NHL’s surprise performances
Reassessing award predictions at the season’s midway point
As the NHL enters the second half of the season, there have been plenty of surprises and disappointments in the first 42 games.
Who knew that Vegas and New Jersey would look more like Stanley Cup contenders than Pittsburgh or Edmonton? Who would have guessed Nathan MacKinnon would have more points than Sidney Crosby or that the Swede leading all defencemen in scoring is not Erik Karlsson? Who had even heard of Yanni Gourde, let alone predicted the 26-year-old rookie would challenge for the Calder Trophy?
With plenty of games remaining, here is a look at mid-season surprises and disappointments when it comes to pre-season award favourites.
Hart
Surprise: Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado
Trading away Matt Duchene was the best thing for MacKinnon, who, since then, has scored 38 points in 27 games — he’s second in league scoring — while single-handedly pulling Colorado into playoff contention.
Honourable mention: Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay
It’s not exactly surprising to see Kucherov at the top of the scoring race. After all, he tied for second in the league with 40 goals last year. And that was without Steven Stamkos in the lineup. But he’s on pace for 115 points — 30 more than his previous best.
Dishonourable mention: Connor McDavid, Edmonton
When he scored a hat trick in the first game of the season, Jaromir Jagr predicted McDavid would score 100 goals or more. That was never going to happen. But unless the Oilers find him a supporting cast, he also won’t come close to the 100 points he scored last year.
Norris
Surprise: John Klingberg, Dallas
A Swede is leading all defencemen in scoring, but it’s not the one we expected. While Erik Karlsson is having an off year (by his standards), Klingberg has six goals and 39 points in 43 games.
Honourable mention: Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay
Hedman was a Norris Trophy finalist for the first time last season. With 33 points in 43 games — third amongst defencemen in scoring — and a league-best plus-24 rating, he could have his best chance at winning the award.
Dishonourable mention: Duncan Keith, Chicago
Brent Burns went 12 weeks before scoring his first goal and Dustin Byfuglien didn’t score his first until Dec. 5. But, after 42 games, Keith is still searching for his first. At the same time, he has a minus rating for the first time in six years.
Vezina
Surprise: Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay
He might not get as much respect because he plays for the Harlem Globetrotters of the NHL. But even if the Lightning weren’t scoring a league-best 3.67 goals per game, Vasilevskiy would be winning games based on his 2.10 goals-against average, .933 save percentage and six shutouts.
Honourable mention: Corey Crawford, Chicago
Crawford was overlooked during Chicago’s last two Stanley Cup wins. But now that the Blackhawks are ageing and lacking in depth, the goalie is showing his true worth by keeping the team in playoff contention.
Dishonourable mention: Matt Murray, Pittsburgh
Sophomore slump? Well, he was technically still a rookie when he won his second Stanley Cup last year. Whether it’s that or fatigue from winning back-to-back championships, Murray’s play has been off.
Jack Adams
Surprise: Gerard Gallant, Vegas
Give Gallant the Jack Adams. Now. Not only do the Golden Knights have the most points in the Western Conference, but they also the best home record. And they’ve done it without a top-20 scorer and at times without their No. 1 or No. 2 goalie.
Honourable mention: John Hynes, New Jersey
The Devils are doing what the Leafs did last year: after drafting first overall, they have relied on youth to unexpectedly grab a playoff spot. Hynes, who has brought out the best in Taylor Hall, deserves a lot of credit for that.
Dishonourable mention: Phil Housley, Buffalo
No one thought the Sabres would make the playoffs this year, but most expected some improvement. Instead, the team is last in the East and on pace to finish with fewer wins than when Buffalo tanked in 2014-15.
Calder
Surprise: Brock Boeser, Vancouver
The Canucks didn’t see this coming. If they did, Boeser wouldn’t have been a healthy scratch for the first three games of the season. Since then, he’s scoring at better rate than Auston Matthews did a year ago.
Honourable mention: Yanni Gourde, Tampa Bay
Who? The undrafted 26-yearold, who had six goals and eight points in 20 games last season, is in the top-five in rookie scoring with 30 points in 43 games.
Dishonourable mention: Nolan Patrick, Philadelphia
Patrick’s two goals and eight points are not what anyone expected out of a projected No. 1 pick. The bigger disappointment is that he wasn’t loaned to Team Canada for the world juniors. mtraikos@postmedia.com twitter.com/Michael_Traikos