The Wild has been mostly quiet since its season ended in April.
Aside from some minor maneuvering (front-office shuffling and a few signings), it's been a ho-hum summer so far.
But the offseason is set to pick up this weekend with the draft Friday and Saturday in Vancouver. The Wild currently has eight picks, including No.12. Check out the Star Tribune tomorrow for a preview of what to expect from the team in the first round.
Also, don't forget to catch up with Bobby Brink in this story. Brink, from Minnetonka, will mostly likely be the first Minnesotan to be drafted this year, probably in the first round. Here's the list of all Minnesotans ranked by NHL Central Scouting.
Before turning its attention to next season, the NHL put a bow on 2018-19 Wednesday by handing out its annual awards in Las Vegas.
Wild winger Jason Zucker was on hand, receiving the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for his leadership and humanitarian work. The recognition coincides with uncertainty for Zucker, as he remains a trade candidate for the Wild and could be moved this weekend at the draft. Zucker spoke about coping with the rumors in this story, which also highlights his King Clancy win.
There were few surprises with the other winners.
Tampa Bay was well-represented after dominating during the regular season. (Awards are based on regular-season performance, not the playoffs).
The New York Islanders were also in the spotlight. Barry Trotz nabbed the Jack Adams Award for coach of the year, Robin Lehner and Thomas Greiss were recognized with the William M. Jennings Trophy as the goaltending duo that gave up the fewest goals in the regular season and Lehner also captured the Bill Masteron Memorial Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.
Lehner had his best season in 2018-19 after opening up about his addiction and mental health issues. His acceptance speech was brilliant and worth watching. Check it out here.
Ballots for all awards were released on the Professional Hockey Writers Association website. Below is how I voted. Winners are bolded.
- Hart Trophy ("to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team")
Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning
Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames
Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
- Norris Trophy ("to the defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position")
Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames
Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks
Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
John Carlson, Washington Capitals
Morgan Rielly, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Calder Trophy ("to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition")
Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues
Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars
Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres
Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators
- Lady Byng Trophy ("to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability")
Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers
Jared Spurgeon, Minnesota Wild
Morgan Rielly, Toronto Maple Leafs
Ryan O'Reilly, St. Louis Blues
Sean Monahan, Calgary Flames
- Selke Trophy ("to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game")
Ryan O'Reilly, St. Louis Blues
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
Mark Stone, Vegas Golden Knights
Mikael Backlund, Calgary Flames
Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes
- NHL All-Star Team
Center – Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins.
Right wing – Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning. Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks. Mitchell Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs.
Left wing – Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers. Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals. Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins.
Defense – Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames. Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks. Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning. John Carlson, Washington Capitals. Morgan Rielly, Toronto Maple Leafs. Roman Josi, Nashville Predators.
Goaltender – Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning. Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights. Frederik Andersen, Toronto Maple Leafs.
- NHL All-Rookie Team
Forward – Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks. Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators. Andreas Johnsson, Toronto Maple Leafs. (Anthony Cirelli, Tampa Bay Lightning.)
Defense – Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars. Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres.
Goal – Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues.
