As the season winds down, who will win each award starts to get more defined. DUBNetwork thought it would be fun to take a look at the Vegas odds on who will win each award. Keep in mind, that there is no actual gambling on these awards nor is DUBNetwork encouraging gambling. We just thought it would be the best way to show the odds that each person will win each award.
Eastern Conference:
Rookie of the year:
Brayden Tracey (Moose Jaw) 7:5
Mads Sogaard (Medicine Hat) 5:1
-Tracey leads all rookie scorers across the entire WHL. He went from 52 points in 30 games in the AMHL to 65 in 55 games so far this season, despite playing up a level. The former first round pick clearly benefited from not playing a full season last year on a team where he would have been buried down on the fourth line. He has more points as a rookie already than any did last season and the most since Aleksi Heponiemi’s 86 in 72 games back in 2016-17.
-This would be a runaway race if not for the play by the 17-year-old Danish goalie. Sogaard has posted a 2.46 GAA and 0.927 save percentage in 29 games played. He is fourth in GAA and save percentage {among goalies who have played more than 10 games} and tops among all rookie goalies. He is a stellar 15-6-2-2 and has pushed for time in the crease with Ottawa Senators drafted netminder Jordan Hollett.
Oleg Zaytsev (Red Deer) 10:1
Aliaksei Protas (Prince Albert) 12:1
Defenseman of the year:
Josh Brook (Moose Jaw) 2:1
Dawson Davidson (Saskatoon) 4:1
Calen Addison (Lethbridge) 5:1
-This is where the awards get a little tighter. Davidson has the most points by a defenseman in the league, but Brook was away at World Juniors and missed some time there. Brook is leaned on so heavily by his team though and is a big reason why they have not dropped off as much as many thought they would. Brooks has the most points per game.
-Davidson meanwhile leads all defensemen in scoring with 66 so far in 58 games. This was a huge jump from the 43 he put up between Regina and Saskatoon last season. Davidson is proving that the trade the Blades made with the Pats last year, getting Davidson, forward Tristen Robins and a 2019 first round pick for blue liner Libor Hajek was one about immediate dividends this season and not just about what Robins and that certainly top-five pick will bring in years to come.
-Addison is nearly a point-a-game at 55 in 56. He has also been a big key on the team’s power play, which is fourth in the league. Addison logs heavy minutes against the best players each night and holds his own. With all the losses from last season, the Hurricanes needed someone to step up and Addison has done that as a leader as well. If Lethbridge had not given up 15 short handed goals, Addison may be more of a favorite in this category.
Others of note:
Jett Woo (Moose Jaw) 5:1
Brayden Pachal (Prince Albert) 10:1
Goalie of the year:
Ian Scott (Prince Albert) 7:5
Mads Sogaard (Medicine Hat) 8:1
-This award is Scott’s to lose, even with his recent injury costing him games. He has a 1.91 GAA and 0.932 save percentage and a 31-6-0-2 record in 39 appearances. Scott also has four shutouts. His play over the first half of the season was a key reason the Raiders flew out to their scorching start and never looked back. Their recent stumbles in his absence also further prove how important he is to them.
-Sogaard has an outside shot, especially with how well he played over the Tigers trip through the U.S. Division. The numbers are just not nearly as good as Scott’s though and he still splits starts with Hollett. Sogaard has improved his draft status big time over the season and makes the Tigers a more dangerous team come playoff time. If he is able to lead the Tigers to a Central Division title, more votes may go his way. Either way though he will not take this award from Scott, even if Scott does not play again for the rest of the regular season.
Other of note:
Nolan Maier (Saskatoon) 10:1
MVP:
Trey Fix-Wolansky (Edmonton) 2:1
Brett Leason (Prince Albert) 3:1
Tristin Langan (Moose Jaw) 5:1
-This MVP award will be a whole lot tighter than the one out west. Fix-Wolansky probably is a slight favorite over Leason and Langan because of just how much more he means to his team. If the Oil Kings ever needed a big play or goal this season, Fix-Wolansky has been the one who has done it. He has 87 points – third in the WHL and leads the league with 58 assists.
-Leason danced with history to start the season with at least a point in his first 30 games. If not for missing games for injury and to the World Juniors, he would be the favorite here. Leason is first in points-per-game in the Eastern Conference and first overall. His incredible season has him being looked at as a first round NHL draft pick which if you consider that he was passed over in two straight drafts, is just insane.
-Langan has 88 points in 54 games, leading the Eastern Conference. He already has more than double what he put up last season. The surprising Warriors have leaned on the play of Langan for much of this season and he’s helped keep them out of the wild card and firmly in the East Division bracket.
Other of note:
Brandon Hagel (Red Deer) 12:1
Coach of the Year:
Mitch Love (Saskatoon) 2:1
Tim Hunter (Moose Jaw) 3:1
Marc Habscheid (Prince Albert) 5:1
-The longtime assistant coach in charge of the defense in Everett, Love’s impact on the Blades defensively was expected. His team has given up 110 less goals this season with only 10 games left. He has also gotten the team playing its best hockey as the playoffs near. His impact on their offense was probably not nearly as expected. His Blades have scored only 16 less goals so far with those 10 games left. They will blow past that number.
-Hunter’s team has been one of the bigger surprises out east. The team lost so much off the Scotty Munro trophy winning squad from a season ago and players like Tracey and Langan have taken huge strides under the guidance of Hunter.
-While Lauer probably deserves some mention here, we have to go with giving a nod to Habscheid and the favorite for the Munro trophy this season. Habscheid has helped Leason go from a productive big forward to a legitimate elite player in the league. He has also pushed the right buttons with his lines to get unexpected big seasons from guys like Sean Montgomery, Sergei Sapego and rookies Ozzy Wiesblattt and Aliaksei Protas.
Other of note:
Brad Lauer (Edmonton) 7:1
Executive of the Year:
Curtis Hunt (Prince Albert) 3:1
Colin Priestner (Saskatoon) 6:1
Dean Brockman (Swift Current) 7:1
-The argument for Hunt is a lot about him snagging Noah Gregor before the season began and avoiding what would have been a bidding war over the rights to the overage San Jose Sharks prospect. At the time, it was expected that Gregor would play in the AHL. Instead he came back and gave the Raiders another top-six forward and game breaker. Hunt also acquired Dante Hannoun who has 23 points in 20 games since being brought in from the Royals.
-Priestner acquired Gary Haden straight up for Logan Christensen back in October and “Uncle Gary” has been incredible since being brought over. He has 26 goals and 29 assists for 55 points in 45 games. Meanwhile Ryan Hughes, who was acquired for two picks and Josh Paterson, has 17 points in 15 games and has fit right in with Kirby Dach. Nolan Kneen was another good pick up for the blue line. Since January 18th, the Blades are 11-0-2.
-Brockman is on here for a different reason. He was placed in a situation where all the key players from last season were gone and he did not even have Heponiemi to trade for future assets. He still made 16 different trades, acquiring 14 picks in the fifth round or higher over the next three drafts. Brockman also brought in young players with high upside. He did a great job of getting back enough picks and young players to set themselves up for the future.
Others of note:
Alan Millar (Moose Jaw) 9:1
Peter Anholt (Lethbridge) 10:1
