Toronto Maple Leafs: NHL Award Possibilities
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a pretty stacked team.
No other team in the NHL – except Edmonton if they wanted to – can match the Toronto Maple Leafs centre depth with Auston Matthews, John Tavares and Nazem Kadri.
What this means is that we’re on the verge of the most anticipated Leafs season in recent history, maybe ever. And what better way to get pumped up for the season that looking at the NHL Awards and seeing if there are any Leafs candidates.
Considering the Leafs have never had a player win one of the major NHL awards (Norris, Hart, Art Ross, Vezina) in modern times.
Auston Matthews won the Calder, and about a million years ago Dougie GIlmour won the Selke, and Pat Burns won the Jack Adams, but that’s it.
But even those are second-tier awards. No one really cares about anything but the Hart (MVP) Art Ross (Scoring Leader) Norris (Best defenseman) or the Vezina (Best Goalie).
So what chances to the Toronto Maple Leafs of 2019 have? Let’s check it out.
Vezina
In the NHL, a goalie is a funny thing. On one hand, it’s by far the team’s most important position. One reason I hate letting goalies win the Hart Trophy is that, technically, a goalie should probably win it every year.
The Washington Capitals won the Cup last year and they beat out the expansion team to do it. Neither of those teams is playing without their goalie putting up close to all-time numbers.
Had you picked either team to finish top ten in the standings or play for the Cup you would have been mocked mercilessly. But no one could have predicted that Holtby and Fleury would play like that.
Same with Freddie Andersen last year. The Leafs were one of only three teams to finish bottom-ten in shots against to make the Playoffs, and they finished sixth over despite being a negative possession team that allowed way too many shots and scoring chances.
Truthfully, Andersen’s numbers weren’t great last year in comparison to Hellebuyck or Vasilevskiy, but he played on a much worse defensive team. With Matthews missing 25% of the schedule, the Leafs could easily have missed the playoff completely last year if not for Andersen.
If he repeats last year’s play and the Leafs tighten up their defensive game even just a bit, he’s got a great chance to win the Vezina. The Leafs could very easily lead the league in wins, so Andersen has to be seen as, at the very least, one of the pre-season favorites to win this award.
Selke, Jack Adams and Calder
The Toronto Maple Leafs do not have any player on their roster who could have a hope in hell of winning the Selke, so let’s move on.
The Jack Adams is an interesting award because it tends to go to the coach who’s team is thought to be the worst but who actually has success. As an example, last year it went to Gerald Gallant of the Knights.
The Leafs are the favorites to win the Stanley Cup entering the seasons (and if not, they should be) so Mike Babcock and his team would have to put on an absolute clinic to win this award. It just doesn’t go to coaches of teams who are as good as expected. I think the Leafs would have to get 60 wins for Babcock to even get considered.
As for the Calder, there’s always the chance Timothy Liljegren forces his way onto the team and then completely fixes the Leafs right-side defense all on his own, but it’s a thin one.
Maybe Andreas Johnsson gets paired with Matthews and scores 80 points. But I doubt it. Most likely Rasmus Dahlin from the Sabres will win the Calder, but who knows? Anything is possible.
Norris
Last year there were only three players in the NHL who finished with a positive possession rating relative to their team, scored 50 + points and played against the 90th percentile of competition.
Drew Doughty and Victor Hedman did it and were both nominated for the Norris Trophy.
Morgan Rielly was the only other defenseman in the NHL to do it. He did it while welded at the hip to Ron Hainsey, who WOWYS show dragged him down quite a bit.
So there is at least a decent chance that Rielly get’s a peer for a partner and actually gets the recognition he deserves as a truly elite NHL defenseman. It won’t hurt that playing on a team with Tavares and Matthews he could flirt with 70 points.
Then there is Jake Gardiner, one of only 16 NHL defenseman to record 50 points last year. Of those 16, he is one of only a handful who also happen to post positive defensive metrics.
But the Norris is heavily based on reputation so he will never, ever win it. Unlike Rielly, Jake probably isn’t getting any better at this point, so we’ll just have to live with the fact that he’ll never get the respect he deserves, but at least we know the truth.
Art Ross and Hart
The Toronto Maple Leafs have got a good shot at winning the two awards that have always eluded them. (At least in modern times).
Auston Matthews and John Tavares aren’t likely to beat out Connor McDavid for the Art Ross trophy, but it could happen. Both players will make room for each other and give opposing coaches nightmares.
It could be enough – if a little luck is on the side – for either won to do the unthinkable and usurp McDavid.
Nylander (who was just outside the top ten in 5v5 scoring last year) and Marner (90 point pace after Christmas) both also have Art Ross potential. Longshots for sure, but you never know.
As for the Hart, a healthy Matthews is probably the second best player in the NHL at this point, and easily the best 5v5 goal scorer. He’ll win the Rocket Richard if he plays 75+ games, and if the Leafs finish, as I predict, first overall in the NHL, he’ll have a shot at the Hart.
I can easily foresee a situation where Matthews scores 65 goals and wins the Hart even though McDavid beats him out for total points.
Next. The Best Draft PIcks in Toronto Maple Leafs History. dark
So, to conclude: The Toronto Maple Leafs have a pretty good shot at winning several of the NHL’s end of season awards next year. They are, however, only the favorites in one: Matthews and the Rocket Richard trophy.
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