Award Watch: Others made case, but Ovechkin's Hart can't be denied
Norris (best defenseman): One of these days someone might consider renaming this trophy for Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom. He's a shoo-in to win it for the sixth time, and he has been the runner-up on three other occasions. The fact that Lidstrom does what he does shouldn't amaze anyone, even if the fact he hasn't lost a step at age 37 does. Lidstrom leads all defensemen in scoring, and his plus-minus rating is the best in the league. He is the anchor for the Red Wings, the key reason they have the league's best defense. Detroit has the talent to win it all, but as it learned when Lidstrom was injured for a couple of weeks in February, he has to be in the lineup.
Runners-up: Zdeno Chara, Boston; Sergei Gonchar, Pittsburgh.
Calder Trophy (best rookie): Carey Price is a 20-year-old playing the game's most demanding position in its most pressure-packed market. He was anointed as No. 1 goalie in midseason by the Montreal Canadiens, a team that has legitimate Stanley Cup aspirations, and he has responded by leading the team to a division title and possible conference championship. Patrick Kane, the first overall draft pick last June, had a superb season as an 18-year-old for the Chicago Blackhawks, and Nicklas Backstrom came on very strong in the second half for Washington, but Price has meant more to Montreal than simple statistics would imply.
Runners-up: Patrick Kane, Chicago; Nicklas Backstrom, Washington. Adams Award (best coach): Barry Trotz has become an institution for the Predators, but he has never done as good a job coaching as he did this season. The Predators were stripped for parts last year during a fire sale and had a drawn-out ownership transfer and possible franchise relocation hanging over their heads for most of the first half. Still they managed to block out all distractions and stay close enough to the playoff line to make it in at the end. Credit Trotz for keeping them focused and for getting the most out of the least talent he has had in years.
Runners-up: Bruce Boudreau, Washington; Claude Julien, Boston.
Selke Trophy (best defensive forward): No one will think defense first when Pavel Datsyuk's name comes up in conversation, but that might be the most overlooked aspect of the Detroit center's game. He's an offensive force of course as part of one the league's most dangerous lines, but he tends to play against other teams' top lines often, and in that context his plus-41 rating is amazing. One reason is that he often has the puck, as his league-best 142 takeaways would suggest.
Runners-up: P.J. Axelsson, Boston; John Madden, New Jersey.
