Shea Weber definitely is keeping Nashville alive (and of course Dan Ellis) but my pick sits with Dan Boyle for the end of the year. 

Of course, if both of these guys get injured, I’d go with Christian Ehrhoff or Mike Green for end of the year award.  Sorry Lidstrom, you’re awesome but it’s not your year. 

Posted by Matt Fry from Winnipeg on 11/17/08 at 03:29 PM ET

I like to track the players who I think are the leaders for the NHL awards as the season progresses.

And you put about as much thought into it as the NHL does, you’ve picked the guy with the most points for EVERY single one of your “Top” posts.
It’s kind of pathetic, if I wanted to know who was leading in points for a specific category of players I would go to NHL.com and click on stats.

Posted by Kevin from Pittsburgh on 11/17/08 at 08:38 PM ET

Take it easy, Kevin, you might hurt his feelings and he’ll call you immature...lol

What a surprise, more scanning of stats and box scores.

Posted by dash_pinched from Rumour Mill Bay on 11/18/08 at 01:01 AM ET

And you put about as much thought into it as the NHL does, you’ve picked the guy with the most points for EVERY single one of your “Top” posts.

That arguement is easy to dismiss.  I am on record with picks for the Vezina, Adams and Masterton trophies.  It would be somewhat meaningless to suggest I have picked the top scorer for any of them (top scoring coach?).  I have yet to make Lady Byng or Selke picks, but I doubt they go to the top scorer either.

If we stick to awards where it is actually sensible to pick the top scorer, we can look at the Hart Trophy.  I picked Alexander Semin at a point when Evgeni Malkin was the top scorer (that point was almost a month ago although that situation remains true today).  Last year, I picked Nicklas Lidstrom as MVP when clearly he wasn’t the top scorer.

That said, scoring is important.  It is very logical to pick top scorers as MVPs.  Semin’s Hart Trophy lead is looking tenuous.  He missed his last game due to injury.  With the NHL’s non-disclosure of injuries it is hard to know what that means, although reports are that he will be back soon - likely for the next game.  Nevertheless, if he plays hurt and is ineffective he won’t be an MVP.  The logical choice to replace him is of course the top scorer in Malkin and that would likely be the right pick.

Scoring is important.  That is why award winners/leaders are often top scorers.  It is kind of perverse to argue that award picks are poor because I often select top scorers.

Posted by PuckStopsHere on 11/18/08 at 03:17 AM ET

Thats what I’m saying though. If the top scorer is going to win all these awards, why even give “your thoughts”?  They aren’t really your thoughts. Thats like saying “Well I’ve always said milk goes the best on cereal.” Well yeah, you might say that, but it’s not like you put tons of thought into it, because everyone else on earth says the same thing.  Now if you would come out and say “Well I’ve always said that mountain dew goes best on cereal,” that might be post worthy. Or in Hockey sense, saying that someone who ISN"T leading in points is the top defenseman because they do more than just score would be post worthy.
So giving “Your thoughts” on why Shea Weber is now the top defenseman is ridiculously stupid.

Posted by Kevin from Pittsburgh on 11/18/08 at 09:52 AM ET

I am not saying the top scorer will win all the awards.  And I gave you several examples where I do not think the top scorer should win various awards.

Itis impressive that Weber is scoring at better than point per game rate and providing good defence.  That is why he leads in the Norris race. 

Your criticism seems to be that you don’t like that I am picking Weber because he is the top scoring defenceman in the league.  You want to me to pick somebody else who is lower scoring or to not make a pick when the player in question in the top scorer in his position.  That doesn’t make sense to me.  I will pick the leader for the trophy whenever I think somebody deserves it.

Posted by PuckStopsHere on 11/18/08 at 10:32 AM ET