NHL Awards 2012: Predicting Biggest Winners and Snubs

This year, there are no clear-cut choices for the winners of the 2012 NHL Awards. With every winner, there is sure to be at least one notable snub. 

This season, the NHL has seen incredible goaltending performances and plenty of offensive and defensive versatility on the ice.

Based on their individual performance and impact on their teams, here are predictions for who will win the awards and who will come up a little short:

The Hart Memorial Trophy

The mother of all awards (next to the beloved Stanley Cup), the Hart trophy sets one player above the rest. This year, the Hart will go to Evgeni Malkin.

The center for the Pittsburgh Penguins was absolutely unstoppable on the ice this season, racking up 50 goals, 109 points and 59 assists. Day in and day out, he played with unparalleled fearlessness and intelligence. 

And he did it all without his captain and NHL superstar, Sidney Crosby, for the majority of the season.

Regarding Malkin’s role on the Penguins, head coach Dan Bylsma said (via NHL.com):  

"

He’s been good at both ends of the rink and he’s been maybe the best player, the most dominant player, in the League. He’s buoyed our team.

"

Bottom line, Malkin was an invaluable asset to the Penguins.

So who’s the snub?

Many will argue that Steven Stamkos was robbed of this award, and its a valid point. Statistics don’t lie, and Stamkos finished the 2012 season with 60 goals, 37 assists and 97 points for the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

Others might think Henrik Lundqvist was deserving, but in all honesty, he is more deserving of another award...

The Vezina Trophy

This is where Henrik Lundqvist comes in.

The goalie for the New York Rangers absolutely deserves this award. The fact that he is also up for the Hart is very telling of his abilities and value to the Rangers. Lundqvist has been a finalist for the Vezina Trophy three times in the past, and this will finally be his year.

Although Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick led the league in shutouts, finished the season with 35 wins and came home with the Stanley Cup, Lundqvist’s overall body of work will be enough to edge the popular vote. 

In the regular season, Lundqvist had 39 wins and only 18 losses. Most importantly, his save percentage was an impressive .930. His goal against average was 1.97, only a hair behind Quick's mark of 1.95. To sum it up, all Lundqvist’s numbers this season “represented his career-bests” (via NFL.com).

Although Quick won it all with the Kings, the Rangers would not have even come close to the third round of the NHL playoffs without Lundqvist in net.

Jonathan Quick, who will most certainly be the snub for this award, still has room to develop as he builds up what is sure to be an incredible career. 

The Calder Memorial Trophy

This one goes to Adam Henrique of the New Jersey Devils, hands down.

The rookie center had a fantastic first season, leading all rookies with 35 assists, and played a pivotal role for the Devils in the postseason.

Henrique notched two overtime goals during New Jersey's playoff run and added his third game-winning score in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

To put it simply, Henrique displayed skills well beyond his rookie status. 

There will be no snub for this one.