NHL Awards 2012: Predicting Each of NHL's Postseason Awards

The annual NHL awards give the league and the sport of hockey a chance to celebrate those who have had the most outstanding regular seasons.

While all the players being honored really want the Stanley Cup that the Los Angeles Kings received a little more than a week ago, the individual honors that will be handed out in Las Vegas tonight are significant awards that can be the crowing jewel in anyone's career.

We will take a look at the 10 major awards being handed out tonight and make our predictions on who takes home the hardware.

Hart Trophy: Most Valuable Player

The Hart Trophy is the league's greatest individual honor and it is associated with the game's greatest players like Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. This year's candidates include goalie Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers, the Pittsburgh Penguins' dynamic scorer Evgeni Malkin and the Tampa Bay Lightning's high scoring forward, Steven Stamkos.

We are going with Stamkos because of his all-out effort and maximum productivity. Stamkos finished the season with 60 goals, becoming the 20th player in league history to reach that mark. Stamkos can score from tight quarters in front of the net, but he is brilliant when it comes to picking out 6 inches of open space from a distance. Not only is his shot accurate, it is rocket-like in speed and very difficult for any goalie to stop.

Scoring is Stamkos's main attribute, but he is a tough player who appeared in all 82 games and averaged 22:01 of ice time. He's also a physical player who was fifth on the Lightning with 109 hits. He also added 39 blocked shots.

Stamkos does it all and is the heart and soul of the team. The Lightning did not make the playoffs, but the presence of Stamkos makes it difficult to beat on an every-game basis.

Vezina Trophy: Best Goaltender

The lesson gets hammered home every season: You can't win without superior goaltending. This year, Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers, Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators and Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings were the best goaltenders in the NHL.

Quick proved his greatness during the postseason when he backstopped the Kings to the Stanley Cup and was rewarded with the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs. However, when it comes to regular-season honors, it's difficult to argue against Lundqvist.

"The King" earned every bit of his nickname. He was the key to the Rangers' special regular season that saw them earn first place in the Eastern Conference for the first time since 1993-94. He had a 1.97 goals against average, a .930 save percentage and eight shutouts. He also won a career-high 39 games for the Broadway Blueshirts.

Ted Lindsay Trophy: Most Outstanding Player

This award was formerly known as the Lester Pearson Award until the NHL decided they wanted to honor the former Detroit Red Wings superstar and tough guy.

While Lindsay was known to drop the gloves and prove himself with his fists, this award goes to the league's outstanding player. Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos, Henrik Lundqvist of the Rangers and Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins are the candidates.

Our prediction is that Malkin gets the call. Malkin has incredible skills and hand-eye coordination. He came through when the Penguins needed him most with 50 goals and 109 points to lead the league. Malkin has been nominated for this award in 2008 and 2009, and he would become the fourth Penguin — Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and Steven Stamkos are the others — to win the trophy.

Norris Trophy: Best Defenseman

It's all about playing a complete game. The best defensemen in the league have to block shots and break up plays, carry the puck out of their own zone and make plays in the offensive zone.

The league honors the best defenseman in the league with the Norris Trophy — here's a vote for calling it the Bobby Orr Trophy — and Shea Weber of the Nashville Predators, Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins and Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators are the three candidates.

While the imposing Chara remains the most intimidating player in the league, the pick is Weber. He is widely recognized for having the second-hardest shot in the league behind Chara, but he is also a brilliant defender who will sacrifice his body to block shots and he carries the puck with speed and purpose. Weber had a career-high 19 goals — including 10 on the power play — and 49 points this season. He handed out 177 hits and blocked 140 shots.

Jack Adams Trophy: Best Coach

There's little doubt that top-level coaching is a key factor in a team's performance over the course of a season. When it comes to motivation, match-ups and designing important plays, the best coaches in the league give their team an advantage over their opponents.

John Tortorella of the New York Rangers, Ken Hitchcock of the St. Louis Blues and Paul MacLean of the Ottawa Senators are all worthy candidates. Hitchcock turned the Blues into the best defensive team in the league while MacLean brought the previously dreadful Senators to life.

However, Tortorella kept his foot on the gas pedal from start to finish and kept his players performing at a high level. Tortorella knows how to push buttons and get the most out of his team.

