NHL Season Predictions – Teams, Hardware, Players

Everyone at Illegal Curve was asked to make predictions for the 2010-11 NHL Season. If you’d like a more detailed explanation, listen to our podcast available here, but we decided we would post them here in writing and revisit them at the end of the NHL season.

Ezra Ginsburg

Teams

Western Conference Champion (Regular Season): Vancouver Canucks
Eastern Conference Champion (Regular Season): Washington Capitals
Stanley Cup Champion: Los Angeles Kings
Stanley Cup Runner-up: Tampa Bay Lightning

Hardware

Conn Smythe (MVP of the Playoffs): Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings
Art Ross Trophy (Regular Season Points Leader): Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
Hart Trophy (Most Valuable Player): Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
Jack Adams Trophy (Head Coach): Guy Boucher, Tampa Bay Lightning
Vezina Trophy (Goaltender): Ryan Miller, Buffalo Sabres
Frank J. Selke Trophy (Defensive Forward): Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings
Norris Trophy (Defenseman): Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings
Calder Trophy (Rookie): Taylor Hall, Edmonton Oilers
William Jennings Trophy (Team Goals against): Martin Brodeur & Johan Hedberg (New Jersey Devils)
Lady Byng Trophy (Gentlemanly player): Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks

Players

Forward who will disappoint the most: Martin Havlat, Minnesota Wild
Forward who will surprise the most: Logan Couture, San Jose Sharks
Defenseman who will disappoint the most: Dion Phaneuf, Toronto Maple Leafs
Defenseman who will surprise the most: John Carlson, Washington Capitals
Goalie who will disappoint the most: Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens
Goalie who will surprise the most: Jonathan Bernier, Los Angeles Kings
Rookie who will disappoint the most: Magnus Paajarvi, Edmonton Oilers
Rookie who will surprise the most: Mikael Backlund, Calgary Flames

Drew Mindell

Teams

Western Conference Champion (Regular Season): Chicago Blackhawks
Eastern Conference Champion (Regular Season): Washington Capitals
Stanley Cup Champion: Boston Bruins
Stanley Cup Runner-up: Detroit Red Wings

Hardware

Conn Smythe (MVP of the Playoffs): Zdeno Chara
Art Ross Trophy (Regular Season Points Leader): Alex Ovechkin
Hart Trophy (Most Valuable Player): Sidney Crosby
Jack Adams Trophy (Head Coach): Claude Julien
Vezina Trophy (Goaltender): Ryan Miller
Frank J. Selke Trophy (Defensive Forward): Pavel Datsyuk
Norris Trophy (Defenseman): Drew Doughty
Calder Trophy (Rookie): John Carlson
William Jennings Trophy (Team Goals against): Los Angeles Kings
Lady Byng Trophy (Gentlemanly player): Niklas Lidstrom

Players

Forward who will disappoint the most: Patrick Kane
Forward who will surprise the most: Nathan Horton
Defenseman who will disappoint the most: Jay Bouwmeester
Defenseman who will surprise the most: Viktor Hedman
Goalie who will disappoint the most: Kari Lehtonen
Goalie who will surprise the most: Antero Nittymaki
Rookie who will disappoint the most: Cody Hodgson
Rookie who will surprise the most: Oliver Ekman Larsson

Richard Pollock

Teams
Western Conference Champion (Regular Season): Vancouver Canucks

Eastern Conference Champion (Regular Season): Washington Capitals

Stanley Cup Champion: Pittsburgh Penguins
Stanley Cup Runner-up: Vancouver Canucks

Hardware

Conn Smythe (MVP of the Playoffs): Sidney Crosby
Art Ross Trophy (Regular Season Points Leader): Sidney Crosby
Hart Trophy (Most Valuable Player): Sidney Crosby
Jack Adams Trophy (Head Coach): Craig Ramsey

Calder Trophy (Rookie): Jordan Eberle
William Jennings Trophy (Team Goals against): Boston Bruins
Lady Byng Trophy (Gentlemanly player): Zach Parise

Players

Forward who will disappoint the most: Patrick Marleau
Forward who will surprise the most: Alex Tanguay
Defenseman who will disappoint the most: Jeff Schultz
Defenseman who will surprise the most: Keith Ballard
Goalie who will disappoint the most: Jonas Gustavsson
Goalie who will surprise the most: Ondrej Pavelec
Rookie who will disappoint the most: Lars Eller
Rookie who will surprise the most: Jeff Skinner

Kyle Kosior

Teams

Western Conference Champion (Regular Season): Detroit Red Wings
Eastern Conference Champion (Regular Season): Washington Capitals
Stanley Cup Champion: Detroit Red Wings
Stanley Cup Runner-up: Pittsburgh Penguins

Hardware

Conn Smythe (MVP of the Playoffs): Nik Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings
Art Ross Trophy (Regular Season Points Leader): Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
Hart Trophy (Most Valuable Player): Drew Doughty, LA Kings
Jack Adams Trophy (Head Coach): Davis Payne, St. Louis Blues
Vezina Trophy (Goaltender): Ryan Miller, Buffalo Sabres
Frank J. Selke Trophy (Defensive Forward): Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings
Norris Trophy (Defenseman): Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings
Calder Trophy (Rookie): Magnus Paajarvi, Edmonton Oilers
William Jennings Trophy (Team Goals against): Martin Brodeur & Johan Hedberg (New Jersey Devils)
Lady Byng Trophy (Gentlemanly player): Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings

Players

Forward who will disappoint the most: Illy Kovalchuk, NJ Devils
Forward who will surprise the most: Mike Modano, Detroit Red Wings
Defenseman who will disappoint the most: Dion Phaneuf, Toronto Maple Leafs
Defenseman who will surprise the most: Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Phoenix Coyotes
Goalie who will disappoint the most: Nik Khabibulin, Edmonton Oilers
Goalie who will surprise the most: Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens
Rookie who will disappoint the most: Mikael Backlund, Calgary Flames
Rookie who will surprise the most, Tyler Ennis, Buffalo Sabres