George Richards, FHN Publisher
When it comes to NHL awards, the Florida Panthers do not have a long nor deep history of winning.
Pavel Bure, of course, won the first two big ones in franchise history but his Rocket Richard trophies were based on his stats.
Scoring the most goals in the league for a given season is impressive, yes, but it is not an award won by being voted on by peers of the media.
Brian Campbell was the next to bring some hardware back to South Florida, becoming the first defenseman to win the Lady Byng for the player who exhibited the “best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability” in 58 years.
Seven years later in 2019, Sasha Barkov won the same award.
Both Jonathan Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad won the Calder Trophy for the top rookie.
In 2016, Jaromir Jagr won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which goes to the player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.”
And that, when it comes to NHL postseason awards, is it for the Panthers.
Based on the first half of this season, however, that could change.
The Panthers, right now, have three legitimate candidates for major NHL postseason awards — none of which have to do with the best rookie or the most “gentlemanly” player.
No, the Panthers could win some of the big ones this season.
Well, if not win them, at least be in the conversation.
On Monday night, the Panthers concluded the first half of this pandemic-shortened season with a flourish.
Florida trailed visiting Chicago 3-1 in the second before tying the score before that period break with Barkov netting the game-winner on a shorthanded goal with 6:24 remaining.
Florida won 6-3, putting it — at least for the moment — on top of not only its conference, but the league standings as well.
The Panthers are one of the nice surprises of the Covid-19 NHL season, not only just competing for a playoff spot but running with the top teams in the league.
With their success has come attention.
People, at least outside of South Florida, are paying attention to the Panthers.
There is still a lot of hockey left to be played in this season, but at their halfway mark, the Panthers have some of their guys in play for NHL awards.
The Panthers are a team that outsiders notice when they win.
When the Panthers are losing, which has been kind of their thing, that is not the case.
“When you win, people start following you more,” Barkov said Monday night.
“Obviously, the last couple of years we haven’t had any success and people don’t talk about us that much. But this year, it is different. We have been winning, playing really good hockey.
“As you can see, everyone is having fun on the ice and that’s when people start to notice you. Right now, we’re halfway through the season and we’re in a good spot. We just have to keep going.”
Of all the Florida candidates, Joel Quenneville has the most likely chance at winning.
The Jack Adams Award goes to the NHL’s Coach of the Year and Quenneville, despite all of his success over the years in Chicago, has only won this once.
And, that came in 2000 while he was with St. Louis.
There will be a lot of competition for this award, sure, but if Florida keeps up what it has been doing and competes for the top spot along with Tampa Bay and Carolina by the end of the season, he’s the favorite.
On Monday, a panel of 17 writers from NHL.com voted Quenneville their midseason winner of the Jack Adams, getting 62 points which bested Carolina’s Rod Brind’Amour (38).
Frank Seravalli of TSN also has Quenneville as his Jack Adams winner at the midpoint.
“Raise your hand if you had Florida challenging Carolina and Tampa (!) for top spot in the Central Division,’’ Seravalli wrote.
“Not seeing many hands out there. Quenneville has been forced to put out a few fires this season, starting with Keith Yandle’s exclusion and then unexpected inclusion, and he’s worked his magic with an imperfect roster – including sticking with an unconventional first line that has found success.”
The Hart Trophy goes to the who is determined to be the league’s MVP and is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association.
Will Barkov win that? Probably not. The safe money is on Connor McDavid or Patrick Kane.
But Barkov has put his name in the conversation.
Huberdeau, who is now tied with Barkov for the Panthers’ scoring lead, has been mentioned as well.
The pro-Florida vote could be split here, although those who watch this team on a nightly basis would likely go with Barkov.
“Pretty much, every shift, guys are left with their jaws hanging on the floor with how he makes plays, makes things out of nothing,” Ekblad said about the Florida captain.
“How he can evade guys; he is a big guy and he finds a way to shake these little guys and his puck protection, his vision, everything. It’s because he is the hardest-working guy and we know that. He’s a role model for all of us. There’s not enough good things to say.”
Barkov is the engine which drives the Panthers and, he says if people are talking about him, he has not noticed.
“I don’t really search the internet for that, I just play hockey. That’s it,” said Barkov, who now has 12 goals and 34 points in 28 games.
“I have the best teammates ever. I appreciate (what they say). I just want to work hard for this team and give everything I have on the ice. I want to win. We’re winning. It has been a lot of fun. I am enjoying this a lot. It has been great.”
Hey, MacKenzie Weegar would vote* for him.
(*) MacKenzie Weegar is not a member of the Florida chapter of the PHWA and thereby does not have a vote.
“I love playing with Barky,” Weegar said after being told goalie Sergei Bobrovsky called Barkov the best player in the world.
“I completely agree with Bob … To watch him every single night give it his all, really leading by example every night and is work ethic, it’s really inspiring.”
Said Quenneville: “He has been outstanding, in every way and in every situation. … Barky is having a tremendous year and his line has been dominating and he is a big factor in that. If you want to look at (this) at the halfway point, you would have to say he’s in the top three for me. There’s a lot of hockey left. We’re worried about team wins, but … he should get some consideration.”
The third Florida candidate is Ekblad, a defenseman who has taken his game to a new level.
Sure, Ekblad scored 16 goals in 2017-18, but he was not close to the defensive player then that he is now.
Ekblad has truly evolved into an elite NHL defenseman on both ends of the ice.
The Panthers would not be having the success they are enjoying right now if it was not for Quenneville and Barkov, but certainly not without Ekblad.
On Monday, he scored his 10th goal of the year as he continues to be a high-end offensive player. But it is his defensive improvement over the years which is what people are noticing right now.
Let’s get this out of the way: Aaron Ekblad will not win the Norris Trophy for the league’s most outstanding defenseman.
He just won’t.
It is going to go to someone like Victor Hedman or … well, it’s going to Hedman. Deservedly so.
But, Ekblad is in the conversation right now and if he keeps this up, should continue to be. He will have his supporters. And, if these numbers continue, he should be a finalist for the award.
That alone will be quite impressive.
We have another half of this NHL season to go.
If the Panthers continue to stay with the likes of the Lightning and Hurricanes, well, their players will be noticed.
George Richards is the Florida chapter chair of the PHWA and has a vote for the Hart, Norris, Calder, Selke and Byng awards as well as the All-Star and All-Rookie teams.
The NHL’s Broadcasters’ Association will vote on the Jack Adams Award.