The NHL playoff push is in full effect. The panic button by teams and fans alike has been stomped repeatedly as the cement starts to dry in the postseason picture. While the focus is squarely on the performance (good or bad) of the teams that are looking to dance for the Stanley Cup there are some individual efforts that have been nothing short of remarkable this season.

The NHL awards are given to the players for excellence demonstrated in the regular season. Though I have heard the argument that the postseason was deserving of some additional individual awards, the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe (playoff MVP) are probably enough. Oversaturating the NHL with awards goes against my philosophy that everyone does NOT in fact, get a ribbon or trophy. Reward the best, hand out high fives for the rest.

The Stanley Cup is the shiny piece of metal that everyone wants to get their hands on this summer, but here are my finalists for the other NHL awards.

Hart Trophy (MVP)

Sidney Crosby, C, Pittsburgh Penguins, Jonathan Toews, C, Chicago Blackhawks, Alexander Ovechkin, LW, Washington Capitals

And the winner is…..Sidney Crosby. Before he got injured, Crosby was running away with the scoring title. The Penguins started a little slow out of the gate, but Crosby led them to the top of the Eastern Conference and turned a role player like Chris Kunitz into an elite scorer. Toews and Ovechkin have had nice years, but Crosby was far and away the best this year.

Vezina Trophy (Top Goalie)

Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins, Cory Schneider, Vancouver Canucks, Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets

And the winner is…..Sergei Bobrovsky. The sentimental favorite has to be Bobrovsky and the feel-good story in Columbus. Rask and Schneider both play for better teams, and ultimately that’s why I give the nod to the Russian Bob-cat. Statistically he is right at the same level as Schneider and Rask, but doesn’t have elite players in front of him. Gee, do you think Philadelphia misses Bobrovsky right about now?

Art Ross Trophy (Scoring leader)

And the winner is….Probably Steven Stamkos. Obviously this is a merit-based award determined by the top scorer in the NHL. Sidney Crosby was running away with the scoring race before he ate a slapshot. Chances are the scoring crown could end up with Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos who would prefer to make the playoffs rather than accept an award that he realistically wouldn’t have won without the benefit of a deflected Brooks Orpik slapshot.

Norris Trophy (Top defenseman)

P.K Subban, Montreal Canadiens, Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins, Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks

And the winner is….P.K Subban. After missing the first five games of the season with a contract dispute, Subban has been the best defenseman in the league by far. If Kris Letang could stay healthy, he would be taking home the hardware. Subban and goalie Carey Price have turned Montreal from a last place team to a first place contender.

Calder Trophy (Rookie of the year)

Jonathan Huberdeau, C, Florida Panthers, Brendan Gallagher, RW, Montreal Canadiens, Brandon Saad, LW, Chicago Blackhawks

And the winner is…..Jonathan Huberdeau. Don’t laugh, but the Florida Panthers are putting together something pretty special in south beach. Huberdeau will grow add more muscle and power to his gangly frame and turn into a dominant player in years to come. He has shown flashes of brilliance in an otherwise disappointing season for Florida.

Richard Trophy (Top goal scorer)

Alexander Ovechkin, LW, Washington Capitals, Steven Stamkos, C, Tampa Bay Lightning, John Tavares, C, New York Islanders

And the winner is…..Alexander Ovechkin. There has been nobody better at lighting the lamp in the NHL than Alexander Ovechkin over the last three weeks. Ovechkin has gone from an afterthought (gasp) and possibly a has-been (double gasp) at the beginning of the year to one of the premier snipers in the league. HE has overtaken division rival Stamkos and shows no signs of letting up with the Washington playoff hopes hanging in the balance.

Selke Trophy (Defensive forward)

Pavel Datsyuk, C, Detroit Red Wings, Jonathan Toews, C, Chicago Blackhawks, Patrice Bergeron, C, Boston Bruins

And the winner is…..Pavel Datsyuk. Very few players make defense look spectacular, but Datsyuk does just that. He is a pickpocket on the ice and can make almost anyone look bad with a quick stick-lift or poke check. His deft hands on offense make his dangling and deking look magical. On defense, keep your eye on the puck. More often than not, the silky smooth Russian will be skating away with it.

Adams Award (Coach of the year)

Dan Bylsma, Pittsburgh Penguins, Joel Quenneville, Chicago Blackhawks, Bruce Boudreau, Anaheim Ducks

And the winner is…..Joel Quenneville. We’ll give credit where credit is due here. Rarely does the coach with the best record get the credit for the coach of the year award . The Chicago Blackhawks have played with a chip on their shoulder all year and have held the best record in the league pretty much since opening night. Quenneville and his team have been on a mission ever since they were beaten down by Phoenix in last year’s playoffs. They have always had the talent, but Quenneville has a fire lit under them this year and look poised for a Stanley Cup run.