Quote:
Originally Posted by Samiz
Winnipeg is probably gonna be pretty pissed about the finalists but there are just too many good candidates this year. Should be a win by Hartley
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But Hartley deservedly would have received the surprise playoff team vote. No one was anointing the Jets as Stanley Cup champions in the summer, but they weren't expected to be quite as bad as the Flames were. Both teams suffered some major injuries but with Giordano out and the Flames still making it Hartley was the easy choice over Maurice.
Vigneault's coaching the President Trophy winning Rangers. The Rangers, before his arrival, were a bubble team to make the playoffs.
And Laviolette took a team that missed the playoffs and turned them, at least most of the year, into a contender for the top team in the league. Bad stretch down the end culminating into a first round playoff exit definitely lowers his luster, but voters didn't know the playoff outcome.