The Peak

NHL : Hart Tophy nominees?

By Matt Lee

With the regular season winding down, there is a lot of buzz in the hockey world as to which player deserves the Hart Trophy for the most valuable player. And unlike last year, where there were three clear choices for Hart nominations, there have been a bushel full of outstanding NHLers this season. The Peak is giving mad props to:

The candidates

Alexander Ovechkin: last week, The Peak’s Dave Roberts said that the Ovechkin scoring machine was one of the least surprising stories of the year. While his scoring prowess hasn’t surprised anyone, it’s the fact that by season’s end Ovechkin will be the first player in 12 years to score 60 goals in a season — that really wows the fans. The man they call “Alexander the GR8” is the knife that spreads the Capitals’ butter, and if they somehow squeak into the playoffs, look for Ovechkin’s game to reach heights we could never even dream of.

Evgeni Malkin: who needs Sidney Crosby when you’ve got Russia’s second-best hockey player? When Crosby went down with a high ankle sprain, a lot of experts predicted a Pittsburgh nosedive; instead, Malkin picked up the team and catapulted them from division leaders to Eastern Conference contenders. It has been a real treat to see Ovechkin and Malkin, two Russian superstars drafted number one and two in the 2004 draft, go head-to-head and compete as number one and two in the NHL scoring race.

Evgeni Nabokov: the very limited and elite class of NHL goaltenders has just gotten a little more crowded. Nabokov, who won the Calder Trophy for best rookie in 2001, has been both stunning and lacklustre in his career. Last year he saw only 50 contests, splitting time with goaltender Vesa Toskala. GM Doug Wilson maintained his faith in Nabokov by dealing Toskala to Toronto and the gamble has paid off handsomely. Nabokov shattered his career-high of 37 wins and is currently the NHL leader in wins.

Honourable mentions

Martin Brodeur: contrary to what a lot of Canuck fans want to think, Martin Brodeur is still the best goaltender in the league. While he wasn’t able to duplicate his NHL record 48 win season last year, Brodeur put together his seventh 40-win season of his 14-year career and has guided his New Jersey Devils to the top of the Eastern Conference. Brodeur’s real test comes when the playoffs start, as last year Brodeur had a shaky playoff performance against the Ottawa Senators.

Nicklas Lidstrom: how he hasn’t been able to win a Hart Trophy is beyond me. While Lidstrom has won six Norris Trophies in the last seven seasons for best defenceman as well as a Conn Smythe for playoff MVP, he has never captured the elusive season MVP title. When Lidstrom went down with a knee sprain in March, it sent the Detroit Red Wings in a tailspin that saw their Western Conference lead dwindle from double digits to seven points. Lidstrom is quite possibly the NHL’s smartest player since Detroit’s former player Igor Larionov retired.

Alex Kovalev: Kovalev may not be a scoring machine like Ovechkin or Malkin, and he’s certainly not a contender for the Hart, but Kovalev’s performance this season has been unheralded at best. Kovalev, who looked close to retiring after a very poor performance last season that saw his Montreal Canadiens miss the playoffs, has gone and delivered the best season he’s had in five years. It’s amazing to see the transformation in Kovalev’s game; he went from selfish Russian to the essential team player and that has resulted in the Canadiens reaching Eastern Conference elite for the first time in years.

Pascal Leclaire: had his team been in the playoff picture, this would’ve been a no-brainer. Leclaire has compiled an impressive nine shutouts on a subpar Columbus team and has certainly found his game after struggling with injuries over the last few years. Coach Ken Hitchcock went so far as to say the talent level between Leclaire and Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo is not that different. However, “Pazzy” did not avoid injuries all season and to garner serious consideration must stay as healthy as possible.

Didn’t make the cut

Vincent Lecavalier: I drafted Oveckin in the first round of my pool this year and picked Lecavalier in the fourth round last year and am happy I did. Lecavalier has been unable to build off the career year he had last season that saw him score 52 goals and 108 points. While his 90 points this season is by no means a bad season, it isn’t enough for last year’s Rocket Richard winner to garner Hart consideration. His failure to put up better numbers has effectively brought Tampa Bay to the basement of the East, though he’s not the only reason for team failure.

Jarome Iginla: if you asked anyone at the halfway point of this season who their selection for MVP was, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who didn’t choose Iginla. However, Iginla’s performance dropped off significantly in the second half as he went on some torrid scoring slumps, one of which was for ten games. Maybe it’s the constant heat emanating from Flames head coach Mike Keenan, but Iginla certainly isn’t the dominant player that won the Art Ross four seasons ago.