Fansided

2018-19 NHL Awards nominees and predictions

By Bruin Belisle

TAMPA, FL - MARCH 25: Nikita Kucherov #86 of the Tampa Bay Lightning celebrates his goal against Patrice Bergeron #37 of the Boston Bruins during the third period at Amalie Arena on March 25, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - MARCH 25: Nikita Kucherov #86 of the Tampa Bay Lightning celebrates his goal against Patrice Bergeron #37 of the Boston Bruins during the third period at Amalie Arena on March 25, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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ST. LOUIS, MO – JUNE 15: Ryan O’Reilly #90 of the St. Louis Blues holds up the Stanley Cup during the St Louis Blues Victory Parade and Rally after winning the 2019 Stanley Cup Final on June 15, 2019 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Scott Rovak/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Lady Byng Trophy

The NHL’s Lady Bing Trophy is awarded to the league’s most sportsmanlike player. Ryan O’Reilly is the only nominee who has won the award before (2013-14), while Aleksander Barkov and Sean Monahan are up for their first shot at the trophy.

O’Reilly had himself a season to remember after being dealt from Buffalo to St. Louis and going from the bottom of the NHL in January to Stanley Cup champions in June.

The most telling argument for O’Reilly is that absolutely no one dislikes him. Literally not one person has a bad thing to say about O’Reilly.

Talk to Bruins fans after their Stanley Cup Game 7 loss about Pat Maroon, Jordan Binnington or Colton Parayko and they’ll have something to say. Ask about O’Reilly and you get nothing but “Yeah … He’s pretty amazing. Seems like a good dude, too.”

Barkov and Monahan are both great choices as well. Barkov may be one of the more underrated centers in the NHL (not sure how much longer we’ll be able to say that) and his Florida Panthers are on their way up in the league’s ranks.

He had a quiet 96 points this past season, all while being a polite, nice person, probably.

Sean Monahan would join his two linemates with a win, as both Johnny Gaudreau (2017) and formerly, Jiri Hudler (2015) have won the award before.

It’s safe to say that this would have been the nicest line in the NHL. Probably because they are more focused on being exceptionally fast than racking up penalty minutes.

Prediction: Lock in Stanley Cup champion and person I cannot find any slander about, Ryan O’Reilly.

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