NHL Hart Memorial Trophy

Thursday March 20, 2008 @ 04:51 AM EDT

First, I don’t believe a goaltender should be awarded this trophy unless he really has an exceptional year. This year, I don’t believe there are any goalies that have played outstanding enough to earn anything other than the Vezina Trophy.


As for skaters, this year I believe there are two players that are heads and shoulders about the rest. These two players are Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin.


I have had a long belief that to be considered the most valuable player in the league, the team you are on must be at least able to make the playoffs. Some people say this is biased and that how the team performs doesn’t make a player less valuable, but maybe it makes them more valuable. I strongly think that if a player is the most valuable player in the league, they should be able to guide their team into the playoffs in a league where more than 50% of the teams accomplish this task. The only exception to this would be if a single player is so much better than the competition for the Hart Memorial Trophy; let’s say maybe scores 20 more goals and 50 points more than the next closest player in the league.


With this criteria, at this point in the season, Ovechkin would be out of the running. However, there are still games to be played and Ovechkin is helping Washington to make a run at the playoffs.


Assuming that both the Penguins and the Capitals make the playoffs, let’s compare some important stats.


Alexander Ovechkin


Games – 73
Goals – 57
Points – 99
Shooting Percentage – 14.4%
Shots – 395
Team Wins – 35
Team Losses – 30
Team Overtime Losses – 8


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Evgeni Malkin


Games – 72
Goals – 41
Points – 97
Shooting Percentage – 16.6%
Shots – 247
Team Wins – 41
Team Losses – 25
Team Overtime Losses – 7


I did not include hits as an important stat, because they are not an official NHL stat. Each home arena keeps track of hits and might not have the same standard for what a hit is.


Looking at these stats, we would have to say the two players stack up pretty evenly. It is now time to look at other things that might not be so obvious at first.


When we look at Ovechkin, we must realize that this preseason, the Capitals franchise brought in many new pieces to help the team go to the next level. So far, even as Ovechkin gains more experience and the additional players provide more support, the team is still on the outside looking in.


If we look at Malkin, we have to realize, for parts of the season he has played as a winger and not at his natural position as a center. He was also not getting the playing time because he was the second center behind last season’s Hart Memorial Trophy winner, Sidney Crosby. With Crosby injured many people were expecting the Penguins to fall out of the playoff race. Instead, Malkin has stepped in and the Penguins have not only continued in the playoff race, but they are now competing for the top of the eastern conference. In the 23 games without Crosby, Malkin has amassed 42 points and the team has won 13 games and only lost 6.


Something else I think people should consider is how the two players spend their time on the ice. Ovechkin has played a little over 1267 even strength minutes this season, with almost 404 minutes being on the powerplay and only 12 minutes shorthanded. Malkin has played 1122 even strength minutes, only 353 minutes on the powerplay and 56 minutes have been a man down. Ovechkin is not only playing more minutes per game, but he is getting many more minutes with an extra man to compile his points. Malkin is being asked to spend a lot of energy killing penalties with much more regularity than his counterpart.


While neither player stands out as being much more impressive than the other when looking at the basic stats, if we take a more in depth look, Malkin takes the edge. A player helping his team win and being asked to play in all situations must be considered a more valuable player than someone who is basically only being asked to score.


Taking into account how the coaches use the two players, it puts Malkin at a disadvantage to produce the same numbers in the basic stats. Ovechkin has been playing the entire 2 minutes of a powerplay during the past month and maybe longer. He is also paired up with the best passer on the team during even strength shifts. Malkin as stated before is asked to kill penalties, plays on a line with two productive players but only for short stints has he played with the other best player on the team.


If the season ends in a fashion similar to what we have today, a close analysis into what the two players have provided to their teams would in the end show that Evgeni Malkin is more deserving of the Hart Memorial Trophy than Alexander Ovechkin. Ovechkin is a great player and the future is bright for him and the Capitals. However, this year, Evgeni Malkin has proved to be more valuable to his team than Ovechkin. I have a feeling this might just be the first in many years where we will have to look closely at the contribution these two players have provided to their respective teams to see who deserves the Hart Memorial Trophy.

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