Gallagher... Nominated for Calder

[brobin]

Yakapov got a hat trick last night to win the rookie scoring race. I had hoped Gally would win the goal race, but I still think he should win the Calder.

He played fewer games with less time per game then the others.

He was a plus player. +10

He didnt get big PP time or time on top lines to pad points.

His all round game was better in tat he hit, did the pest job, had the big energy shifts to turn the game, and he led with three GWGs.

It is easy to pad points on a crappy team that scores a lot but loses anyway.. Ie, Tampa and the Oilers. It is another thing to do it playing defensively on a third line with another rookie.

Vote For Awesome Hockey, vote Gallagher.

Brought to you by the committee to recognize excellence in Hockey.

[Machine of Loving Grace]

He should be nominated but won't win.

I'm worried they might nominate Schultz due to having high numbers for a rookie defenceman but I hope not.

[hab29RETIRED]

Most our going to be supporting Huberdeau. Both galleghar and Galchenyuk would have had a better shot if MT played them more during the last 3 weeks, or at least gave them more time in the PP like they DESERVED. In the playoffs if DD us not producing MT better go with the hot hands, instead of the RDS affirmative action choice.

I was a a big DD supporter when he was playing well, but since he signed his new deal, he has deserved to be benched and have his ice time reduced to under 10 minutes a game.

Having said that, I still think galleghar should win, since he produced in meaningful games and often either scored in or was involved in critical goals. The same cannot be said for Huberdeau, Conacher it Schultz.

Similarly, I also think Subban would have had a better shot at the Norris (probably a lock) if MT played him more. There is absolutely no reason for Subban playing a minimum of 27 minutes a game and being the top pairing man on the PK.

Again, I still think he deserves it, but his haters will point to his ice time and PK ice time as a reason to go with Suter or Letang.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

I understand the desire to have 'our' players recognized for once, and to see excellence rewarded. That said, the more hardware our players collect, the higher their salary demands will be. It's not really in our interest as Habs fans to have our players win individual awards when you think about it.

[TheDriveFor25]

I think he wins it... The fact that his team is in the playoffs will give him the edge.

[Toronthab]

If I keep reading posts like this, I might just become an informed hockey fan.

Great post.

Go Gal Go!

Yakapov got a hat trick last night to win the rookie scoring race. I had hoped Gally would win the goal race, but I still think he should win the Calder.

He played fewer games with less time per game then the others.
He was a plus player. +10
He didnt get big PP time or time on top lines to pad points.
His all round game was better in tat he hit, did the pest job, had the big energy shifts to turn the game, and he led with three GWGs.

It is easy to pad points on a crappy team that scores a lot but loses anyway.. Ie, Tampa and the Oilers. It is another thing to do it playing defensively on a third line with another rookie.

Vote For Awesome Hockey, vote Gallagher.

Brought to you by the committee to recognize excellence in Hockey.

[illWill]

Regardless if he wins it or not, I think we can all agree that we are pleasantly surprised at how well he did this season. It wasn't even a given that he would make the team, let alone be so instrumental in it's success. How can anyone not like the kid, Hab fan or not?

[Toronthab]

I understand the desire to have 'our' players recognized for once, and to see excellence rewarded. That said, the more hardware our players collect, the higher their salary demands will be. It's not really in our interest as Habs fans to have our players win individual awards when you think about it.

Perhaps true, but its also good to remember that Harvard MBA's had the same psychological profiles as sociopaths...

Regardless if he wins it or not, I think we can all agree that we are pleasantly surprised at how well he did this season. It wasn't even a given that he would make the team, let alone be so instrumental in it's success. How can anyone not like the kid, Hab fan or not?

Ya... when you look at his face on the bench, the kid is obviously living the dream and enjoying every minute of it. Pure nature.

[Machine of Loving Grace]

I understand the desire to have 'our' players recognized for once, and to see excellence rewarded. That said, the more hardware our players collect, the higher their salary demands will be. It's not really in our interest as Habs fans to have our players win individual awards when you think about it.

...what?

I want a team of winners. I don't care their cost. Trophies mean they are the best in the league at something. That's a good thing. I want guys like Gallagher and Galchenyuk and Subban to be the best in the league because that means we're closer to having built a Cup winner. If they regress and don't become their potential we won't get anywhere.

Pay the cost to be the boss.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

...what?

I want a team of winners. I don't care their cost. Trophies mean they are the best in the league at something. That's a good thing. I want guys like Gallagher and Galchenyuk and Subban to be the best in the league because that means we're closer to having built a Cup winner. If they regress and don't become their potential we won't get anywhere.

Pay the cost to be the boss.

Hey, if they win, I'll be happy; I'm not going to go rend my garment. Fact is, though, in a cap system having too many individual trophy-winners can contribute to skewing your salary structure and making it at least a little bit harder for you to win as a team. It's great to say you want your players to be the best in the league, but what if that means you have to let some of them walk due to cap pressures? Or have to unload a Prust in order to keep a Subban? Another way of putting it is to say that there is exactly ONE trophy I give a rat's ass about. That trophy is what makes you a winner, not individual hardware.

[JMMR]

I think he wins it... The fact that his team is in the playoffs will give him the edge.

Does this usually matter for the ROTY ?

I think it does for hart but not for the rookies!

[brobin]

The award doesn't just to the rookie with the most points. Even the CBC has raved about the work Gally has done this year and how he brings so much to the team. All those highlights of,him standing up to goons like Fraser, hitting Chara, etc. he has been noticed.

