemic, the NHL has decided to postpone the 2020 NHL Scouting Combine, the 2020 NHL Awards and the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, which were scheduled throughout June. The league is still looking at options for when these events can be held down the road but without a full understanding of when (or if) the season will resume it is obviously impossible to announce a reschedule date at this point.

The league expects to return to Las Vegas for the award show, but “the location, timing and format of the 2020 NHL Draft (and Draft Lottery) will be announced when details are finalized.” That likely means Montreal, who was due to host the event this year, will not be the destination at all. France Margaret Belanger, executive vice-president for Groupe CH, owners of the Canadiens, released a statement on the news:

While today’s news is disappointing for fans of hockey in general and those here in Montreal in particular, this is the right decision to make under the circumstances. I’m confident that the League will propose an alternative that will be in the best interest of all hockey fans.

It comes with little surprise that the league was forced to move these events back or to different venues altogether, given that the season’s fate is still completely up in the air. Players were recently asked to self-isolate for another ten days, but there is still no timeline for resuming play.

Poll: Who Is The Early Hart Trophy Favorite?

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The Hart Trophy is the most prestigious regular season award in the NHL, given to the “player judged most valuable to his team.” While there are always debates over what exactly most valuable means, the award is often given to one of the league’s top scorers who also contributed greatly to team success.

Last year saw the trophy go to Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning, whose 128 points led the league. Kucherov was part of a powerhouse club in Tampa Bay that won the Presidents’ Trophy easily, finishing the season 21 points ahead of the next team in the standings. The then 25-year old forward was a dynamic force on the powerplay, but also posted 80 points at even-strength.

Kucherov was a relatively easy choice as the winner—he earned 164 first-place votes, 161 more than second place Sidney Crosby—but it’s not that way every year. This season for instance has several players who could be considered the favorite at this point.

Through the first quarter of the season Leon Draisaitl is the top scorer, with 48 points on the year, one ahead of linemate Connor McDavid. Both Edmonton Oilers forwards could make a claim as the best player in the league this season, something McDavid is used to at this point after taking home his own Hart Trophy in 2017. The Oilers as a team are experiencing success for the first time in a while, giving even more credence to the idea that one of their superstars could be considered for the award.

There is also a pair of Boston Bruins in the running, with Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak taking up residence just below McDavid on the scoring charts. Two parts of the “Perfection Line” in Boston, Marchand and Pastrnak have not only found incredible chemistry but are now two of the best bargains in the entire league. The Bruins are arguably the league’s best team at this point, with just three regulation losses through 26 games.

Perhaps though the linemates in Edmonton and Boston will split their respective votes and drop down the list. There are other players like Nathan MacKinnon who have had to carry their team in relative solidarity this season and are still finding great success. Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog, MacKinnon’s usual linemates, have both been injured for a good chunk of the start of the year, yet the speedy Avalanche center still has 39 points in 25 games.

Maybe even a defenseman could win the award for the first time since Chris Pronger in 2000. John Carlson has an incredible 36 points in 26 games so far for the Washington Capitals, a pace that would give him the best offensive season from a defenseman in 30 years. Only Bobby Orr and Paul Coffey have ever scored more than 103 points while playing defense, a group that Carlson will try to join this season.

There are countless others who could contend for the award by the end of the year, but cast your vote for the one who you think is the early favorite. We’ve listed some of the most likely candidates, but be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

2019 NHL Awards Recap

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The NHL Awards were held on Wednesday night and some notable choices were made for the trophies. Below are the award winners, finalists, and voting totals where available (via the NHL).

Calder Trophy – Rookie Of The Year

Winner: Elias Pettersson (Canucks)
Runners-Up: Jordan Binnington (Blues), Rasmus Dahlin (Sabres)

Full Voting Results

Lady Byng Trophy – Most Gentlemanly Player

Winner: Aleksander Barkov (Panthers)
Runners-Up: Ryan O’Reilly (Blues), Sean Monahan (Flames)

Full Voting Results

General Manager Of The Year

Winner: Don Sweeney (Bruins)
Runners-Up: Doug Armstrong (Blues), Don Waddell (Hurricanes)

Full Voting Results

King Clancy Trophy – Humanitarian

Winner: Jason Zucker (Wild)
Runners-Up: Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Coyotes), Henrik Lundqvist (Rangers)

Ted Lindsay Award – Most Outstanding Player (as voted by the players)

Winner: Nikita Kucherov (Lightning)
Runners-Up: Connor McDavid (Oilers), Patrick Kane (Blackhawks)

Norris Trophy – Top Defenseman

Winner: Mark Giordano (Flames)
Runners-Up: Brent Burns (Sharks), Victor Hedman (Lightning)

