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2011 NHL Handicapping – Awards Preview | Picks

Shea Matthews one of the top NHL handicappers and writers at Capperspicks.com weighs in with his look at the major award nominees for 2010-11 and picks to take home the hardware…

NHL Awards Preview & Picks – “Las Vegas Hosts The 2011 Show”

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Arguably, no major pro sport is greater tied to its multitude of trophies than NHL hockey. There’s the Super Bowl, the World Series, and the NBA Championship but, in hockey, you don’t win the “NHL title.” You win the Stanley Cup. And the culture around the individual awards is similar. You win the Hart Trophy, not the MVP, the Norris, not the Defensive Player of the Year, and so on.

Here ‘s a look at the major award nominees for 2010-11 and my picks to take home the hardware.

HART TROPHY (Most Valuable Player)

Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks
Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks
Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning

The MVP race this season looks tight as can be this year. To me, Martin St. Louis is the one guy to whom you shouldn’t hitch your wagon. The cagey vet is as deserving as anyone but he already has a 2004 Hart Trophy to his name and he’s likely to split the invisible vote with Steven Stamkos, who narrowly missed out on a nomination.

Voters may be tempted to give Daniel Sedin the award after his brother Henrik won it last year; it’s only fair for each brother to get one, right? But I actually see the award going to Perry. He had less support on his own team than St. Louis and Sedin, with Ryan Getzlaf and Jonas Hiller both missing significant time to injury, and he dominated the league with 25 goals in his final 30 games.

Pick: Corey Perry

VEZINA TROPHY (Best Goaltender)

Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks
Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators
Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins

There’s no contest here. Tim Thomas set an NHL single-season record with a .938 save percentage and there’s no better measure of a goalie than what percentage of the shots he stops. If he doesn’t win his second Vezina, it’s a travesty. By the way – how was Luongo nominated over Carey Price?

Pick: Tim Thomas

NORRIS TROPHY (Best Defenseman)

Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins
Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings
Shea Weber, Nashville Predators

Like his Preds in the second round of the playoffs, I see Shea Weber as the “happy to be there” nominee. Just getting his first recognition is enough. Ageless Nicklas Lidstrom could get some votes but he was a minus player this season. The Norris is Chara’s to lose. The big Bruin led hockey with a plus-33 rating.

Pick: Zdeno Chara

CALDER TROPHY (Best Rookie)

Logan Couture, San Jose Sharks
Michael Grabner, New York Islanders
Jeff Skinner, Carolina Hurricanes

With three very similar Calder Trophy nominees – Couture, Grabner and Skinner were all 30-goal scorers as rookies – I’m looking for consistency. Couture did his damage in the first half; Grabner was lights-out After the All-Star break, notching 19 goals and 31 points over his final 31 games. To me, the 18-year-old Skinner was the most consistent year-round, so I like him to take the Calder.

Pick: Jeff Skinner

SELKE TROPHY (Best Defensive Forward)

Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings
Ryan Kesler, Vancouver Canucks
Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks

The three-time Selke winner Datsyuk can never be counted out – but what about Kesler? It feels like the award is a long time coming for the Canucks power forward. Then again, Jonathan Toews might be the political pick. The Chicago captain was viewed by some as a Hart Trophy snub and a Selke could partially make up for that.

Pick: Jonathan Toews

JACK ADAMS AWARD (Coach of the Year)

Dan Bylsma, Pittsburgh Penguins
Barry Trotz, Nashville Predators
Alain Vigneault, Vancouver Canucks

How can you not give the Jack Adams to Bylsma? The Penguins lost Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby to season-ending injuries halfway through the season yet still managed their second-highest team point total in franchise history. Simply amazing.

Pick: Dan Bylsma

CONFIRMED AWARD WINNERS

Art Ross Trophy (top point scorer): Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks
Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy (Top goal scorer): Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks
Jennings Trophy (fewest goals allowed): Roberto Luongo + Cory Schneider, Vancouver Canucks

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By Shea Matthews

Shea Matthews the Senior Writer at CP. Lives and breathes sports. He made the transition from athlete to sports journalist at a young age, writing in TV & national papers. Shea applies his knowledge to sports betting + handicapping daily, and shares winning picks with the world.