…Get out the vote. See ballot on this page. Make your votes count!
0 thoughts on “If You Think Backstrom is the Best Rookie…”
Nick has to be rookie of the year, the Blackhawks did not make the playoffs, so the others are not eligible , as that is what we were told about Alex and the MVP. No playoffs = no awards.
Wow! As of 11:15am Baxter has 41% of the vote!
I’ve been a fan of Backstrom since I first saw him play. If I can scrounge up the money for a jersey- it will be number 19. So yes- I definately think he should get the Calder, but not only that, I think any award the NHL gives out this year should go to a Washington Capital- and Yes I am biased, cause I love the Caps.
By the way- Ted, that video when you first go to the Caps site- AWESOME!!! Brought tears to my eyes. I’m such a girl
Karl, I’ve seen them both play, and both are great, great rookies who in a normal year would run away with the Calder. Nick did get his team to the playoffs, while Kane didn’t, but Nick is also a year older than Kane, so he has an extra year of seasoning (in the Swedish Elite League, arguably the best league outside of the NHL in the world). Before this season Kane was playing in Canadian juniors. Good training to be sure, but the Swedish Elite League is better.
Be that as it may, they both have a tremendous upside and both will be top-notch players in the NHL for many years. I can even see the Caps meeting the Hawks in a few years for the Stanley Cup.
Voted several times. I look forward to his LONG tenure with the Caps. He’s a gem. And should win (as should Ovie & Bruce). Even posted a link on Live Journal for others to vote too.
I put that link in as my personal website on this entry in case the link in the message did not work.
Backstrom started late because he was in the wrong position. You can’t, for example, put a goalie at center, such that you can’t put a center at wing and expect top performance. 20 games or so, Backstrom was in a wing position, he grew up a center. 20 games out of 80, that’s 25% of the season misplaced. Once Bruce put him in his postion, look out. He led in assists, helped us to the playoffs along side Ovie and the guys. What pressure for a rookie. Playing against the top lines every single night, having your main goal scorer next to you getting double and triple teamed, his assists should be down, not up. Have you seen this kid play??? He is smooth, quick, a powerful shot, not to mention will get into a scrum in the corners with some of the meanist guys in the league and emerge triumphant almost all the time. He did all this in the midst of a coaching change, a worst record in the league team (at the time) and not understanding the English language. That is pure talent and love of the game. If Patrick Kane can accomplish worst record to playoff history(fastest turn around) where his linemates were targeted everynight, different coach, disgruntled crowd(NOV)and not know what anyone was saying at work or in the new country you live in, then Patrick Kane could be considered, but Backstrom made it to the playoffs under the most pressured conditions and shined in those pressure cooker situations. My vote…Nick Backstrom for Rookie of the Year.
This is a really tough call, and while I’d like to think Nick will have the best career of all of the nominess, it’s going to be very close between Nick and Patrick Kane…
Nick has to be rookie of the year, the Blackhawks did not make the playoffs, so the others are not eligible , as that is what we were told about Alex and the MVP. No playoffs = no awards.
Wow! As of 11:15am Baxter has 41% of the vote!
I’ve been a fan of Backstrom since I first saw him play. If I can scrounge up the money for a jersey- it will be number 19. So yes- I definately think he should get the Calder, but not only that, I think any award the NHL gives out this year should go to a Washington Capital- and Yes I am biased, cause I love the Caps.
By the way- Ted, that video when you first go to the Caps site- AWESOME!!! Brought tears to my eyes. I’m such a girl
Karl, I’ve seen them both play, and both are great, great rookies who in a normal year would run away with the Calder. Nick did get his team to the playoffs, while Kane didn’t, but Nick is also a year older than Kane, so he has an extra year of seasoning (in the Swedish Elite League, arguably the best league outside of the NHL in the world). Before this season Kane was playing in Canadian juniors. Good training to be sure, but the Swedish Elite League is better.
Be that as it may, they both have a tremendous upside and both will be top-notch players in the NHL for many years. I can even see the Caps meeting the Hawks in a few years for the Stanley Cup.
Voted several times. I look forward to his LONG tenure with the Caps. He’s a gem. And should win (as should Ovie & Bruce). Even posted a link on Live Journal for others to vote too.
GO CAPS!
http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/polling?event_id=3461
also vote on ESPN.com
I put that link in as my personal website on this entry in case the link in the message did not work.
Backstrom started late because he was in the wrong position. You can’t, for example, put a goalie at center, such that you can’t put a center at wing and expect top performance. 20 games or so, Backstrom was in a wing position, he grew up a center. 20 games out of 80, that’s 25% of the season misplaced. Once Bruce put him in his postion, look out. He led in assists, helped us to the playoffs along side Ovie and the guys. What pressure for a rookie. Playing against the top lines every single night, having your main goal scorer next to you getting double and triple teamed, his assists should be down, not up. Have you seen this kid play??? He is smooth, quick, a powerful shot, not to mention will get into a scrum in the corners with some of the meanist guys in the league and emerge triumphant almost all the time. He did all this in the midst of a coaching change, a worst record in the league team (at the time) and not understanding the English language. That is pure talent and love of the game. If Patrick Kane can accomplish worst record to playoff history(fastest turn around) where his linemates were targeted everynight, different coach, disgruntled crowd(NOV)and not know what anyone was saying at work or in the new country you live in, then Patrick Kane could be considered, but Backstrom made it to the playoffs under the most pressured conditions and shined in those pressure cooker situations. My vote…Nick Backstrom for Rookie of the Year.
This is a really tough call, and while I’d like to think Nick will have the best career of all of the nominess, it’s going to be very close between Nick and Patrick Kane…