Thought #12: Who is the Season MVP?
Alright. Let’s brighten up the mood here. Who’s the season’s MVP? Jannik Hansen has played admirably as the third Canuck. Ryan Miller has held up the fort very well. The Sedins are always in the conversation.
But in a season headlined by the youth movement, should a young Canuck have the honours as the most valuable player? After all, the youth is the most valuable thing that the Canucks have right now. The new core has come a long way from what it had been two years ago, and many more pieces have been added.
FLASHBACK: TheCanucksWay’s Midseason Award Picks
Could Ben Hutton be the year’s MVP? Or Jacob Markstrom? Those two were practically invaluable through the season stretch. Ben Hutton became the team’s number one defenceman after Alex Edler and Chris Tanev went down. Jacob Markstrom became the team’s number one netminder when Ryan Miller went down. And with everyone else having dry spells all over the place, these two have shown consistency.
As for the other awards, there is a nearly indisputable case for Jannik Hansen to win the Most Exciting Player of the Year award. Who, though, should win the Best Defenceman of the Year award? Would it be Tanev who missed about a dozen fewer games as Edler has? Or would Hutton, who has missed just seven games, be the most suitable selection, having produced the most points from the blueline?
It would be nice to see youth rewarded with awards. So let’s take it to the next level. The prospects.
Next: Thought #13: Who is the Season's PROSPECT MVP