With the 2019-20 NHL regular season over, the Boston Bruins can focus on preparing for the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, they can also keep the NHL awards in mind because they could be important for Boston’s top players.
Patrice Bergeron, as usual, is nominated for the Selke Trophy, David Pastrnak is a nominee for the Hart Trophy, and Tuukka Rask is poised to win his second Vezina Trophy for the NHL’s best goaltender. Can all three of them win these awards?
Per an anonymous poll from NHL coaches, Bergeron should claim his fifth Selke Trophy for the best two-way forward in the NHL. “Boston is in first place, and Bergeron is the best two-way player in the game. Easy selection,” said one head coach.
In this poll, Bergeron received 14 votes while Sean Couturier obtained 10 votes. As in prior seasons, Couturier remains one of the toughest opponents for Bergeron. Last year’s winner (and Conn Smythe Trophy winner), Ryan O’Reilly, received just three votes.
Pastrnak is one of the top three candidates in the running to win the Hart Trophy for the league’s Most Valuable Player. With 48 goals, he won the Maurice Richard Trophy for the best NHL goal-scorer along with Alex Ovechkin. However, Pastrnak failed to reach 100 points for the first time in his career, ending up with 95.
Pastrnak believes there is a clear favorite for the Hart Trophy, but it’s not himself. “For me, it’s absolutely no question that it’s going to be and should be Leon Draisaitl,” Pastrnak said of the Edmonton center who led the league with 110 points. “The way he played this year, it’s absolutely no question for me.”
Bergeron is poised to win his fifth Selke Trophy, Rask might win his second Vezina Trophy, and Pastrnak understands that he likely won’t win the Hart Trophy. Nonetheless, all three players are vital to the Bruins’ success. In a few weeks, the Bruins will return to start training camp. In order to win the 2020 Stanley Cup, Boston will need all three players to be on top of their game.