Full Voting Results

Bill Masterton Award – Perseverance, Sportsmanship, and Dedication

Winner: Robin Lehner (Islanders)
Runners-Up: Nick Foligno (Blue Jackets), Joe Thornton (Sharks)

Selke Trophy – Best Defensive Forward

Winner: Ryan O’Reilly (Blues)
Runners-Up: Mark Stone (Golden Knights), Patrice Bergeron (Bruins)

Full Voting Results

Jack Adams Award – Coach Of The Year

Winner: Barry Trotz (Islanders)
Runners-Up: Jon Cooper (Lightning), Craig Berube (Blues)

Full Voting Results

Vezina Trophy – Goaltender Of The Year

Winner: Andrei Vasilevskiy (Lightning)
Runners-Up: Ben Bishop (Stars), Robin Lehner (Islanders)

Full Voting Results

Messier Leadership Award

Winner: Wayne Simmonds (Predators)
Runners-Up: Mark Giordano (Flames), Justin Williams (Hurricanes)

Hart Trophy – Most Valuable Player

Winner: Nikita Kucherov (Lightning)
Runners-Up: Sidney Crosby (Penguins), Connor McDavid (Oilers)

Full Voting Results

Snapshots: Lehner, No. 31 Pick, Bruins

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By all accounts, Robin Lehner is the second-best goalie on the free agent market behind Sergei Bobrovsky. His most recent team, the New York Islanders, need a starting goalie and if it’s not Bobrovsky, they can’t do any better on the open market than re-signing Lehner. So why hasn’t a deal come together yet? Well, it’s not Lehner who’s to blame. Speaking at the NHL Awards media availability today, Lehner spoke honestly about wanting to return to New York, as relayed by NHL.com’s Dan Rosen. Lehner said that he does not want to be a UFA and hopes to re-sign with the Islanders before July 1st. He even went so far as to say that the term of the extension does not matter; he would be willing to sign a short-term or long-term deal to remain in New York. If Lehner wants to return and term doesn’t matter, that would seemingly imply that either GM Lou Lamoriello and the Isles want to explore other options or they aren’t satisfied with Lehner’s salary demands. Regardless, it seems unlikely that they will find a better and easier fit than simply re-signing the 27-year-old. In his own words, Lehner expressed his hope that he will don an Islanders jersey again next season and beyond:

I know the team knows where I stand and I just hope something works out… I like the people there. I love my teammates. I love the organization. So obviously I want to be back.

  • The Athletic’s John Vogl writes that the Buffalo Sabres will be tempted to trade away the final pick of the first round of the NHL Draft on Friday night. In such a deep draft class, the No. 31 represents the last opportunity for a team to trade back into the first round before more than 12 hours pass before the start of Day Two, during which time teams will be able to talk more in-depth about trades to move up in the second round for the top available prospects. Seeing as the Sabres will have already picked in the first round – their own selection coming at No. 7 – the team may be willing to move back and recoup more picks if they aren’t in love with any player available at the end of the first. There has been speculation that teams may try to trade back in to get in front of the start of the next tier of centers that could open the second round. Vogl writes that previous deals where a team has dealt away the final first-rounder have been a toss-up and the Sabres return will largely dictate whether it’s a smart move. In a deep draft in which the Sabres are without a second-round pick, potentially picking up multiple mid-round picks could be a smart move. So long as Buffalo is able to do better than the last team to deal away the final pick – the Pittsburgh Penguins sent theirs and Oskar Sundqvist to the St. Louis Blues for Ryan Reaves and a second-rounder in 2017 – they should consider a move.
  • As if the Boston Bruins’ first list of post-playoff injuries wasn’t bad enough, the team has since updated even more injuries. In addition to a fractured jaw and lower-body injury, captain Zdeno Chara will also require surgery on his elbow to clean up loose fragments. The 42-year-old was miraculously playing through several injuries in the postseason, but fortunately none are expected to impact the start of next season. Joakim Nordstrom, another key playoff contributor, was playing through a foot fracture in the Stanley Cup Final, but it will merely require rest to heal. Finally, the team announced that Anders Bjork, who missed the second half of the season following shoulder surgery, is recovering well and should be ready for the start of the season. If Bjork can get up to speed, he should challenge for a roster spot in Boston next season. Chris Wagner also stated that he had surgery to repair a broken arm suffered in the Eastern Conference Final, but was shockingly able to rehab in a few weeks time and was actually cleared to play in Game Seven of the Stanley Cup, but it was a coach’s decision that he sit. In one final update, the team revealed that John Moore has been scheduled for surgery next week to repair a broken humerus. Moore suffered the injury in the regular season finale, but somehow played ten playoff games nevertheless. Of all of the Bruins’ reported injuries, including Kevan Miller’s twice-broken knee cap and Brad Marchand’s barrage of muscle damage, Moore’s has to be considered the worst. It will require four to six months of rehab, meaning Moore is very doubtful for the start of the season and may need some luck to play again before the end of the calendar year.

