Which Red Wings Merit Mid-Season Award Consideration?
We've reached the All-Star break, a time for celebrating excellence around the National Hockey League. In keeping with that theme, let's take a moment to select winners for every major NHL award from Detroit based on the 50 games of Red Wings hockey we've seen to date.
ART ROSS: Dylan Larkin, 47 points in 44 games
Despite missing six games in December to injury, Larkin has remained the undisputed engine for Detroit offensively—pacing the team in points while cycling through a variety of complementary players on his wings and regularly taking on the night's most difficult match-up.
ROCKET RICHARD: Dylan Larkin, 23 goals in 44 games
Larkin doesn't just lead the Red Wings in points, he's also pacing the team in goals, despite the best efforts of newcomer Alex DeBrincat (who has scored at a commendable clip of 18 goals in 50 games). Larkin has shown a penchant for goals from impossible angle and in critical moments.
HART: Dylan Larkin
Alex Lyon and Moritz Seider each have credible claims to being Detroit's mid-season MVP, but ultimately, Larkin's 200-foot impact as a scorer and match-up centerman makes him the standout choice for that distinction.
NORRIS: Moritz Seider
Seider has six goals and 20 assists to his name this season, but it's his defensive play that earns him the nod here. Seider is taking on difficult matchups against elite opponents at an almost unprecedented rate, and, as Derek Lalonde likes to say, he still finds a way to win his shifts. His partner Jake Walman deserves a mention, but the third-year German defenseman is the clear pick here.
VEZINA: Alex Lyon
This is the easiest choice on the list. Lyon has saved Detroit's season twice—once providing a spark when he first cracked the lineup during the Red Wings' November trip to Sweden and a second time when he powered the team's January surge. He's 13-6-2 with a 2.52 goals against average and .922 save percentage, which has earned him the starting role after beginning the year third on Detroit's goaltending depth chart.
SELKE: J.T. Compher
While DeBrincat was the splashiest acquisition of the offseason for the Red Wings (and has generally delivered on that description), Compher is arguably the most important newcomer for Detroit. His defensive solidity, skating, and playmaking have fundamentally changed the depth and complexion of the Red Wings' lineup. He's a central figure on the Detroit penalty kill, reliable as a right-hander in the face-off dot, and the Red Wings' most important defensive forward.
CALDER: Simon Edvinsson
There is exactly one (1) Red Wing eligible for the Calder through 50 games of the season: prized defensive prospect Simon Edvinsson, who has played just two NHL games and picked up one assist along the way. While Detroit fans might be frustrated that he hasn't seen more game action, Edvinsson's dominance in Grand Rapids suggests a bright future ahead.
MASTERTON: Robby Fabbri
Fabbri has undergone a ridiculous amount of terrible injury luck in his career, and, from the major (knee surgery) to smaller but still painful knocks like pucks to the face, this season has been no exception. Still, without fail, Fabbri shows no hesitation in leaping in front of a puck to block a shot or diving to get at a rebound.
LADY BYNG: Christian Fischer
While Fischer has 28 penalty minutes to his name (including a pair of fighting majors), he is the epitome of what's referred to in hockey circles as an "honest player." He plays a simple, hard-working game that earns him good favor from teammates, peers, and coaches alike.
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