The Rangers finished first in the Eastern Conference and dominated rivals such as the Philadelphia Flyers and the Boston Bruins. Even though the Rangers could not match either of those opponents in offensive firepower, they asserted their will against them. You have to credit Tortorella for getting the most out of his team in the pressure cooker that is New York City.

General Manager of the Year

The NHL honors the general manager who does the most for his team with the GM of the Year Award. David Poile of the Nashville Predators, Doug Armstrong of the St. Louis Blues and Dale Tallon of the Florida Panthers are all substantial leaders, but the honor should go to Tallon.

It was just a couple of years ago that the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup with a roster that was primarily put together by Tallon. He has had to redo the Florida Panthers' roster and Tallon has not missed a beat. The Panthers were a non-factor in 2010-11 but they came back and won the Southeast Division this year.

Tallon added players like Brian Campbell, Jose Theodore and Tomas Fleischmann to turn the Panthers into a team that could win with defense, goaltending or scoring. The success of the team led to renewed interest from the fans, who were able to follow a winning team for the first time in years.

Masterton Trophy: Dedication and Determination

Bill Masterton played for the Minnesota North Stars during the NHL's original expansion in 1967-68. When he was checked hard by two members of the Oakland Seals, he fell backwards and his head hit the ice. Masterton went into a coma and he never came out of it. Masterton remains the only NHL player to die from injuries suffered in a game.

Masterton was a hard working and dedicated player and the trophy that bears his name goes to the player who shows dedication to hockey, perseverance and sportsmanship. This year's nominees include Max Pacioretty of the Montreal Canadiens, Daniel Alfredsson of the Ottawa Senators and Joffrey Lupul of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Pacioretty should receive the award. In 2010-11, he was checked into a partition at the Bell Center by Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins and suffered a cracked vertebrae and a concussion. Pacioretty missed the rest of the season. He never pointed a finger at Chara for dirty play and he merely worked as hard as he could to get back into action. He returned in 2011-12 and he scored a career-high 33 goals and 65 points. Pacioretty became the first American-born player in Canadiens' history to score 30 or more goals in a season.

Selke Trophy: Best Defensive Forward

By definition, the Frank J. Selke Trophy is awarded to the forward who excels the most at playing defense. However, in reality the trophy goes to the player who has the most complete set of skills.

This year's candidates include three-time winner Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings, Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins and David Backes of the St. Louis Blues.

Bergeron deserves to walk away with the trophy. He is a sensational defensive player who uses his talent and intelligence on an every-night basis. Bergeron is one of the best face-off men in hockey. He won 59.3 percent of the draws and he was second on the Bruins in scoring with 64 points. He led the league with a plus-36 rating.

Bruins coach Claude Julien regularly shows his faith in Bergeron by putting him on the ice when the team is shorthanded or in the closing minutes of the game.

Lady Byng Trophy: Gentlemanly Play

The game of hockey is often defined by rough play and hard hitting. Those who drop the gloves and are willing to fight often make highlights and headlines. However, players who stay out of the penalty box and are dedicated to playing within the rules are not celebrated as often. The Lady Byng Trophy is awarded to the player who combines sportsmanship with the highest level of play.

Jordan Eberle of the Edmonton Oilers, Matt Moulson of the New York Islanders and Brian Campbell of the Florida Panthers are up for the award. It's hard to find a more deserving player than Eberle, who scored 34 goals, 76 points and racked up 10 markers on the power play. Eberle was whistled for just 10 penalty minutes in 2011-12, down from 22 the previous season. He had an eye-opening streak of 31 games between penalties.

Calder Trophy: Best Rookie

Every NHL team wants to find a player in the draft who is ready to play and steps up immediately to make a contribution.

No rookies did more in 2011-12 than Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche, Adam Henrique of the New Jersey Devils, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Edmonton Oilers. Landeskog was viewed as the most "NHL-ready" player when he was selected last June and he played like that from the first game of the season.

Landeskog is an excellent skater and a gritty player who can stay on his feet, absorb a check and then continue to make the play. Landeskog led all rookies with 22 goals, finished plus-20 on the season and averaged 18:36 of ice time per game. He is clearly deserving of the Calder Trophy.