Winnipeg Jets Have Some Awards Contenders at Midseason

The Winnipeg Jets are just about halfway through their schedule, and that means we can look at some of the possible award contenders the team may have, if any.

Spoiler alert: They do. When you’re sitting pretty near the top of the division, someone tends to play well on your team, and the Winnipeg Jets are no exception. Good players tend to win the end-of-season awards. It happens. This is not new information for anyone.

But who wins the midseason awards? These are the real awards the NHLers care about. Hart trophy? Nah, but the JWO Midseason Hart? Hell yeah.

But the Jets don’t have the sheer number of award-garnering play that they did last season. That doesn’t mean they don’t have the hitters, though. Let’s get to it.

Hart Trophy

The Winnipeg Jets have Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele, who would both normally be looked at as very good contenders for the Hart Trophy, the NHL’s MVP award. They have 51 and 50 points, respectively, and having two players on pace for 100 points is pretty good.

They do it in different ways, too, although they’re both powerplay studs. Wheeler is the assist man, with 45 of his 51 points coming from helpers.

Scheifele is more well-balanced and dominating, and I think a better candidate for the Hart. He has 22 goals and 28 assists, and three OT winners. Also, Scheifele scores a bit more at 5-on-5 play, so he’s got that going for him.

Unfortunately, neither of them looks like they’re on pace to win. They’re both OUTSIDE the top 10 in league scoring. Unreal. Last season, three players scored 100 points. Now? We’re upwards of 10 players on pace for it.

Not only that, but Nikita Kucherov is on pace for 130+ points. He’s a virtual lock for the award, provided he doesn’t collapse. To be fair, though, I thought Andrei Vasilevskiy was a lock for the Vezina last season. Shows what I know. Kyle’s Pick – Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning

The Vezina Trophy

Well, Connor Hellebuyck almost took it home last season. This year, I wouldn’t count on it. He’s sitting on a .910 save percentage, which has been climbing, and a 2.83 GAA. But his quality start percentage is still sitting in the 40s and he’s just 18-12-1.

Now, Laurent Brossoit has the numbers for it but not the playing time. If Helly gets hurt (God forbid) or plays poorly enough to be benched, the door opens.

I seriously doubt Brossoit would get any traction for the award, but I do like seeing his 8-1-1 record, .939 save percentage and 2.11 GAA. Those are good, and I’m glad he’s on the Jets. I wish the starter was outplaying the backup, but hey, I’ll take it.

But hey, guess what? See how I noted above that scoring was up? Apparently that uh, means goalies are allowing more goals. So, things are skewed and it was pretty tough to pick an actual front-runner for the award.

John Gibson is actually having a slightly worse season than he had last year, but it’s still pretty good. And he’s playing almost every night. Gibson’s the only goaltender in the top 10 in games played that has a save percentage over .915. Wild. Kyle’s Pick – John Gibson, Anaheim Ducks

The Rocket Richard Award

Awarded to the league’s leading goal-scorer, it should just be called the Alex Ovechkin. The award has been given out 20 times, and Ovie has seven of them. Five of the last six, Ovie.

Mark Scheifele and Patrik Laine have a shot, as they sit at 22 and 24 goals, respectively. Ovie has 30. I don’t see Scheifele clawing up those ranks, but Laine can get hot. He’s been ice cold of late, though, scoring just one goal in his last nine contests.

But if anyone can run em up in a hurry, it’s Laine. He did score 11 goals in four games earlier this season, after all. But I doubt anyone, even Jeff Skinner (28), can overtake the Russian. Kyle’s Pick – A very adventurous Alex Ovechkin selection. 

The Calder

One of my favorite awards in sports, I love a good rookie of the year award. The Jets had their shot at it last season with Kyle Connor‘s breakout, but rookies just keep getting better and better.

As for this season? Jack Roslovic‘s nine points in 40 games isn’t very inspiring. This is even less difficult to choose than the Rocket Richard award. I felt foolish trying to not pick Ovechkin, and the same points here.

Why not pick Elias Pettersson? He’s got 22 goals and 20 assists in 40 games, and the next closest rookie is Colin White, who I had never heard of before this, at 25 points. Kyle’s Pick – Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks

The Norris

Dustin Byfuglien‘s unfortunate injury situation puts the Winnipeg Jets best offensive defenseman on the shelf for an extended period, and that’s not how you win an award.

Josh Morrissey has been fantastic this year, but he lacks the offensive numbers that the voters usually look for in this award. I don’t like it, but it is what it is. I wish there were two awards for defenseman, and the Norris was more about defense than it is about being Erik Karlsson or Brent Burns.

But then I would give it to Ryan McDonagh, who got overrated in New York and then hated on because he wasn’t an offensive star. Josh Morrissey is a poor man’s Ryan McDonagh this season, that’s how good he’s been in Tampa.

Burns has 47 points, Morgan Reilly has 45. I’d bet on one of those two taking home the award. But this is my show. Kyle’s Pick – Ryan McDonagh, Tampa Bay Lightning

I’m not really going to attempt to get into the Lady Byng and the Selke, although it wouldn’t shock me to see someone like Scheifele get some traction for the latter. Just give it to Patrice Bergeron or Anze Kopitar, just like the NHL’s done the past five years. I’m not saying they’re undeserving, I’m just saying.

Again, I really don’t expect the front office to take home any awards, either. Paul Maurice’s shot at the Jack Adams award was last season, his team is too stacked now. The Winnipeg Jets might be shut out in individual awards, so go out and win the Stanley Cup. Everyone gets a day with it.