And the winner is...
I was going to make my first round predictions today, but although we now know all the teams that will be playing for Lord Stanley's Cup, we don't know the final standings (damn the Eastern Conference is tight). So I've decided to put my two cents in on the individual hardware.

Hart Trophy: This goes to the player judged to be most valuable to his team. I'm taking Joe Thornton to beat out Jagr and Kiprusoff. I was ready to give this one to Joe when Jagr was still leading the points race. Now that Thornton has taken over that too (Jagr needs at least 3 points tonight to get it back) I don't think there is even a question. The turnaround that the Sharks team has had since getting Thornton from Boston is scary. Its like a whole new team. Jagr is a crazy individual player, but he doesn't come close to improving the Rangers the way Thornton does with the Sharks.

Vezina Trophy: This is probably the easiest of all the awards. Mikka Kiprusoff walks away with this one and no one is shocked. Manny Legace and Cristobal Huet are just honoured to be nominated.

Norris Trophy: I've got Lidstrom taking this one. He just did what he does year in an year out. Arguably the best player in the entire league, unless someone plays out of their mind all season I'd have Lidstrom packing up the Norris annually. My first runner-up is Dion Phaneuf, who is sure to have a couple of these trophies in his possession before we hear the last of him. There are at least 5 guys I'd like to put in the final runner-up spot so I'm just gonna throw Scott Niedermayer's name out there and move on.

Calder Trophy: This is the easiest award to give out since the Vezina went a couple seconds ago. Alexander 'The GR8' Ovechkin is a freak show. There is no one else on that Washington team for opponents to worry about and he still puts on a circus show. Dion Phaneuf and Henrik Lundqvist show up and smile for the cameras anyway. Yeah thats right, I'm not even nominating Sid 'The Kid' Crosby. Ovechkin outclassed him all season, and those other two guys were key parts of teams that are still going to be playing after tonight.

Jack Adams Trophy: I'll be honest, I have no idea who the coach of the Carolina Hurricanes is. If there were a lineup of 5 generic middle aged white guys I wouldn't be able to pick him out. I'd feel even dumber if hes not a middle aged white guy. Hes winning this trophy though. Depending on how tonight's games go the 'Canes could have the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Case closed. Runners up? I dunno...Buffalo's coach (Lindy Ruff?) and Nashville's (Pretty sure its Barry Trotz).

Alander Daige Trophy a.k.a. The I can't believe I took this guy in the first round of my fantasy pool trophy. Up until the Olympic break Mats Sundin had almost wrapped up this trophy, but since the break the guy has been a monster so hes off the list. The winner instead is Martain St. Louis, this former Hart Trophy winner was supposed to take full advantage of the new rules and light up the league. Instead he struggled all year and took home the Daige award of merit. Runners-up: Mario Lemieux and Marcus Naslund.
- posted by Mike @ 3:58 PM