Joe Thornton To Play In 2019-20, Possibly Longer

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Speaking at the NHL Awards media availability today, future Hall of Famer Joe Thornton made it clear that he is not yet ready to hang up his skates. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman relays word from Thornton that the veteran center is feeling good and is ready to return for the 2019-20 season. Thornton even added that he is thinking beyond next season so long as he can stay healthy and continue playing at a high level.

At 39, soon to be 40, many wondered if “Jumbo Joe” had played his final game in the NHL. Thornton battled injuries over the last few years and left many wondering if he could keep going. Yet, Thornton returned to full strength this past season and proved doubters wrong, playing in 73 games and recording 51 points. Even at an advanced age, Thornton continues to be one of the top play-makers in the league, as well as a two-way force. If he can indeed stay healthy and continue playing at this level, Thornton can play as long as he likes.

The question now is who will he play for? Thornton has been with the San Jose Shark since 2006, skating in over 1,000 games with the club, and seemed optimistic about a return. However, San Jose is limited for cap space this summer, following the extension of defenseman Erik Karlsson, which costs the team $11.5MM against the cap. The move left the Sharks with just over $16MM in cap space – following the trade of Justin Braun – but the team must re-sign restricted free agents Timo Meier, Kevin Labanc, and Joakim Ryan among others. Even after that, is Thornton, easily worth $4-5MM, a priority over captain Joe Pavelski? Or adding another prime free agent forward? Or upgrading their goalie situation? Thornton may want to keep playing, but that doesn’t guarantee that he’ll keep playing in San Jose unless some sacrifices are made.

NHL Announces GM Of The Year Finalists

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After announcing one set of finalists for awards per day back in April, the finalists for the final award were revealed by the NHL today.  The list of contenders for GM of the Year is down to three with Don Sweeney (Boston), Doug Armstrong (St. Louis), and Don Waddell (Carolina) being the nominees.

The reason for the delay in revealing the top three is that voting for this award doesn’t take place after the regular season.  Instead, it’s conducted at the end of the second round and is voted on by all 31 general managers, a group of league executives, and the media.

While some teams have opted to make bigger moves, Sweeney opted to primarily supplement Boston’s depth, a decision that has certainly helped out.  Jaroslav Halak’s addition allowed them to rest up Tuukka Rask a bit more and they’ve been rewarded for that so far in the playoffs while late-season pickups Charlie Coyle and Marcus Johansson have made an impact as well.  The Bruins finished third overall during the regular season and could punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final later tonight which certainly helped sway some votes in his favor.

Armstrong was among the general managers to make a big swing on the trade front with their acquisition of Ryan O’Reilly from Buffalo back in July.  The move paid immediate dividends as the 28-year-old had a career year with 77 points which led the team in scoring.  Jordan Binnington has provided them with stable goaltending and the decision to part ways with head coach Mike Yeo to replace him with Craig Berube (a finalist for the Jack Adams Award) has certainly worked out well.

Waddell was certainly buoyed by Carolina’s presence in the Conference Final.  The Hurricanes have had quite the year in his first season as GM and they pulled the trigger on a pair of significant trades, sending Jeff Skinner to Buffalo plus Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm to Calgary.  Carolina also effectively rebuilt their goalie tandem with the signing of Petr Mrazek and the waiver claim of Curtis McElhinney; the two have combined to give them well above average goaltending for the combined price of an above average backup netminder.

The winner will be revealed on June 19th at the annual NHL Awards show in Las Vegas.

Snapshots: Willie O’Ree Award, Hurricanes’ Injuries, Haley

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The NHL revealed the finalists for the Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award. The award was established last year, named after O’Ree who was the NHL’s first black player and spent decades bringing the sport of hockey to people who might normally not be exposed to it, to honor people not directly affiliated with the NHL or any teams.

The finalists are Anthony Benevides, Tammi Lynch and Rico Phillips. Benevides has built an affordable hockey program in Detroit, which serves Latino youth in impoverished areas. Lynch, a hockey mom, started a movement called Players Against Hate after her son’s teammate was a victim of racial slurs. Phillips has run a free hockey program in the inner city of Flint, Michigan, which he has run for the last six years.

2019 Hart Trophy Finalists Announced

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The finalists for the Hart Trophy, given to the player most valuable to his team, have been announced. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the three finalists are Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby, Tampa Bay Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov and Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid.

Kucherov is considered to be a favorite for the award after putting up a tremendous year. The 25-year-old took his game to another level as he has already captured this year’s Art Ross Trophy for leading the league in total points. He finished the year with 41 goals and 128 points, the most in the league since the 1995-96 season. His totals are also the most-ever by a Russian-born NHL player. Kucherov has also been nominated for the Ted Lindsay Award, awarded to the most outstanding player and voted on by the players. Kucherov led his team to the Presidents’ Trophy, given to the team with the best regular-season record.

