Tag Archive for Ryan Suter

Early Thoughts On NHL Awards

February 21, 2012 NHL

Today I will be covering who I think will take home some of the big NHL awards in June. Up first we have the Calder Trophy which is handed out to the most to the most outstanding rookie of the year. This year I think will be tough with guys like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Adam Henrique, Gabriel Landeskog and Matt Read likely up for the award. But to me overall I think the  winner will be 1st overall draft pick of this seasons draft Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, in just 40 games this year he has 35 points, 13 goals and 22 assists with a high amount of points on the power play with 18 points. He is out on an injury right now to his shoulder but should be back in the next few days and continue up his stellar play and ultimately take home the Calder Trophy when all is said and done.

Up next we have the Jack Adams award given to the coach of the year. I think there are a few candidates up for this award like John Tortorella of the New York Rangers, Ken Hitchcock of the St. Louis Blues, Alain Vigneault Of the Vancouver Canucks, Mike Babcock of the Detroit Red Wings and Kevin Dineen of the Florida Panthers. All of these coaches have their teams on great runs this season with the Rangers, Wings and Canucks the top 3 teams in the NHL. Dineen and Hitchcock have both respectively turned their bottom feeder teams into playoff contenders, they are also in a lot of consideration for the award. John Tortorella is the man that stands out here to me, he turned the Rangers into just getting into the playoffs last season as the eighth seed, to the tops in the Eastern Conference and third in the NHL. If the Rangers can keep up their strong play and play that tough nose defense that Tortorella has taught them, he can very well take home the Jack Adams award this season.

Up next we have the Hart Trophy which is given out to the MVP of the league, somebody who means the most to their team and performs at a high level. This seasons likely candidates would be Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Claude Giroux of the Philadelphia Flyers and Henrik Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks. They all are turning in some special seasons this year all being in the top 5 in scoring. Malkin leads the NHL in points with 71 in just 52 games and is doing this without Sid “The Kid” Crosby. He has the Penguins in fifth in the Eastern Conference and they are making a strong push to catch up to the Devils and Rangers who are ahead of them. Giroux in just his 3rd full season in the NHL has turned in 68 points in just 54 games and continues to lead the Flyers. Stamkos is on pace to score over 50 goals this year but his team is on the outside looking in right now and need to go on a big run. Henrik Sedin teamed up with his brother Daniel has the Canucks up top the NHL once again. Overall I think this trophy will go to Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Up next we have the Norris Trophy for the NHL’s best defense men. Players who stand out for this trophy to me is Nicklas Lidstrom of the Detroit Red Wings, Shea Weber of the Nashville Predators, Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators and Ryan Suter of the Nashville Predators. This award can go to any of these 4 and would not be disappointed, Karlsson is turning in a great season leading all defense men in points with 57 in 60 games while also being a +14. Weber and Suter being paired together in Nashville just happen to be in my opinion the best defensive pairing in all of the NHL. Suter sits with 35 points and a +10 while Weber is turning in a 38 point season while being a +17 on the ice. And finally Nicklas Lidstrom, last years Norris Trophy winner, he has 31 points and sitting with a rating of +26 on the ice, knowing the leadership he provides Lidstrom can very well be the winner again, but if the Senators hang onto a playoff spot I think this one will go to Erik Karlsson for the first time in his career.

The last award I will discuss is the Vezina Trophy, given to the leagues top goaltender. Up for this award can be goalies Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers, Jimmy Howard of the Detroit Red Wings, Brian Elliott of the St. Louis Blues and Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings.  All four of them are pitching in great seasons for their teams, Howard is 32-11-1 with .924 save percentage and 2.03 goals against average. Lundqvist is having one of his best seasons of his career for the Rangers with a record right now of 28-11-4 with a .940 save percentage and 1.77 goals against average which is second best in the NHL to only Brian Elliott. Elliott of the Blues who started as the back up took over as the main guy when Jaroslav Halak started to slip off, Elliott is 20-6-2 with .940 save percentage and 1.56 goals against average. Quick of the Kings is 24-16-10 with a .934 save percentage and 1.87 goals against average, but don’t let his stats and record fool you. Quick has been one of the best young goalies in the NHL who just does not get the same support as the other candidates and he is just as good, but overall I think this record will go to “King Henrik” of the New York Rangers.

