Hart candidates

[doniceage]

As we settle in to the shortened season, award races take shape and contenders jump to the fore, while pretenders fade. Jaromir Jagr and Teemu Selanne of the old guard jump out of the gate with four-point games. But in time, more realistic candidates rise to the top for the honor of top player in the NHL.

This week’s Top 10 counts down the leading MVP candidates as they stand today. Be sure to vote for your Hart favorite (and Calder favorite).


10. John Tavares
The Islanders are four points out of a playoff spot, but if they find a way to break through, Tavares’ claim will grow. With 11 goals, Tavares sits one off Thomas Vanek’s pace, while his 22 minutes of ice time is second to Ilya Kovalchuk among NHL forwards. His minus-7 is ugly, but the Isles are minus-11 as a team.

9. Henrik Zetterberg


http://www.thehockeynews.com/article...daily_20130221

[Eyoung11]

What about James Van Riemsdyk of the Leafs? Currently has 11 goals and 4 assists. Also is a +4 on on THE MAPLE LEAFS (that is amazing).

[Estovia]

This is why I hate these early season lists. Then again, I hate any list where all they do is gush about how great Crosby is.

The MVP trophy is NOT the scoring trophy. There's other awards for that. And yet aside from 3 goaltenders, every player they name is their team's leading scorer.

If any Penguin should be up for the Hart as of right now, it should be Kunitz. Oh, but that's right - Kunitz only knows how to play hockey because he's on the same line as Crosby.

[JamesGang1]

[ncm7772]

Good list. This would be my Top 5:

5) Vanek
4) Crawford
3) Crosby
2) Anderson
1) Rinne

I don't have Crosby up there just because I'm a fan. He truly has been the Pen's MVP, by a huge margin. That team would win less than 20 games this season without him. I know that being a team MVP doesn't neccessarily qualify one for a Hart Trophy, but as I said, that team would not be a playoff team without him.

[RGM81]

Good list. This would be my Top 5:

5) Vanek
4) Crawford
3) Crosby
2) Anderson
1) Rinne

I don't have Crosby up there just because I'm a fan. He truly has been the Pen's MVP, by a huge margin. That team would win less than 20 games this season without him. I know that being a team MVP doesn't neccessarily qualify one for a Hart Trophy, but as I said, that team would not be a playoff team without him.

That's actually the exact definition of what the Hart Trophy is awarded for - being the player most valuable to his team.

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It is decidedly early still but there are some guys that have stepped up big time to really take the reins of leadership for their team. Sometimes that gets reflected on the scoresheet, as is the case with some of the names on the list, and other times it can be guys that are just exceeding all expectations.

[ncm7772]

That's actually the exact definition of what the Hart Trophy is awarded for - being the player most valuable to his team.
.

Obviously. What I'm saying is that just because a player is his teams' MVP, it doesn't mean he should automatically be a Hart finalist. Example: I think Crosby is Pittsburgh's MVP right now. I think Mike Ribeiro is Washington's MVP at the moment. Crosby is more important to his team (at the moment at least- and that's just my opinion) than Ribeiro is to his, so Crosby is "more of" a Hart candidate than Ribeiro. If that makes sense.

[Wickabee]

Obviously. What I'm saying is that just because a player is his teams' MVP, it doesn't mean he should automatically be a Hart finalist. Example: I think Crosby is Pittsburgh's MVP right now. I think Mike Ribeiro is Washington's MVP at the moment. Crosby is more important to his team (at the moment at least- and that's just my opinion) than Ribeiro is to his, so Crosby is "more of" a Hart candidate than Ribeiro. If that makes sense.

Yeah, though when you look at what (should) actually qualifies one for the Hart, all 30 team MVPs are nominees, really.
In practice it's obviously different. For example, Kesler having 41G and being the Selke winner for top defensive forward couldn't get him a Hart, but each team nominee should be taken and then whittled down, as you say, to the one guy who has the biggest individual impact (not just most points) for his team.

[RGM81]

With a team like the Canucks, who have so many key guys in key roles, it can work against any member of the team even being a finalist for the Hart. You look at the contributions of the Sedins, Kesler, and in a great regular season Luongo - if none of them is head and shoulders above even his own teammates, how can they be held up against someone like Pekka Rinne in Nashville?

That's an issue that I have with the way people who get a vote, vote. When guys like Henrik (09-10) or Malkin (11-12) win the Hart, sometimes I question that they're even necessarily the most valuable player on and to their own team. Yes the year that Henrik won it he played a quarter of the season without Daniel, but at the same time you had Luongo putting up 40 wins and some pretty good goaltending numbers and you had Kesler really stepping up into a strong leadership role. Did Henrik really carry the whole team and play a more significant role in the Canucks' success than, say, Ovechkin did for the Capitals that year? That was really the final year that Ovy was a truly dynamite player - the Caps finished first in the East and it certainly wasn't because of Jose Theodore or Mike Green.

All this isn't to single out any player or diminish what they did that season, but I think it's a flawed process that the Art Ross carries with it a seemingly de facto nomination for the Hart as well.

[Wickabee]

With a team like the Canucks, who have so many key guys in key roles, it can work against any member of the team even being a finalist for the Hart. You look at the contributions of the Sedins, Kesler, and in a great regular season Luongo - if none of them is head and shoulders above even his own teammates, how can they be held up against someone like Pekka Rinne in Nashville?

That's an issue that I have with the way people who get a vote, vote. When guys like Henrik (09-10) or Malkin (11-12) win the Hart, sometimes I question that they're even necessarily the most valuable player on and to their own team. Yes the year that Henrik won it he played a quarter of the season without Daniel, but at the same time you had Luongo putting up 40 wins and some pretty good goaltending numbers and you had Kesler really stepping up into a strong leadership role. Did Henrik really carry the whole team and play a more significant role in the Canucks' success than, say, Ovechkin did for the Capitals that year? That was really the final year that Ovy was a truly dynamite player - the Caps finished first in the East and it certainly wasn't because of Jose Theodore or Mike Green.

All this isn't to single out any player or diminish what they did that season, but I think it's a flawed process that the Art Ross carries with it a seemingly de facto nomination for the Hart as well.

I agree with what you say about the make-up of a team working against the individuals for awards, and I'll also agree Henrik was maybe a question mark for the 09-10 pick, but if you're considered the best defensive forward of the year AND put up 41 goals, how can you not be the most valuable guy to your team in the NHL, regardless of teammates?