Derelictable NHL Awards picks

Quick Derelictable programming note: The Morning Head may be taking the summer off, and here's why. My schedule has changed a bit, so at the time I would normally be Heading, I'm at work, which makes searching for half-naked girls a lot more scary and quite a bit less fun. Also, summer sucks for bloggers, especially for sports ones. So with a lack of a ton of material and a schedule that has not only changed, but will also include a handful of long weekends (like this past one) and a new baby, I'm putting the Morning Head on hold until the fall. Don't worry, I'll still be blogging, and I may pull out an occasional Morning Head if there's enough news to warrant it. But for the next couple of months, expect more posts that concentrate on one topic. Like this one. Also, I realize this wasn't that quick.

Tonight, Jay Mohr will embarrass himself by telling awful jokes and showing us he has zero knowledge when it comes to hockey. This will also embarrass the NHL, which will prove that it can't get anyone better than Jay Mohr to host its awards show. (For the love of God, Bettman, call Vince Vaughn.)

Oh yeah, they'll also hand out awards. Here's who's going to win them.

Vezina
Candidates: Roberto Luongo, Tim Thomas, Pekka Rinne
The Winner: Thomas. Timmy Fawkin Thomas not only was dominant in the playoffs, he was also huuuge for the Bruins in the regular season. He led the league in save percentage (.938) and goals-against (2.00), and was second in shutouts (nine). While Rinne helped hold together a lesser team than the other two, and Luongo led the league in wins, it's Thomas who has been the league's best goaltender all season.

Selke
Candidates: Pavel Datsyuk, Ryan Kesler, Jonathan Toews
The Winner: Kesler. As much as we love Pavel Datsyuk, this award will go to Kesler this season. He's definitely deserving, but this will be more about the fact that he had an incredible offensive season, and writers will be willing to recognize him as being as much a part of the Canucks success as the Sedins.

Calder
Candidates: Logan Couture, Michael Grabner, Jeff Skinner
The Winner: Couture. Skinner had seven more points (eight more assists), but that's about it. Skinner, rightfully, got a ton of attention this year for being the youngest player in the all-star game and doing as well as he did this season in Carolina, where he can't be overshadowed by stars. Couture was better, though. He played on a better team and had more help, but he scored one more goal than Skinner (in three less games), logged more ice time and had nearly 40 more shots. He was so good, I didn't realize he was a rookie until the playoffs started.

Norris
Candidates: Nick Lidstrom, Zdeno Chara, Shea Weber
The Winner: Lidstrom. Yes, he had a minus rating for the first time in his career (-2), but that was rather deceiving. Lidstrom had one of his best seasons, and was again the steadying force on the Wings blue line while many around him were struggling with injuries.

Adams
Candidates: Dan Bylsma, Barry Trotz, Alain Vigneault
The Winner: Bylsma. To not have Jordan Staal for the first half of the season, then to lose Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby in the second half and still make it to Game 7 in the first round of the playoffs as the four seed against the Lightning? Yeah, I'd say he did alright.

Hart
Candidates: Corey Perry, Daniel Sedin, Martin St. Louis
The Winner: Perry. What he did at the end of the season to put the Ducks on his back and get to the playoffs was amazing.