Fansided

Final predictions ahead of NHL Awards ceremony

By Simon Vacca

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 20: Head coach Gerard Gallant of the Vegas Golden Knights leads his team against the Vancouver Canucks during the game at T-Mobile Arena on March 20, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/NHLI via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 20: Head coach Gerard Gallant of the Vegas Golden Knights leads his team against the Vancouver Canucks during the game at T-Mobile Arena on March 20, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – FEBRUARY 22: Sean Couturier
PHILADELPHIA, PA – FEBRUARY 22: Sean Couturier /

The Contentious Debates

Frank J. Selke Trophy: Sean Couturier (PHI)

One of the more difficult awards to predict, the Selke Trophy is given to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspect of the game.  For four of the past six seasons, the trophy has gone to Patrice Bergeron (BOS), who entered into the 2017-18 season hoping to capture an all-time record for Selke wins.

However, missed action due to a costly foot injury makes me doubtful that this is another one of Bergeron’s years. As such, other contenders have emerged in the form of Sean Couturier (PHI), Anze Kopitar (LA) and Aleksander Barkov (FLA).

I’m not yet ready to count any of the aforementioned players out of the race. Kopitar is playing some of the best hockey of his career, while it’s difficult to fathom a reality where Florida makes the playoffs but are not compensated for their efforts through some kind of award. Yet Couturier’s ability to combine defensive accountability with the single most productive offensive season of his career is what gives him the slightest of edges in my books.

Hart Memorial Trophy: Nathan MacKinnon (COL)

Without a doubt, the Hart Memorial Trophy — presented to the NHL’s MVP — will be the central subject of some of the most contentious debates among hockey fans as the season nears its conclusion. Particularly strong cases could be made for Alexander Ovechkin (WSH), Taylor Hall (NJ), Nathan MacKinnon (COL), Frederik Andersen (TOR), Nikita Kucherov (TB), Claude Giroux (PHI), Evgeni Malkin (PIT), Blake Wheeler (WPG), Connor McDavid (EDM) or Anze Kopitar (LA).

In my eyes, MacKinnon is the league’s MVP for his ability to lead a team that finished dead last in the 2016-17 season toward a serious push for playoff contention. The Avs were expected to fall after trading Matt Duchene, but MacKinnon kept them grounded. Despite missing eight games due to injury, he’s currently fourth in scoring and continues to rack up the points on a nightly basis. Simply put, he’s an irreplaceable force — Colorado would look like a very different team if they lacked his game-changing presence.

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When all is said and done, the race for the Hart will continue to occupy the talk circuit of hockey circles until an eventual winner is announced.

‘Til then, have fun debating!

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