With NHL Awards coming up in a few months...what are your thoughts?

Hart - Most Valuable Player
Jaromir Jagr
Joe Thornton
Miikka Kiprusoff
Daniel Alfredsson
Alexander Ovechkin
Other?

***I'd have to go with Jagr simply because the Rangers are into the playoffs for the first time in 8 years...honourable mention to Ovechkin***

Calder - Rookie
Sidney Crosby
Alexander Ovechkin
Dion Phaneuf
Henrik Lundqvist
Brad Boyes
Marek Svatos
Other?

***In any other year, Dion Phaneuf would walk away with it...but this one is a no brainer...Alexander The Great...Ovechkin baby!***

Norris - Defenseman
Nick Lidstrom
Scott Niedermayer
Zdeno Chara
Sergei Zubov
Chris Pronger
Other?

***Zdeno Chara has done a hell of a job on the Sens Blue Line***

Jack Adams - Coach
Peter Laviolette (Hurricanes)
Lindy Ruff (Sabres)
Tom Renney (Rangers)
Barry Trotz (Nashville)
Dave Tippet (Dallas)
Mike Babcock (Detroit)
Other?

***Lindy Ruff should get it considering the Sabres are filled with guys who aren't superstars but play so well as a team. Ruff has done a great job with those boys***

Vezina - Goaltender
Miikka Kiprusoff
Tomas Vokoun
Henrik Lundqvist
Marty Turco
Roberto Luongo
Manny Legace
Cristobal Huet
Dominik Hasek
Other?

***I'd go with Manny Legace who's had a stellar season...Huet is a close second though I'd look at him more if he played the full season***

Selke - Defensive Forward
Rod Brind'Amour
Mike Fisher
Jere Lehtinen
Other?

***Lehtinen***

Enigma: My picks would be as follows:

Hart, no question, Jagr, who has as you mentioned propelled his Rangers into a playoff situation.

Norris: I am in agreement with you about Chara.

Calder: again, I agree with you about Ovechkin. Absolutely a thrill to watch. I love his enthusiasm!

Adams: tough call. I would give the nod to Laviolette, but its really close with Ruff and his Sabres.

Vezina: I would go with Kiprusoff who has been leading the Flames to another strong finish this year. But its almost a tie as far as I am concerned with my other co-pick, Lundqvist of the Rangers.

Hart: Jagr, who revived both his career and the Rangers.

Calder: Ovechkin, though Crosby will get a lot of votes

Norris: Lidstrom

Adams: Laviolette

Vezina: Vokoun

Selke: Lehtinen

What, no Lady Byng?

~Adam

Hart:
The two names mentioned most often are Jaromir Jagr and Joe Thornton. I'll go with Thornton who has has an effect on his team with his arrival, made Cheechoo shine.

Are there more voters for these awards from the east than the west? There is very few inter-conference play so maybe a conference bias will be greater. I'm afraid Jagr will win.

Calder:
Ovechkin (he has the advantage of being older than Crosby)

Norris:
Lidstrom

Jack Adams:
Peter Laviolette of the Hurricanes

Vezina
Mikka Kiprusoff

Kiprusoff and Hasek have about the same goals average and save percentage. Kiprusoff has more shutouts and played more games. Huet didn't play many games, but he has the nest save percentage in the league and a lot of shutouts for his number of games. Legace has a lower save % and higher GAA than Hasek and Kiprusoff.

Kiprusoff: 73 games started, GAA 2.07, save % .923, 10 shutouts
Hasek: 43 starts, GAA 2.09, save .925, 5 shutouts
Legace: 49 starts, GAA 2.19, save .915, 7 shutouts
Huet: 33 starts, GAA 2.20, save .929, 7 shutouts

Selke
Brind'Amour

Um...in all the excitement, I'd like to make a case for Martin Brodeur winning the Vezina Trophy. Here are my reasons, based mostly on stats:

Record: 43-23-0-7, 2.57 GAA, .911 SV%, and this is after starting 73 games this season. This marks his 10th straight 30+ win season. He faced 2,105 shots (approximately 29 shots a game), about 200 more than Mikka Kiprusoff...New Jersey had a porous defense, and Brodeur rose admirably to the task of winning those games for the Devils. He essentially carried the team to the Atlantic Division Title. I think this makes him Vezina-worthy. Agree or disagree?

Hart - M.V.P.
1. Joe Thornton - too important
2. Jaromir Jagr
3. Mikka Kiprusoff

Calder - Rookie
1. Alex Ovechkin - too talented
2. Sidney Crosby
3. Dion Phaneuf
4. Henrik Lundqvist

Norris - Defenseman
1. Nick Lidstrom - too damn good; close race
2. Zdeno Chara
3. Scott Niedermayer

Jack Adams - Coach
Lindy Ruff (Sabres)- too surprising; close race
Peter Laviolette (Hurricanes)
Barry Trotz (Nashville)

Vezina - Goaltender
1. Kiprusoff - too essential, a lock
2. Huet
3. Lundqvist

Selke - Defensive Forward
1. Rod Brind'Amour - too deserving, this is his year
2. Mike Fisher
3. Jere Lehtinen

Hart - Thornton in a tight one over Jagr. Had the Rangers won the Atlantic that might have give him enough to hold off Thornton.

Calder - Ovechkin. Unfortunately for Marek Svatos, an injury prevented a possible 50-goal season for him, as he was trailing Alex by 2-3 goals. His injury probably cost Colorado the Northwest.

Norris - Nick Lidstrom

Jack Adams - Peter Laviolette. Very tough call on this, as Laviolette, Ruff, Renney, and Babcock would be worthy winners.

Vezina - Marty Brodeur may get into talks, but I'd put my vote for Vokoun.

Selke - Rod Brind'Amour

And the nominees are.....

Hart:

J. Jagr, M. Kiprusoff, J. Thornton

Calder:

S.Crosby, A. Ovechkin, Phaneuf

Selke:

R. Brind'Amour, M. Fisher, J. Lehtinen

Norris:

N. Lidstrom, S. Niedermayer, S. Zubov

Vezina:

M. Brodeur, M. Kiprusoff, H. Lundqvist

Adams:

P. Laviolette, T. Renney, L. Ruff

~Adam

I'll take Marty for Vezina now.