Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews Nominated for Lady Byng Trophy
The Toronto Maple Leafs received some welcome good news today.
The Toronto Maple Leafs best player, and face of the franchise, Auston Matthews, was nominated for the Lady Byng Trophy.
The award goes to the NHL player displaying the best sportsmanship. In practical terms, since no one who votes on this award really knows how the players are in terms of losing with grace, not cheating, and respecting their opponents (things which in real life earn someone the title of ‘good sport,’) the Lady Byng tends to go to the best offensive player with the least penalty minutes.
Matthews therefore has a good shot at winning.
Toronto Maple Leafs Lady Byng
Competing against Matthews for the NHL’s least cared about end of season award are Ryan O’Reilly and Nathan MacKinnong.
2019-20 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy finalist: Auston Matthews@AM34 finished third in the NHL with a career-high 47 goals while also establishing a career-low with eight penalty minutes, tied for fewest among the NHL’s top 100 scorers. https://t.co/JRd3a5BWLY #NHLAwards #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/8pOvrPw0bx
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) July 16, 2020
As noted in the tweet above, no Toronto Maple Leafs player has won the award since should-be Hall of Fame player Alexander Mogilny won it back in 2002-03.
Matthews had only eight penalty minutes, and by all accounts he seems to be a good sport, so he will probably win it. O’Reilly has won it several times before and MacKinnon is an equally good bet to win as well.
It could go either way, but let’s face it, the only awards anyone cares about are the Vezina, the Norris, the Calder, the Selke and the Hart.
The Lady Byng is a nice consolation prize, but whatever.
Had we gotten to see the last 12 games, its possible Matthews could have edged his way into the Hart Trophy conversation.
It appears that will come down to Connor Hellebuyck, Leon Draisaitl, Artemi Panarin and Nathan MacKinnon.
Hellebuyck should win it (if they allow goalies to win the Hart, the Hart should almost always go to a goalie. I think goalies shouldn’t be eligible, but as they are, no one came close to helping his team more than Hellebuyck.)
Draisaitl will win it, since he’s the scoring leader. However, the Oilers barely won against their opponents while Draisaitl was on the ice 5v5. He will be the least deserving Hart Trophy winner in NHL history.
If it has to go to a forward, I would say Panarin probably deserves it, but his team only made the playoffs on a technicality and had no chance to make the playoffs had the season concluded normally.
Which is why, I would have given the Hart to Matthews. He led the NHL in its most important stat: 5v5 goals.
His team also dominated across the board over 55% when Matthews played.
In truth, no one seems to agree with me on this, and that is fine. I think Matthews should win because I think everyone underestimates the importance of 5v5 goals. No one scores like he does, and no one, save Hellebuyck, helped their team more.
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Auston should win the Hart, but I suppose he will have to settle for just the Lady Byng, Conn Smythe and Stanley Cup.