100 assist for winger, leading scorer most of year, major team contributor, and importance of Kucherov within quickened depletion of flat-capped "Cup" roster. Should sealed MVP up, especially considering Lightning had not gelled until recently (
2nd half of season) from flattened-cap "Cup" roster loses, that cause quickened depletion quickened after only 2 million cap growth over 4 years. This severe flat-cap happened while Lightning were reaching 3 SCF's in-a-row and after 8 years of playoff successes. No "Cup" winners ever dealt with such salary scraps after winning it all. Other NHL stars had great season, but they didn't mean what Kucherov has meant for their team this season.
Kucherov deserves MVP. But..... deserve doesn't decided things concerning sports awards at times. Kucherov will come up short because humans are the deciding factor here. He's MVP, everyone knows it, but it won't be first snub in sports history, and won't be last unfortunately. We'll witness NHL all-star bias voting type bias within Hart voting block. It is what it is..... This is one of reasons to why #1 BS press conference was born in first place, but most don't even know why #1 BS was born. They won't look to why he felt this way, or why Lightning maybe somewhat have a chip on their shoulders all these years. That's OK, team accomplishments are what Lightning are mostly about, but these disses probably have been yummy food/motivation for them all. Sometimes, the want to prove others wrong is a great motivator. Thrown that on top of great talent, the want to be best already, awesome work ethic, and one ends up with what Lightning sustained for years.
That #1 BS statement didn't just come from thin-air
- While Kucherov and Lightning achieved 6 ECF's , 4 SCF's, and won 2 "Cups" in 8 years time.
- That successful team won Vezina once, Norris once, and hart once with major awards decided by human voting. (Jack Adams anyone? More on that later)
- Kucherov's one Hart had to be taken by force winning scoring title at 128 points and team beating total victories in regular season record.
- That's it for major awards that are decided by human element during that span. Lightning's goalie Vasy & D Hedman were the answers for years: to who's best defender and goalie you'd want to have on your team. Their performances/numbers during regular season & playoffs back that up then too.
- Any other NHL/Media darlings pulled off 6 ECF's, 4 SCF's, and "2 Cups" in 8 years time. While reaching 3 straight SCF's with same core. Then just coming up just short of winning 3 "Cups" in-a-row. Would be showered with individual awards, wouldn't they?
- Shoot, wonder how modern day Hawks & Pens individual awards stack up during their hay day of "Cups" and deep playoff runs? Bet they both finished with more individual awards that are decided by human element. Was there players that won same major individual awards multiple of times?
- The biggest snub: How has Jon Cooper not won a "Jack Adams Award" yet? He has done enough for best Head Coach of the year many times over, and this season might be his best work getting this new bunch coached up (Cores 3rd window grouping). But crickets.....
- Lightning organization learned long ago during Cooper's earlier days, they better take human element out of things. Team use to get so frustrated during games, but conditioned themselves to overcome it. They became so good that outside influences could not influence or change outcomes on-the-ice. That's were Lightning got their accolades for their body of work. They won on-the-ice achievements that aren't given by human votes.
Kucherov was already behind because he's Russian, but moment Kucherov right after he got ultimate F F u "Cup" money. Kuch let NHL/Media hear some truth bombs about #1 VS subject matter. More than not, truth within Plato's Cave is not received to well by present shadow casters or those who've been conditioned by those shadows. This was no exception! Though Lightning players & coach were already dissed individually, that press conference was final nail in Kucherov's individual awards chances >>>> but those chances as you see were slim to begin with. Weren't they? So, Kuch let the "Bud-Light" truth serum do it's thing during that #1 BS press conference and never looked back. Some will hold that against Kucherov -vs- Some will see it as being brave in side an echo-chamber, instead of going easy route and putting head down while hoping NHL/Media throw him some crumbs.
I'd be shocked if Kucherov won MVP