McDavid Comments Hart vs Lindsay

[Mickey Marner]

The Hart and Pearson go to the same person half the time and usually have 2/3 or 3/3 of the same finalists. The different perspectives don't produce very different results.

 

[McFlyingV]

A lot of folks in this thread who are making wild-assed claims based upon nothing more than wanting to be right about this argument.

You have absolutely no idea how much hockey "99% of the media" watches.

The fact that Ovechkin was voted both a first team all-star at RW and a second team all-star at LW in the same season speaks volumes of how aware the PHWA is about hockey outside the teams that they cover.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

The fact that Ovechkin was voted both a first team all-star at RW and a second team all-star at LW in the same season speaks volumes of how aware the PHWA is about hockey outside the teams that they cover.

I'm glad the votes are going to be revealed so we can see which writers are idiots.

 

[North Cole]

I'm not sure. But a lof of players keep up with what goes on around the league and watch the highlights and NHL network too.

I doubt players have time to watch games other than the ones they’re involved in.

The players are extremely biased towards players in their own conference. It's clear that most don't pay attention to players they face infrequently

I agree with Lias.
It confuses me where this kind of thinking comes from. Players may be biased, but it is still a brotherhood, they trash talk but I'm sure they still respect the stars of the game. It's not like they are voting for Reaves/Gudas to win the hart, why would they be super biased toward the upper echelons of skilled players? Other than salt or poor sportsmanship?

Lastly, they most certainly do watch other teams. Regardless of whether they like to watch hockey or not, there is no professional sports organization that refuses to study game film. I would think you would watch more film on players you play infrequently because you don't know their tendencies...I would bet big money that western teams watch film on eastern goalies, or crosby, etc.

Watching film may not be as prevalent in the NHL as the NFL (because the NFL is about heavy play calling and system based), but its still a common practice.

 

[Doctor No]

The fact that Ovechkin was voted both a first team all-star at RW and a second team all-star at LW in the same season speaks volumes of how aware the PHWA is about hockey outside the teams that they cover.

Of course, we don't know if the players would have done similarly had the opportunity presented itself.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

You guys realize that the players spend hours a day studying video on teams/players since it’s oart of their jobs. It’s much more then coming to the rink for a 1 hour practice or a game. These guys watch more video then any member of the media. Mcdavid is also one of the only players in the league where an entire team will change it’s defenisve strategy for when he’s on the ice.

I’m reminded of the first time the Golden Knights played us. Gallant was asked something along the lines of ‘are you doing anything special to prepare for McDavid’ and he answered ‘no, not really’. Edmonton waxed Vegas 8-2 and McDavid was unbelievable. 2nd time around it was very noticeable that the Golden Knights were very aware of McDavid and played him very tight.

 

[Doctor No]

I’m reminded of the first time the Golden Knights played us. Gallant was asked something along the lines of ‘are you doing anything special to prepare for McDavid’ and he answered ‘no, not really’. Edmonton waxed Vegas 8-2 and McDavid was unbelievable. 2nd time around it was very noticeable that the Golden Knights were very aware of McDavid and played him very tight.

Are you honestly suggesting that the Golden Knights weren't *aware* of Connor McDavid?

Isn't it more likely that Gallant gave a non-answer to a question, and that McDavid played really well in the first game because he's a great player?

 

[JarvisFunk]

The players are extremely biased towards players in their own conference. It's clear that most don't pay attention to players they face infrequently

So pretty much exactly the same as the media, and the team and teams in the division/conference they cover...

It's pretty obvious that a great deal of Eastern media couldn't be bothered to stay up and watch the West.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Are you honestly suggesting that the Golden Knights weren't *aware* of Connor McDavid?

Isn't it more likely that Gallant gave a non-answer to a question, and that McDavid played really well in the first game because he's a great player?

It’s more they didn’t draw up a game plan to contain him. That’s not a good idea.

 

[Doctor No]

It’s more they didn’t draw up a game plan to contain him. That’s not a good idea.

Or that they did, and that McDavid's a really good player anyhow.

 

[Ivan13]

Idiots like Rob Rossi get to vote on the Hart so thats all you need to know.

Are you saying all players are smart and capable of making an educated decision? And that there are no Rossi level morons among the players voting?

 

[Voight]

Are you saying all players are smart and capable of making an educated decision? And that there are no Rossi level morons among the players voting?

Is that what I said?

No it isn't. Both sides have their fair share of idiots.

 

[Ivan13]

Is that what I said?

No it isn't. Both sides have their fair share of idiots.

So both voting processes are flawed and there is no distinctive difference between the two that would make one voting base a higher authority compared to the other? If yes, what was the point of your post? From where I'm looking at it, it implied that the people voting for Hart are of lesser authority.

 

[McShogun99]

A lot of folks in this thread who are making wild-assed claims based upon nothing more than wanting to be right about this argument.