What did Yakapov do? He got points but he even played on two man advantages and with Taylor Hall. All that got him a few points AFTER the Oilers were out of the running.

[Machine of Loving Grace]

Hey, if they win, I'll be happy; I'm not going to go rend my garment. Fact is, though, in a cap system having too many individual trophy-winners can contribute to skewing your salary structure and making it at least a little bit harder for you to win as a team. It's great to say you want your players to be the best in the league, but what if that means you have to let some of them walk due to cap pressures? Or have to unload a Prust in order to keep a Subban? Another way of putting it is to say that there is exactly ONE trophy I give a rat's ass about. That trophy is what makes you a winner, not individual hardware.

But you see the issue. If your players become good enough to win awards, you have to lose someone to keep them. So what would you rather, a mediocre team that keeps everyone or a great team because they have great players that a competent GM would continue a steady flow of prospects moving up to replace the players you lose?

Chicago won the Cup, lost players due to Tallon's broken fax machine and have since filled spots by trade or prospects and have found themselves leading the NHL and in a great position to win the Cup again. They aren't crying over the losses of Byfuglien, Skille, Niemi and Versteeg because Kane, Keith and Toews deserve top dollar. They are building around that and going right back after the Cup. That's what a good team does. That's what a great GM does.

[TheDriveFor25]

Does this usually matter for the ROTY ?

I think it does for hart but not for the rookies!

I think it's pretty close between Gally and Huberdeau, but the difference is Gally helped his team make the Playoffs so he wins it. It might not be in the criteria but anybody who votes has to think about overall team success.

[hab29RETIRED]

Exactly. And I'd rather pay top dollar to Toews and Kane, then Gomez, cammy, Redden, Wiznowski, souray, khabiboulin, or other bums like teams without elite talent do.

I think it's pretty close between Gally and Huberdeau, but the difference is Gally helped his team make the Playoffs so he wins it. It might not be in the criteria but anybody who votes has to think about overall team success.

[ForumGhost]

I think Shultz's -17 will keep him out of contention. Ditto Huberdeau's -15. It's a super crowded race this season (shortened schedule makes it less likely star rookies will run out of gas and take themselves out of contention). I don't think you can decide this race in stats alone, since so many players have similar numbers. Of all the rookies, I think Gallagher best exemplifies the intangibles of a heart and soul player. That, combined with his high +/-, overall numbers and the fact he played fewer games will give him the edge over all the other players.

[Habsfan]

Nobody is talking about Brandon Saad. This kid did well on a powerhouse team like Chicago. His +/- is the best for rookies and had limited PP time.

[Commandant]

Rookie of the year is the one race where it doesn't matter how good your team is. I don't think people will knock down Huberdeau for not being part of a winner.

[dlbalr]

Nobody is talking about Brandon Saad. This kid did well on a powerhouse team like Chicago. His +/- is the best for rookies and had limited PP time.

I think he'll be right up there for sure. Jonas Brodin (a MIN d-man) also deserves a lot of consideration, he logged huge minutes for that team and had the best +/- among any of the regular blueliners. This is one of the most wide open Calder race I can recall, there's a good case to be made for half a dozen players at least.

[sakiqc]

I think he'll be right up there for sure. Jonas Brodin (a MIN d-man) also deserves a lot of consideration, he logged huge minutes for that team and had the best +/- among any of the regular blueliners. This is one of the most wide open Calder race I can recall, there's a good case to be made for half a dozen players at least.

Wouldn't it be great to have both Gallys to share the Calder

[JMMR]

Wouldn't it be great to have both Gallys to share the Calder

Have there been shared winners of that or any other non stat leader based trophy?

[dlbalr]

Have there been shared winners of that or any other non stat leader based trophy?

Not that I can recall. If two players tie in voting points though, I suppose it could be possible (unless first place votes or something like that represents the tiebreaker).

[JMMR]

@TheFourthPeriod: Your Calder finalists, folks: Brendan Gallagher (MTL), Jonathan Huberdeau (FLA) & Brandon Saad (CHI)

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

One thing about Gallagher, he commands universal respect from hockey fans and commentators outside of Montreal. It's funny how that goes. Markov was never recognized by anyone outside his home market; players like Eller and Pacioretty remain pretty low profile never-heard-of-'em unknowns (Patches being familiar for the Chara hit, not for his on-ice work). Even Subban is arguably underrated as a pure hockey player. Yet somehow Gallagher has attained instant and universal recognition.

He deserves it, of course - he's just a fabulous hockey player. It's just puzzling how some excellent players capture the imagination of fans outside the home market and others don't.

[dlbalr]

One thing about Gallagher, he commands universal respect from hockey fans and commentators outside of Montreal. It's funny how that goes. Markov was never recognized by anyone outside his home market; players like Eller and Pacioretty remain pretty low profile never-heard-of-'em unknowns (Patches being familiar for the Chara hit, not for his on-ice work). Even Subban is arguably underrated as a pure hockey player. Yet somehow Gallagher has attained instant and universal recognition.

He deserves it, of course - he's just a fabulous hockey player. It's just puzzling how some excellent players capture the imagination of fans outside the home market and others don't.

Everyone roots for the little guy. Theo Fleury was well respected in his playing days, I don't think anyone has ever said a bad word about Martin St. Louis. Even Gionta earned a lot of respect coming up even if some Montreal fans are throwing him under the bus now. The prototypical smaller player that defies the odds to become a quality NHL'er is a success story everyone likes to get behind.