As I have been focusing on the Penguins and Penn State pretty exclusively for the semester, I thought I’d change it up this week. Who is the best of the best in the NHL this year? Well, let’s find out! For this week I’m going to cover the best offensive player, best defensemen, the top rookie, and goalie for this season. It’s interesting to see if players are back with a reoccurring position or are proving themselves for the first time, which is predominantly the case this year.
Best Offensive Player: Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning)
It isn’t really that surprising that the best offensive player of the season plays for the best team in the league. Kucherov currently has 121 points and is projected to have 129 by the end of the regular season (points are scored by either assisting on a goal or scoring a goal). This level of scoring hasn’t been seen in the NHL in over a decade! This Russian-born superstar began playing in 2011 after he was drafted 58th overall in the NHL entry draft. If and when he finishes the season, Kucherov will win his first Art Ross Trophy as the league’s leading scorer.
Image courtesy of ESPN
Best Defensive Player: Mark Giordano (Calgary Flames)
As one of the smaller markets in the NHL, Calgary has had a great season! Led by Captain Mark Giordano, the Flames are poised to clinch a playoff berth any day now. As a defenseman, Giordano leads the league in his position in points with 72 (project 78). A truly outstanding number for a “blueliner.” This comes as a bit of a surprise as Giordano, in his 12th NHL season, has always been a top-tier defenseman but never this great. Due to how terrible Flames’ goalie Mike Smith has been this season, they (have mostly Giordano to thank for how dominant Calgary has been in the west this year. He’s currently in the lead for the Norris Trophy as the League’s top D-man, his first.
Image courtesy of ESPN
Best Rookie: Elias Pettersson (Vancouver Canucks)
This young Swede is proving just how great the young talent of hockey is these days! Only being 20, Pettersson currently has 64 points (projected 69). Could you imagine the pressure on a kid like this? His first year in the league with the best talent in the world, and he’s proving to be among them. Hopefully, the rebuilding Canucks can give Pettersson a supporting cast to boost them into a playoff spot next year. He’s currently in the lead for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie.
Image courtesy of ESPN
Best Goalie: Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay Lightning)
He isn’t going to be a point leader, I can tell you that! Vasilevskiy, in his 4th NHL season, has had his eyes set on the Vezina Trophy (NHL’s best goalie) since he took over the starting role for the Bolts last season. His .927 save percentage leads the league by a decent margin and it doesn’t like anyone is going to catch him. Again, like Kucherov, Vasilevskiy is benefiting from playing on the best team in the league. This would be his first Vezina win.
Image courtesy of ESPN
Stats from ESPN
A .927 save percentage sounds absolutely crazy. I dabbled in broom ball a wee bit some time ago, and as a goalie I never had anything near that. I only saved, maybe 80% of goals, but that was with a relatively slow moving ball. I couldn’t imagine standing in a goal as grown men slap a rubber puck at you- I know I certainly would miss an overwhelming majority of saves. Crazy stuff.
These people are really talented! How long do they typically play hockey? And do many of them have serious injuries that last past their careers, like in football?