NHL Award Projections

By Joe Sager

The 2010 NHL Awards will be handed out on June 23 in Las Vegas.

But, you don't have to head to the desert to learn out who is going to take home the hardware.

Following is a list of projected winners and those who should win the NHL's top regular-season awards:

HART MEMORIAL TROPHY
Awarded to most valuable player to his team

Finalists: Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh), Alexander Ovechkin (Washington), Henrik Sedin (Vancouver).

Who should win: Ryan Miller (Buffalo). It's tough to imagine someone being more valuable to his team than the Sabres goaltender. He finished second in the NHL with a 2.22 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage. He faced the fourth-most shots (2,098) and was fourth in wins (41), too. Sure, those individual stats are nice, but consider that Buffalo didn't exactly light up the scoreboard in front of him. Can you name the Sabres' leading scorer? If you guessed Derek Roy, you're right. He had 69 points.

Who will win: Crosby. Usually, the MVP is a clear-cut winner, but not this year. Crosby and Ovechkin both had 109 points – three behind Sedin's league-best 112. Ovechkin played on the NHL's best team with a better supporting cast. Crosby led the NHL with a career-high 51 goals – 12 more than the 39 he had in his rookie year and 18 more than last year's 33. Where would the Penguins have been without those extra goals?


JAMES NORRIS MEMORIAL TROPHY
Award for outstanding defenseman

Finalists: Drew Doughty (Los Angeles), Mike Green (Washington), Duncan Keith (Chicago)

Who should win: Keith. Green tallied more goals (19), assists (57) and points (76) than Keith (14, 55, 69) and Doughty (16, 43, 59) and played for the NHL's best team in the regular season. However, Green owns the reputation as being an offense-first blueliner and his play usually proves that. Doughty, only 20, should put a stranglehold on this award in the future, but not this year. Keith is a reliable two-way defenseman and has improved every season.

Who will win: Keith. He was second among NHL defensemen in ice time. He contributed defensively, offensively and on special teams for the Blackhawks. Plus, he didn't miss a game. Green's impressive point totals will draw some votes, but Keith's all-around play gives him the nod.




VEZINA TROPHY
Award for outstanding goaltender

Finalists: Ryan Miller (Buffalo), Martin Brodeur (New Jersey), Ilya Bryzgalov (Phoenix)

Who should win: Miller. Miller and Bryzgalov are the top two choices here, while Brodeur had another solid season in his Hall of Fame career. Brodeur led the NHL with 45 wins and nine shutouts. He finished third in GAA at 2.24. Bryzgalov backstopped the resurgent Coyotes to 107 points and a playoff berth. Sure, Bryzgalov had similar offensive support as Miller, but benefited from Phoenix's system and defensemen. Bryzgalov had more wins than Miller (42-41), but was sixth in GAA (2.29) and ninth in save percentage (.920). Miller was second in GAA (2.22) and save percentage (.929) and faced more shots.

Who will win: Miller. He was more valuable to his team and was the best goaltender this season. Don't forget his memorable run in the Olympics with Team USA. While that should not be factored in the voting for NHL awards, you can bet some voters will remember his performance.

CALDER MEMORIAL TROPHY
Award for outstanding rookie

Finalists: Matt Duchene (Colorado), Jimmy Howard (Detroit), Tyler Myers (Buffalo)

Who should win: Myers. He led all rookie defensemen with 11 goals, 37 assists and 48 points. Plus, he was tops in ice time (23:44) and finished as a plus-13. He achieved that all while playing the toughest position for an NHL rookie. Howard was fifth in the NHL with a 2.26 GAA, eighth with 37 wins and tied for fourth with .924 save percentage. Duchene led all rookie scorers with 55 points – one more than the Islanders' John Tavares.

Who will win: Myers. This might be a close decision, though, since Howard sparkled in goal for a Red Wings team that was besieged with injuries for most the season. The 26-year-old's play was one reason why the Red Wings made it back to the postseason. Yet, it's hard to overlook what Myers achieved as only a 20-year-old rookie.



FRANK J. SELKE TROPHY
Award for outstanding defensive forward

Finalists: Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit), Ryan Kesler (Vancouver), Jordan Staal (Pittsburgh)

Who should win: Staal. Finally, Staal was named a finalist for this award after showing folks in Pittsburgh his value as a two-way center. He does it all for the Penguins and he's an ironman. His plus-19 plus-minus rating tops Datsyuk (plus-17) and Kesler (plus-1). Staal had more short-handed goals (2) than Kesler (1) and Datsyuk (0) combined, too. However, determining a winner for this award is like trying to grade a piece of art – it's all subjective and often is based on reputation.

Who will win: Datsyuk. While this award is supposed to recognize the outstanding defensive forward, offensive statistics often weigh heavily on the outcome. Kesler tallied 75 points (25 goals, 50 assists), while Datsyuk had 70 (27, 43). Staal finished with 49 (21, 28). However, Datsyuk's reputation—he's won the last two years—gives him the nod, but Kesler could move ahead this year, especially since Detroit struggled this season.


LADY BYNG MEMORIAL TROPHY
Awarded to player that displays sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct

Finalists: Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit), Brad Richards (Dallas), Martin St. Louis (Tampa Bay)

Who should win: Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit. He is on the Red Wings' top defensive pairing, averaged 25:25 of ice time and battled against the top forwards in the league. Yet, he was called for only 12 minor penalties – impressive. His work should put him atop this list annually.

Who will win: St. Louis. Based solely on statistics, St. Louis gets this. He had more points (94) and fewer penalty minutes (12) than Richards (91, 14) and Datsyuk (70, 18). This award is based largely on reputation, too, and St. Louis has a solid one of those.




MASTERTON TROPHY
Awarded to player "who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey"

Finalists: Kurtis Foster (Tampa Bay), Jed Ortmeyer (San Jose), Jose Theodore (Washington)

Who should win: Foster. He suffered a severe leg injury on March 19, 2008, while chasing down an icing call and falling into the end boards. Many considered Foster fortunate merely to walk again, but he rebounded on the ice in a big way this season with a career-best 42 points in 71 games to lead all Lightning defensemen.

Who will win: Foster. Ortmeyer needs daily blood thinner injections to combat a hereditary blood-clotting disorder that threatens his career and life, while Theodore had to overcome losing his starting job in goal for the Capitals at the end of the 2008-09 season as well as the death of his infant son last summer. He rebounded to backstop Washington the league's best record this year.




JACK ADAMS AWARD
Award for outstanding coach

Finalists: Joe Sacco (Colorado), Dave Tippett (Phoenix), Barry Trotz (Nashville)

Who should win: Tippett. Sure, all three coaches guided their teams to the postseason, but Tippett faced the most adversity. With the Coyotes franchise's future in limbo and hired less than a week before the start of the regular season, the defensive system Tippett implemented helped guide the squad from the depths of the Western Conference standings. Sacco spearheaded a young Avalanche group, while Trotz continued to find success in Nashville.

Who will win: Tippett. Sure, he had a more veteran-laden roster to work with than Sacco did in Colorado, but the Phoenix bench boss gets the nod. Trotz's nomination is more like a lifetime achievement honor as he continues to get the most out of the Predators.