You have absolutely no idea how much hockey "99% of the media" watches.

Do you really think they have time to watch more then 1 game per day given their work schedule and family life. There's only so many hours in a day.

 

[McShogun99]

Or that they did, and that McDavid's a really good player anyhow.

That was the game that Vegas was playing their 4th string goalie and an emergency call up from Jr to back him up.

 

[Stand Witness]

What if you just couldn't win both the Hart and Lindsay in the same season?

Players vote first, determine the winner and it is released.
Then the media does their vote.

At the end of the day, both parties are pretty bad at voting for this kind of stuff. Obviously there is going to be lots of bias. I would be more in favour of the team captains being the only voters on awards and then stricter controls on which media members get a vote as well.

 

[hangman005]

I’m reminded of the first time the Golden Knights played us. Gallant was asked something along the lines of ‘are you doing anything special to prepare for McDavid’ and he answered ‘no, not really’. Edmonton waxed Vegas 8-2 and McDavid was unbelievable. 2nd time around it was very noticeable that the Golden Knights were very aware of McDavid and played him very tight.

Can't say what did or did not happen with things I don't know about, but I would also like to point out that in the 8-2 lose to EDM we were playing our 4th and 5th Goalie. We didn't play well enough to win that game regardless but we were did play a Junior goalie in the NHL

 

[Voight]

So both voting processes are flawed and there is no distinctive difference between the two that would make one voting base a higher authority compared to the other? If yes, what was the point of your post? From where I'm looking at it, it implied that the people voting for Hart are of lesser authority.

I would take the word of the guys playing against said players, on the ice than the guys watching from the press box.

 

[Ivan13]

I would take the word of the guys playing against said players, on the ice than the guys watching from the press box.

How many times did Hedman play against MacKinnon this year? Is he more insightful than someone who saw 20 games from MacKinnon this season? This is such a flawed reasoning to value one above the other.

 

[glovesave_35]

The players are extremely biased towards players in their own conference. It's clear that most don't pay attention to players they face infrequently

How is that "clear"?

 

[glovesave_35]

I think the people talking down the players' opinions have it wrong. I imagine that these guys can tell just how good one of the elite players is after playing a single shift or two against them.

And I think most of them watch way more hockey than folks here are assuming. I don't think every player sits at home on his off days watching three games a night, but I bet a good number of them do make a point of watching games throughout the week. There are lots of ways to fill up your days when you are a professional athlete. To think that most of these guys aren't fans of the game and appreciate watching great players just seems wildly off-base to me.

 

[DearDiary]

How is that "clear"?

How isn't it? Are you expecting me to compile hours of players interviews, because you're too lazy to keep up with videos?

 

[glovesave_35]

How isn't it? Are you expecting me to compile hours of players interviews, because you're too lazy to keep up with videos?

I feel like I hear players from the West have glowing things to say about the superstars in the East and vice versa.

What interviews are you talking about and what was the context? Were they being asked about players on teams they're playing more than the others? Were they generic questions about who they think the best players in the league are?

Even if players are naturally biased toward players in their own conference, which I presume is much more limited than you are suggesting, there are still two conferences. It balances out. McDavid won last year and he was obviously the best player in the league. EC players with their biases didn't keep him from winning. Same goes for basically every winner in the last 20-25 years. There isn't a single "wtf" winner among them.

 

[Draiskull]

I think CMD is the best player in the league. I’m pretty sure if anyone had any choice they’d pick him first. That’s GMs, coaches and teammates.

He sounded whiny talking about the league staying consistent with the Hart voting though.

Again, he was the best this year but not the Most Valuable to his team than others were to theirs and not most valuable overall.

Dreger actually backed that up while praising CMD.

On fire in his last 33 games...26 goals

What we have to remember is that those goals didn’t nothing and mean nothing other than great individual stats for him.

Scored when the way the Oilers play was irrelevant (played him as much as they wanted and he played however he wanted)

Their season was over and that streak in scoring won him the art Ross but means less (to me) cause it was under no pressure or expectation other than whatever he laid on himself.

This post seems whinier than McD's one comment.

Whats wrong in bringing that up since its the only reason why he was not nominated for Hart. Make it consistent..add it to the rule .. thats what he wants.

Also, his points meant as much as any other player. Teams did not let up against the Oilers just because they were out of it. Dismissing them as irrelevant is nothing but an excuse.

Also, McDavid despite missing the playoffs WAS the most valuable player to his team. The team has 0 top 6 wingers and without him would have been getting shut out night after night based on how much he was part of its production.

McDavid played as much as he wanted last year too. Being the only one who could generate offense helps with that.

 

[westc2]

Every trophy should be voted on by the players/coaches/gm's/trainers, and pro scouts, giving some of their votes more weight than others, especially for trophies like the Norris and Selke. Nobody knows better than the actual players.