One comment , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What To Expect As The Trade Deadline Approaches

January 30, 2012 NHL

The trade deadline is just a few weeks away and with the second half of the NHL season returning tomorrow, which teams can we expect to  be buyers and which teams can we expect to be sellers? There are many names being tossed around right now that are rumored to be on the block, Dallas Stars Brendan Morrow, Anaheim Duck members Bobby Ryan and Teemu Selenne. Phoenix’s Ray Whitney and Shane Doan. Buffalo Sabre Ryan Miller, Edmonton Oiler Ales Hemsky and top possible deadline players Devils Zach Parise, and Nashville’s Shea Weber and Ryan Suter.

The New Jersey Devils based on financial reasons might be forced to move their young superstar winger Parise at the deadline to shed some cap and also try to bring in a future for the team. With goaltenders Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg likely to retire at seasons end, this leaves the Devils with no goalie for next season. Rumor has it that the Sharks, Oilers, Wild and Kings are all to be involved in trying to get the star winger to their team. With young goalie’s like Anti Niemi, Devan Dubynk and Jonathan Bernier the Oilers, Kings and Sharks seem to be the likely candidates for young Zach Parise. It will be interesting to see as the deadline approaches what the NJ Devils will be doing with him.

Nashville is also in a rough spot with their two superstar defense men, Ryan Suter and Shea Weber, both are due for new contracts at the end of the season and with the big deal they gave to Pekka Rinne in the off season it will be hard to maintain both of them. Suter had said it a statement made the other day that he loves playing in Nashville and though he will not talk an extension before the trade deadline, that he loves the city and wants to play his whole career here. Both him and Weber would cost any team a tremendous amount of talent, prospects and picks to attain. Some rumored teams interested in the defense men are the New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, and the Philadelphia Flyers. All 3 teams have a boatload of talent and picks  that they can deal for either defense men, it will now come down to how much the teams are willing to pay, and the thought of possibly losing the defense men to free agency after seasons end, with a few weeks left we will see what Nashville ultimately decides to do with their players.

3 other hot commodities of the deadline are Bobby Ryan, Teemu Selenne and Brendan Morrow. Ryan being the youngest of the 3 will probably be the hardest one to attain, at just the young age of 24 Ryan is coming off 3 straight 30 goal seasons and is on pace for his 4th straight. He is signed for a cap hit of 5.1M for the next 3 seasons, and any team willing to take that on will get a proven 30 goal scorer with a natural talent to score goals and contribute to the team. There are many teams rumored to be in on Ryan but it all comes down to the Ducks and what the asking price is and if they ultimately want to move him.

Teemu Selenne of the Ducks is another player who is rumored to be available but with just one season left before retirement, he will need to decide if he would like to finish his career in Anaheim who is far away from the playoffs and will most likely not make it, or will he mind leaving the Ducks for one last chance to make a run at a Stanley Cup? Teemu is the leading scorer on the Ducks with 45 points in 48 games this season and is coming off an 80 point season last year with the Ducks. The big question is will a team making a push for the playoffs or cup be willing to pay the price for a half season rental, knowing he is retiring at seasons end? Some teams that could possibly make a push for him would be the Sharks, Rangers, Flyers, Capitals, Kings or where he originally started his career the Winnipeg Jets, who with him could possibly make a late run into the playoffs and sneak into the 7th or 8th spot in the Eastern Conference.

Dallas Stars power forward Brendan Morrow is rumored to be on the trading block and with young up and comers Loui Eriksson and Jamie Benn, the Stars are confident enough in those two key players that they are willing to move Morrow for the right price. Morrow has a no trade clause so he will need to approve any deal that is accepted with him involved before anything can happen, but Dallas feels they are ready to go younger but with Morrow on the team they can possibly make a push for the playoffs in the second half. Morrow who is 33 years old and has his family living in the Dallas area might not be too intrigued to leave the Stars just yet. It will be interesting to see how this rumor unfolds and what the Stars will do with Morrow.

3 comments , , , , , , , , , ,