Crosby had an impressive season as well. Often forgotten when talking about the league’s best players, Crosby helped lead the Penguins to the playoffs this year and did it by breaking the 100-point mark for the first time in five years. On top of that, he was 18-points better than any other players on his team, making his season quite valuable for a Pittsburgh franchise that struggled to get into the playoffs this season.

McDavid’s name is not surprising either, other than the fact that the Edmonton Oilers didn’t have a very impressive season and while they weren’t mathematically eliminated from the playoffs until late in the season, they were never truly considered to be a playoff threat this season. In fact, McDavid is just the sixth player in NHL history to be a Hart finalist from a non-playoff team. McDavid, however, who won the Hart Trophy in the 2016-17 season when he tallied 30 goals and 100 points, continues to improve on each season as he tallied 41 goals and 116 points to reach new career highs.

Several interesting players were left off the finalist list as well, including Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin and Chicago Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane.

 

2019 Calder Memorial Trophy Finalists Announced

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The finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy, given each year to the most proficient first-year player in the NHL, have been announced. The three rookies are Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson, St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington, and Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, according to Sportsnet’s John Shannon. New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal was the 2018 winner of the award.

While it seemed like a forgone conclusion that the Canucks’ Pettersson would walk away with the award early in the season, the young Swede has gotten some good competition from Binnington as well as fellow Swede Dahlin. However, Pettersson remains the front runner. The 20-year-old came over from Sweden this year and immediately posted 28 goals and 38 assists for 66 points, making the loss of both Henrik and Daniel Sedin, who retired a season ago, less noticeable. What’s interesting is that Pettersson was initially pegged to play the wing for a season as he transitioned to North American hockey. Instead, within a week or two of training camp the team announced he would play center immediately and fared extremely well at that. Despite the impressive numbers, the other two candidates have a legitimate chance at the award, as much of Pettersson’s production was concentrated in the first half of the season. He tallied 23 goals and 45 points in the first 40 games of the season, but struggled more in the second half, totaling just five goals and 21 points in his final 31 games.

Binnington didn’t make his first start this year until Jan. 7, but he made it count, posting a shutout against the Philadelphia Flyers and leading a struggling Blues team to the playoffs with a 24-5-1 record with a 1.89 GAA and a .927 save percentage. The 25-year-old netminder was not even considered the team’s top goalie prospect at the start of the season, as he was behind Ville Husso in San Antonio of the AHL, but a strong start to the season with the Rampage and his immediate success with St. Louis give the goaltender a good chance at challenging for the Calder.

Dahlin comes from a much more conventional place, as he was the 2018 No. 1 overall pick and immediately steadied a struggling Buffalo defense this season. He had one of the best seasons for an 18-year-old defensemen ever, as he posted nine goals and 44 points, second most in the NHL history for his age and position. Only his former coach, Phil Housley, did better as an 18-year-old defender, as Housley put up 57 points back in the 1982-83 season. Dahlin also played the second-most minutes among NHL rookies, averaging 21:09, behind Dallas Stars’ defenseman Miro Heiskanen, who many felt deserved to be among the top three in this race. Dahlin is the first Buffalo Sabres player to be a finalist for the award since Tyler Myers was nominated in 2009-10.

NHLPA Announces Ted Lindsay Award Finalists

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The National Hockey League Players’ Association has named the three players up for their most prestigious honor. The Ted Lindsay Award is presented each year to the “most outstanding player in the NHL”. Unlike the Hart Trophy though, the Ted Lindsay is voted on by the candidates’ peers themselves, the NHLPA’s member players. This year, the three named as finalists are the Chicago Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane, the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov, and the Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid.

McDavid is no stranger to the Ted Lindsay; the Oilers’ superstar has won the award in each of the past two seasons. Generally, the players put less stock into team success than do voters for the Hart, making McDavid an easy choice despite Edmonton’s struggles. The last player to win the award before McDavid was none other than Kane, who took home the honor in 2015-16. Not only has Kucherov never won the award, he is a first-time finalist.

Yet, Kucherov would seem to be the favorite to receive the title this year. Tampa’s top scorer led the league in scoring with 128 points, 12 more than McDavid and 18 more than Kane. He also finished first in assists and power play points by a wide margin, as well as among the league’s best in goals, plus/minus, and shots. Also, if team performance does come into play in voting, Kucherov’s Lightning had a record-setting regular season, winning the President’s Trophy with 128 points, 21 more than the next-best team. Kucherov seems to have on overwhelmingly strong case for the Ted Lindsay (and Hart), but the final result won’t be revealed until the NHL Awards on June 19th.

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