NHL Awards: Five Players That Should've Been Up for Selke Trophy

With the 2010 NHL Awards just days away, I took sometime to review all the finalists as I had paid little attention to the nominations at the time they were announced (the Stanley Cup Playoffs being a slightly more occupying event).

Looking at the nominees for the Selke Trophy, two of the three selections were a bit puzzling to me.

Now, yes, I am a Red Wings fan, so you can go ahead and take the following with a grain of salt, but, Pavel Datsyuk's nomination (and, in my estimation, impending win) was hardly a surprise.

As winner of the last two Selke awards, even a nostalgia vote was certain.

However, as he once again led the league in takeaways (132) and turned in a respectable 70 point season and plus-17 rating, Datsyuk has more than nostalgia to thank for this selection.

However, after Datsyuk, the picks got a bit puzzling.

Ryan Kesler had an outstanding offensive season, recording a career high 75 points and was second only to Pavel Datsyuk in takeaways with 83.

But, were he to win, he'd be the first player to have a plus-1 rating and still considered to be "the best" defensive forward.

Then we come to Jordan Staal, an outstanding forward to be sure and his plus/minus rating (plus-19) is the best among the three finalists. But, beyond that, his 49 points and 41 takeaways seem somewhat less than award worthy.

If anything, comparing the three finalists reveal that there is no clear-cut matrix for determining nominees, and by extension, awardees.

As the picks and winners are selected by the Professional Hockey Writer's Association, there is a fair amount of subjectivity that goes into these picks - they "feel" these players deserve it.

Well, Bleacher Report would like to take a look at five other players we "feel" were deserving of a nomination, if not the award itself, so here they are.

As always, complaints, derision, kudos, and conjecture is always welcome, just make sure to post it!

Wayne Simmonds- Los Angeles Kings - 16 G, 24 A, +22

At just 21-years-old, Wayne Simmonds has a lot of hockey left in him, and before his career is over, he will have a Selke Trophy on his resume.

The 6'2", 188 pound, right-winger is an important, if not overlooked part of LA's resurgence as a top-flight hockey club.

Blessed with seemingly boundless energy and never missing a chance to use his body as a battering-ram, Wayne Simmonds is quickly becoming one of the more aggravating players to go up against in the NHL.

His speed and fore-checking ability makes his defensive value extremely high and, he's also got a bit of an offensive upside, which makes him a burgeoning two-way threat.

Though his 40 points in 78 games is respectable, it's his team-leading plus-22 rating that really makes his defensive skills stand out.

Leading your team in plus/minus when you've got Norris Trophy Candidate Drew Doughty on the blue-line is a feat worthy of recognition.

It won't be this year, but Simmonds' time in the Selke spotlight is coming.

Henrik Sedin - Vancouver Cancuks - 29 G, 83 A, +35

It's hard to think of Henrik Sedin as anything more than an offensive powerhouse (quite frankly, that's enough), but, the 29-year-old center is also an outstanding defensive player.

This season, Sedin really emerged as "Mr. Everything" for the Canucks.

Be it a big goal, key face-off, or defending a lead in the last minute of a game, Henrik Sedin was on the ice and, more often than not, it was good decision.

His physicality is underrated and his defensive awareness is well above average.

As he continues to face top opponents at both ends of the ice, his tendency to win both the defensive and offensive battles should only become more obvious as he continues his role as Vancouver's most important player (sorry, Roberto).

Manny Malhotra - San Jose Sharks - 14 G, 19 A, +17

Chances are, about mid-way through last season, the Columbus Blue Jackets collectively asked themselves how the hell they let Malhotra get away.

The former Blue Jacket wasn't even signed outright by the Sharks in the summer of 2009, rather invited to camp on a try-out.

Luckily for San Jose, Malhotra not only made the roster, but quickly became the team's best face-off man (he won 62% of his draws) and most reliable defensive forwards and penalty-killers.

As one of San Jose's multiple unrestricted free-agents, the Sharks would be well-served to lock up Malhotra for the next few years as players like him are what any team needs to win a championship (assuming the Sharks still have their hearts set on one...sorry).

Henrik Zetterberg - Detroit Red Wings - 23 G, 47 A, +12

Ask Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews, or Rick Nash what kind of cologne Henrik Zetterberg wears and they'll tell you the brand.

They'll also tell you it makes them nauseous.

When it comes to defending against top-end talent, Zetterberg is Detroit's go-to guy.

An offensive star himself, it's likely he knows better than most what elite forwards are going to do before they do it, and as such, is one of the best shut-down forwards in the game.

Along with his buddy, Pavel Datsyuk, Zetterberg is continuing the legacy of outstanding two-way excellence set forth by Sergei Fedorov, Steve Yzerman, and Kris Draper before them.

All of them have won Selke Trophies and in so doing have made Detroit the second winningest franchise (Montreal is the first with seven Selke wins) in that category since the award was introduced in 1977.

Jonathan Toews - Chicago Blackhawks - 25 G, 43 A, +22

As he's just won his first Stanley Cup and the 2010 Conn Smythe (playoff MVP) to boot, you can bet that Jonathan Toews won't be crying in his beer (which he is barely legal enough to buy) about not being selected as a Selke nominee.

Still, this isn't to say he's not deserving of such recognition.

Aside from leading his team in face-off winning percentage (57.1%), and running an excellent penalty-kill, Toews commitment to defense in all three zones is what makes him one of the best "lead-by-example" leaders in the NHL.

Like Joe Sakic and Steve Yzerman before him, Jonathan Toews is quickly becoming his generation's most iconic captain and, like those No. 19 counterparts, his defensive acumen is a large part of what makes him such an effective on-ice leader.