It’s no surprise that two Columbus Blue Jackets are finalist for year end awards. Both Sergei Bobrovsky and Zach Werenski will be making a trip to Las Vegas for the NHL awards in June.
At least two Columbus Blue Jackets will be in Las Vegas this summer for the NHL Award presentations. And these two are not surprising at all.
Sergei Bobrovsky was named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy although he didn’t play like it during the playoffs. Bob will join Montreal’s Carey Price and Washington’s Braden Holtby as the three finalist. The title of top net-minder in the league for 2016-2017 will not suspenseful. Bob will win the Vezina for the second time in his career.
Related Story: Bob for Hart Trophy
Although there is a great case to be made for Bob for the Hart Trophy, he has an solid chance of being a nominee. The top two spots will certainly be Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby. Bob could fill the last spot, along with Brad Marchand, Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns, or Nikita Kucherov.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Similarly to the Vezina Trophy, there is little to no suspense in who will take home the Calder Trophy. In a year where there were five to eight Calder Trophy caliber players, being a finalist is a big deal.
Zack Werenski’s incredible 47 points and over 20 minutes of ice time this season have earned him one of the top three spots for the Calder. Winnipeg’s Patrik Laine and Toronto’s Auston Matthews are the other finalist. Matthews incredible season saw him break many Toronto rookie records that were more than 80 years old. His 40 goals are the most by a rookie since Alex Oveckin. Third place this year is nothing to scoff at for Werenski whose play would have won him the award in almost any other season.
Other award possibilities include John Tortorella for the Jack Adams award and Jarmo Kekalianen for GM of the year.
Although not the hardware the CBJ wanted to take home this year, they will have some nice shiny objects to display at Nationwide Arena next season. Hopefully they can turn those into a Stanley Cup next spring.