NHL Mid Season Awards; Parise earns 1st half M.V.P

Forward Zach Parise (28 g – 27 a – 55pts, +20)

Inside Analysis: Parise is the games most under-rated player and the leagues top bargain with a cap hit of only $3.1 million per season. With goaltender Martin Brodeur sidelined for up to 4 months, Parise has carried the Devils offensively and at the All-Star break the Devils are the Atlantic division leader with 61 points. With Brodeur due back in late February, the Devils go into the second half as arguably the most dangerous team in the Eastern Conference. Parise ranks 7th in the NHL in points and ranks third in goals.

Runner up: Alexander Ovechkin (31g -28a -59pts)

Miikka Kiprusoff (28-12-3, 2.82 GAA, .903 SV%)

Inside Analysis: Kiprusoff has appeared in 43 of the Flames 46 games and leads the NHL with 28 wins. He has recorded all 28 wins for the Flames and Kiprusoff has the Flames in first place with 60 points in the NorthWest Division.

Runner up: Tim Thomas (20-5-4, 2.09 GAA, .934 SV%)

Consideration: Steve Mason (17-11-2, 2.05 GAA, .926 SV%)

Defenseman Zdeno Chara (11g – 18a – 29pts, +22)

Inside Analysis: Chara has been a force at both ends of the ice for the league’s top¬†defensive team¬†and Chara can single handily dominate a game.

Runner up: Dan Boyle (13g – 25a – 38pts)

G Steve Mason (17-11-2, 2.05 GAA, .926 SV%)

Inside Analysis: Mason is not only the front runner to win rookie of year but if he continues to play at this level in the second half of the season, the Columbus Blue Jackets will be earning their first post-season berth and Mason will be in the M.V.P. and Vezina trophy discussion

Runner up: F Bobby Ryan (15g – 15a – 30pts, +11)

Inside Analysis: Ryan, the second overall pick in the 2005 draft, has 30 points in 31 games for the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan began the season in the minors due to cap reasons. He has provided a scoring punch for a team that lacks secondary scoring behind star forward Ryan Getzlaf

Consideration: Blake Wheeler (14g-16a-30pts, +27)

Wheeler has 30 points in 47 games for the Eastern Conference leading Boston Bruins. What has been impressive with Wheelers play this season is the ability he has to play any kind of role. He has been productive whether he’s playing a third line role or playing on a scoring line. A +/- of 27 is phenomenal for a rookie.

Jack Adams Trophy (Coach of the Year)

Claude Julien – BOS ( 34-8-5)

Inside Analyis: Julien has made the Bruins one of the toughest teams to play against in the National Hockey League. The Bruins who were the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference last season are tied with the San Jose Sharks for the most points in the NHL.

Runner up: Wayne Gretzky – PHX ( 24-19-5)

Gretzky may seem like a surprise pick but he deserves a lot of credit for having the Coyotes, a team in serious financial trouble in 5th place in the Western Conference at the All-Star break. The Coyotes have an average age of 25.9 and are near the bottom of the league in payroll ($46 million). Despite being 8-13-3 on the road and having 126 GF and 139 GA, Gretzky has this young team in 2nd place in the Pacific division.

Consideration: Bruce Boudreau – WAS (30-15-3)

Evgeni Malkin (19g-51a-70pts, +13 )

Zach Parise (28g-27a-55pts, +20)

Alexander Ovechkin (31g-28a-59pts, +13)

Zdeno Chara (11-18-29, +22)

Mike Green (12g-21a-33pts, +17)

Tim Thomas (20-5-4, 2.09 GAA, .934 SV%

Pavel Datsyuk (19g-37a-56pts, +21)

Ryan Getzlaf (17g-39a-56pts, +5)

Patrick Marleau (25g-26a-51pts, +21)

Dan Boyle (13g-25a-38pts, +12)

Shea Weber (14g-18a-32pts, +6)

Miikka Kiprusoff (28-12-3, 2.82 GAA, .903 SV%)