Barkov for MVP? Quenneville for Coach of the Year? Here is why Panthers are contenders
The 2020-21 NHL season is halfway over the Florida Panthers are taking a well-deserved miniature break before they begin the second half Thursday against the Nashville Predators in Sunrise.
The Panthers enter the second half tied for the most points in the NHL and the Central Division, and they have an 13-point cushion to land one of the Central’s four playoff spots.
They have a top-five offense and a borderline top-10 defense, and a 98.8 percent chance to make the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs, according to FiveThirtyEight. No team has boosted its playoff odds more from the start of the season to now.
They also have a slew of candidates to take home postseason awards, including at least one favorite for one of the league’s biggest trophies.
Aleksander Barkov is in the conversation for the Hart Memorial Trophy. Aaaron Ekblad is in the mix for the Norris Trophy. Joel Quenneville is the frontrunner for the Jack Adams Award.
Even Sergei Bobrovsky is playing well enough right now to wonder if he can make a second-half run into contention for the Vezina Trophy. Their awards pushes will continue Thursday when Florida (19-5-4) hosts the Predators (12-16-1) at 7 p.m. at the BB&T Center in the first game of the second half.
Jack Adams contender: Joel Quenneville
The Panthers began the season with an expectation to be mostly irrelevant. Temporary realignment, brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, threw Florida into arguably the NHL’s toughest division, with three of the last four Stanley Cup Finals teams. The Panthers, who flamed out in the qualifying round of the expanded 2020 postseason, brought in a new general manager. Another rebuild, in theory, was on.
Instead, Florida is the biggest surprise in the league in Quenneville’s second season. The Panthers have fully bought into the three-time champion’s message and it has turned them into a Stanley Cup favorite. Their 12 wins after giving up the first goal and their five victories after trailing by multiple goals are proof Quenneville’s message is resonating. Coach of the year awards typically go to a surprise contender and Florida fits the bill best.
“There’s a little excitement in our team, as far as the approach during games that, Hey, keep doing the same thing, let’s stick with it,” Quenneville said Thursday.
Other contenders: Rod Brind’Amour, Hurricanes; Dean Evason, Wild
Hart Trophy contender: Aleksander Barkov
There was a time when Barkov’s peers considered the star center to be the most underrated player in the NHL.
Now, the 25-year-old is simply one of the best players in the NHL. He’s probably the midseason frontrunner for the Frank J. Selke Award, given to the league’s best defensive forward, and his blend of size, speed and creativity has him tied for seventh in the league with 34 points — coincidentally, with All-Star left wing Jonathan Huberdeau.
Barkov, who hasn’t even played in an NHL All-Star Game since 2018, is the best player on perhaps the best team in the league, but he remains a +4,000 long shot to win the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player, according to MGM Resorts International. Even Huberdeau has better odds at +2,000. Barkov should climb up this list, even if he probably won’t catch Connor McDavid.
“When you win, people start following you more,” Barkov said Monday. “Obviously, the last couple of years we haven’t been having any success and people don’t really talk about us that much. This year is a whole lot different.
Other contenders: Leon Draisaitl, C/LW, Oilers; Patrick Kane, RW, Blackhawks; Auston Matthews, C, Maple Leafs; Connor McDavid, C, Oilers; Andrei Vasilevskiy, G, Lightning
Norris Trophy contender: Aaron Ekblad
Ekblad is actually the player with the best odds to win one of the major awards. At +1,400, Ekblad has the sixth best odds to win the NHL’s defensive player of the year award. Ekblad has the second most goals among defensemen this year and the Panthers’ defensive turnaround has been massive.
Florida is allowing the 11th fewest goals per game after allowing the third most last year and has done it by eliminating opponents’ high-danger chances. The Panthers rank sixth in expected goals against by allowing the seventh fewest high-danger chances and their defensive numbers could still improve. Opponents are scoring on a league-leading 18.9 percent of those high-danger chances. Victor Hedman will be tough to catch, though.
Other contenders: Tyson Barrie, D, Oilers; Dougie Hamilton, D, Hurricanes; Victor Hedman, D, Lightning; Darnell Nurse, D, Oilers; Jeff Petry, D, Canadiens
Vezina Trophy contender: Sergei Bobrovsky
Right now, Bobrovsky is nowhere near contender for the NHL’s goaltender of the year award. His .905 save percentage ranks 32nd in the league and he’s a +5,000 long shot.
This is about what he has done lately. In his last eight starts, Bobrovsky is 7-0-1 with 2.75 goals against and a .919 save percentage, which would rank in the top 15 across a full season. He’s slowly inching his way into the conversation.
“He’s showing more patience in his net. I think he’s tracking the puck a little better,” Quenneville said. “It looks like he’s in control.”
Other contenders: Marc-Andre Fleury, G, Golden Knights; Philipp Grubauer, G, Avalanche; Andrei Vasilevskiy, G, Lightning
Calder Trophy contender: Eetu Luostarinen
Eetu Luostarinen really doesn’t have a chance at this one. It is worth mentioning the contributions of two rookies, though.
One of the biggest reasons Florida is among the best teams in the league is the play of its bottom two lines.
Luostarinen, the third-line center, has three goals and five assists, and his 20 blocked shots are tied for second most on the team among forwards. Fellow rookie Mason Marchment, the ourth-line left wing, has two goals and four assists in 11 games.
Other contenders: Kaapo Kahkonen, G, Wild; Kirill Kaprizov, LW/RW, Wild; Kevin Lankinen, G, Blackhawks; Igor Shesterkin, G, Rangers; Vitek Vanecek, G, Capitals
