Pre-season Award Predictions

[matchesmalone]

Hart: Ryan Getzlaf - Kesler, plus the development of youngsters like Palmieri, Silfverberg and Maroon will mean opponents need to worry about the second line. Kesler is also a monster on the PP. A hungry Dany Heatley will be given open shots in optimal locations, and he will bury a bunch of them. Sid is the obvious answer, but I don't trust his health enough to prognosticate consecutive healthy seasons. Of course, he could likely play 60 games and still challenge for the Hart and Art Ross, but Getzlaf is going to be a humongous obstacle.

Norris: Alex Pietrangelo - All the same reasons as I picked him last year, plus now analytics to back it up. Great chemistry with J-Bo, tons of support from a strong, deep defense core. With the addition of Stastny and development of Tarasenko and Schwartz, St. Louis - always the very deep and tough to play against, but lacking gamebreakers - now suddenly has a forward line with 250 point potential, which, coupled with the dynamic due on points, might rack up corsi numbersthat will break analytics.

[matchesmalone]

Re: Pre-season Award Predictions

Calder: Josh Morrissey - huge offensive breakout in junior last year, after he'd already established himself as a top shutdown defenseman at that level. Came into the WJCs as the seventh defenseman, was established in top three by the end. Went to Winnipeg's farm team and established himself as a top four defenseman over their long playoff run. In Winnipeg this year, with Byfuglien back on wing and the emergence of Scheifele at center, the Jets have a really strong forward core, and on defense, he'll round out the top four nicely, along with right shots Trouba and Bogosian, and fellow let shoting Enstrom. And his combination of high octane offense with highlight -reel hits will catch the media's attention, even up in Winnipeg.

[Alfie11]

Re: Pre-season Award Predictions

Hart: Sidney Crosby - I think he'll stay relatively healthy, and as long as he's in the range of 75-80 game range he's probably the only lock for 100 points in the league.

Vezina: Henrik Lundqvist - He builds on last years playoff success and they have a very strong regular season. It's close with Rask but Chara declining I think Lundqvist has the better D and takes it.

Norris - Shea Weber - He finally gets his first win. With a more offensive minded coach in Nashville, I think Weber's point totals go up. I actually think he has quite a few slip-ups defensively that go unnoticed due to the system and that he plays for Nashville, and they get a little more exposed. But he still wins it.

Selke - Ryan Kesler - I think a change of scenery is exactly what he needs and he goes on to win.

[Josh]

Re: Pre-season Award Predictions

Hart - Ryan Getzlaf. Runners up - Alex Ovechkin, Jamie Benn

[Josh]

Re: Pre-season Award Predictions

Norris - Erik Karlsson. Runners up - Shea Weber, Victor Hedman

[Josh]

Re: Pre-season Award Predictions

Selke - David Backes.

[Dean Ambrose]

Re: Pre-season Award Predictions

Subban's winning the Norris and Price is winning the Vezina. :D

Also, Montreal wins cup #25.

[matchesmalone]

Re: Pre-season Award Predictions

I'm actually gonna agree with Alfie on two of these.

Vezina: Lundqvist - Stralman replaced by Dan Boyle, Pouliot and Brian Boyle replaced internally by Kreider and J.T. Miller. Lundqvist took a while to adapt to Vigneault's system, but he has it figured out by the playoffs and that will carry into this season behind maybe the best top four D in the league.

Selke: Kesler - Anaheim is going to be very good this year, and Kesler is going to be a major part of that; he and Getzlaf will likely both play 20+ minutes per night, and are going to make matchups difficult for opposing teams.

[Alfie11]

Re: Pre-season Award Predictions

Norris - Erik Karlsson. Runners up - Shea Weber, Victor Hedman

I thought about Karlsson winning the Norris, but with the chance Ottawa misses the playoffs I'm not sure he has much of a chance unless the sneak in. I guess you could say the same of Nashville...but it seems like Karlsson shoulders a lot more blame for his team from the media.

[Alfie11]

Re: Pre-season Award Predictions

I'm actually gonna agree with Alfie on two of these.

Vezina: Lundqvist - Stralman replaced by Dan Boyle, Pouliot and Brian Boyle replaced internally by Kreider and J.T. Miller. Lundqvist took a while to adapt to Vigneault's system, but he has it figured out by the playoffs and that will carry into this season behind maybe the best top four D in the league.

Selke: Kesler - Anaheim is going to be very good this year, and Kesler is going to be a major part of that; he and Getzlaf will likely both play 20+ minutes per night, and are going to make matchups difficult for opposing teams.

Sweet!

Your Calder pick is interesting. I can't weigh in much because I haven't been following rookies much, although I'm confident it won't go to a 2014 draftee this year.

[Josh]

Re: Pre-season Award Predictions

I dunno, I could see Draisatl run away with it if Edmonton's other kids finally start helping them win games. And Draisatl could be a huge part of that.

[matchesmalone]

Re: Pre-season Award Predictions

Agreed completely on Draisaitl. I'm predicting somewhere in the 40 point range for him, but if things click with certain linemates, he could enter into a 1-1A center situation with Nugent-Hopkins, and could potentially get upwards of 70. But that's a longshot - I still don't trust Edmonton's rebuild "strategy". They're still only finding NHL players in the draft with first round picks.

But with his teammate in Prince Albert, Morrissey, I think maybe he'll put up 35-40 points, but more importantly - if he's put on enough weight over the summer, and this is the key to whether he has a serious chance or not (since if not, he could be back in P.A. this year) - he'll be able to play substantial minutes against other teams' top forwards and on the penalty kill, some time on the powerplay, and if Winnipeg is for real about Byfuglien being a forward now, he could log 22-24 minutes a game, plus get on the highlight-reels with his big hits.

Anybody got a pick for Jack Adams yet?

[Alfie11]

Re: Pre-season Award Predictions

I think Draisaitl is a fine prospect but I don't think any of the 2014 draftees will have a big enough impact this year to win the Calder. It's possible since I don't know the rookies this year too well, but that's my take on it.

I won't pick the Jack Adams because I don't think it's for the best coach, it's for the most improved team. And I don't know who that will be.

[matchesmalone]

Re: Pre-season Award Predictions

Adams: Paul Maurice - Winnipeg's top six forwards are Wheeler - 6'4, 225, Ladd - 6'3, 230, Byfuglien - 6'5, 250, Kane - 6'2, 205, Scheifele - 6'3, 200, Bryan Little - 5'10, 185. All this to say, they are a team with the type of composition that wins in the West. By the end of the season, Scheifele will have established himself as the number one center, and the kind of number one center that all the top Western teams have. Trouba and Bogosian will establish themselves as 25-minute defensemen, and Morrissey will round out a very strong top four on D. Playing alongside Scheifele, Kane will finally approach 40 goals. The team was almost unbeatable for a stretch after hiring Maurice before the injuries struck, so with a healthy young team another year developed, I expect more of the same.

[Josh]

Well I got Ovechkin as one of the Hart finalists correct, as well as Erik Karlsson as one of the Norris finalists.

Mike got Subban as a Norris finalist and Price as a Vezina finalist.

From the three categories between us, these are my picks based on the announced finalists:

Hart - Ovechkin
Norris - Karlsson
Vezina - Price