Rocks that Move

In order to get myself at the blogging table, I decided I needed to cook up something easy to write about. I had also been thinking about the NHL MVP hype that has been going around, because I have been amazed at how short-sighted it has been this year. Winning the scoring title never used to guarantee you a shot at the Hart Trophy, and there have been years where that person has not been considered at all. But this year, only two names are consistently being thrown around: Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin. Fine players, both of them, but I am simply not convinced it should just come down to those two guys. So here is my top 10 list of the most valuable hockey players in the league right now, with my #1 being my choice for this year's Hart Trophy.

10. Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks

This guy may be a stretch, but he is slowly turning into the heart and soul of the Ducks. He is young and gritty and leads the team in scoring. He just needs to shoot more! He falls down the list because of the likes of Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer, but I could see Getzlaf challenging for the prize some day. Mike Richards of Philly almost made the list here, too, another young guy with great leadership skills.

9. Marian Gaborik, Minnesota Wild

The Wild have quietly had a really great season this year and are poised to have a good playoff run. They couldn't do it without their big spark plug, Mr. Gaborik. Not only is he a skilled and prolific scorer, he is also an energy player that really gives his team a lift. Without him, the Chicago Blackhawks would have a better chance of making the playoffs this year.

8. Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins

Defensemen do not get enough attention for the MVP award this year. When Zdeno Chara got hurt in February, the Boston Bruins tanked and now they are on the bubble for the Eastern Conference playoffs. With Zdeno, this is a bad team, and I mean "bad" in the sense of big and mean and tough to play against. Chara can score, check, pass, lead, and beat the living crap out of anyone. He really stepped up this year. If not for his suspension and the fact he plays for a better team, I might have put Chris Pronger on this list for the same reason.

7. Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa Senators

Alfredsson was the talk of the town half way through the season and was a big contender for the MVP award, but all that went down the toilet when his linemate Dany Heatley got hurt, then he got hurt, then the Senators started to twirl down the drain. I suspect that had Alfredsson stayed healthy, he'd still be the talk of the town, and the Senators would still be there, too. As it stands, they will still make the playoffs under Alfredsson's leadership.

6. Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils

I am always reluctant to give goalies the MVP. Most valuable player to their team? Well, duh. In a way, the Vezina trophy for best goalie IS an MVP trophy. But Brodeur is exceptional. No Brodeur, no New Jersey Devils. It's as simple as that. He's been human the past couple of games, but the fact is he is the best of the game and is one of the most valuable players in the entire league.

5. Alexei Kovalev, Montreal Canadiens

Kovalev? MVP? HA HA HA HA H- oh, wait. He HAS been that good this year, hasn't he? Not only does he lead the best team in the East right now in scoring, but he has also been their leader in locker room presence this year. It took him over a decade to do it, but he has finally matured, and it is no coincidence that his resurgence and the Canadiens' resurgence has occurred simultaneously. And he really hasn't gotten all the attention and credit he deserves for it.

4. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins

Yes, Malkin deserves a lot of credit and consideration for the Hart Trophy this year. If he wins, I don't think it is a big travesty of justice. That said, I still think he is getting some residual credit because of Crosby's absence and the fact he plays for a high-profile team. BUT- he has REALLY stepped it up, and with Crosby out, the Pens have hardly skipped a beat. He is the main reason for this. Only in his second year, Malkin is already one of the best players in the league.

3. Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings

Again, defensemen do not get considered enough for this award. Detroit is first place in the league and is a Stanley Cup contender every year. Why? Nick Lidstrom, who is slowly but surely making an argument for being one of the three or four best defensemen ever. Bobby Orr. Check. Doug Harvey. Check. Who besides those two was better than Lidstrom? He captains the team, leads their power play, scores, plays flawless defense, and never ever takes a bad penalty. The Wings were not even close to the same when he was out.

2. Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals

If the Caps make the playoffs, I think Ovechkin will win the Hart Trophy. That is not my choice for MVP, but rather my prediction. Ovechkin IS the Washington Capitals, and he is the most exciting player in the league to watch. He is the first person since Lemieux and Jagr over ten years ago to score 60 goals in a season, and without him the Capitols would be a minor-league team, not on the doorstep of their first playoff appearance since, when was it, 1645? Ah, but who is MY choice?

1. Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames

Like defensemen, Western Conference players in remote areas (like Calgary) never get enough attention or credit. In 2001-2002 Jarome Iginla got ROBBED of the Hart Trophy in one of the NHL's biggest award gaffes for this very reason. The same thing will happen to him this year. He is third behind Malkin and Ovechkin in scoring and will probably come up a little short of 100 points, but this guy brings leadership skills to the table that Malkin and Ovechkin can only dream about at this stage of their careers. Iginla does everything. Scores goals, passes, hits, plays good defense (do Malkin and Ovechkin even know their goalies' names?), leads the team on and off the ice, fights, helps old ladies cross the street, flies, cures cancer- you name it. Ovechkin and Malkin are contenders for the Hart Trophy crown, and should be, but in my mind it is Iginla's trophy this year, just like it was in 2002. He is the most valuable player to his team.