Reevaluating the Hart Part 7: Lockout to Lockout

In Part 7 of our Hart Trophy series we examine the Hart Trophies awarded between the cancelled season and the 2012-13 lockout.

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2012 – Evgeni Malkin, C, Penguins (4th in points, 2nd in SRS)

• Best Player by PPG: Evgeni Malkin (1.45 PPG, 109P, 15.7 PS)
• Art Ross: Evgeni Malkin
• MVS by PS: Evgeni Malkin
  • MVS by PS factoring in playoffs: Shea Weber (11.4 PS, 49P)
  • MVF by OPS: Evegeni Malkin
  • MVD by PS: Erik Karlsson (13.1 PS, 78P)
  • MVD by DPS: Ryan McDonagh (8.7 PS, 32P, +25)
• MVG: Mike Smith (38-18-10, .930%, 2.21 GAA, 35 GSAA, 8 SO)
• Best Player on Best Team (Canucks)
  • by Points: Henrik Sedin (81P, 8.7 PS)
  • MVS by PS: Daniel Sedin (67P, 8.9 PS)
• Best Player on Best Offensive Team (Penguins)
  • by Points: Evgeni Malkin
  • MVS by OPS: Evgeni Malkin
• Best Player on Best Defensive Team (Blues)
  • (skater) by PS: Alex Pietrangelo 
  • by DPS: Alex Pietrangelo (+16)
  • by GPS: 
    • Brian Elliott (9 PS, 23-10-4, .940 SV%, 1.56 GAA, 26 GSAA, 9 SO)
    • Jaroslav Halak (9.1 PS, 26-12-7, .926%, 1.97 GAA, 15 GSAA, 6 SO)
• Lindsay (Pearson): Evgeni Malkin
• Norris: Erik Karlsson
• Selke: Patrice Bergeron (64P, +64, 8.3 PS)
• Vezina: Henrik Lundqvist (39-18-5, .930 SV%, 1.97 GAA, 29 GSAA, 8 SO)
• Jennings: 
  • Brian Elliott
  • Jaroslav Halak

Best Player Race:

Player	Team	GP	G	A	P	GC	PS	GPG	APG	PPG	GCPG	PSPG	Hart	TL
Giroux	Flyers	77	28	65	93	32	10.6	0.36	0.84	1.21	0.42	0.14	4th	No
Karlsson	Senators	81	19	59	78	26	13.1	0.23	0.73	0.96	0.32	0.16	8th	No
Malkin	Penguins	75	50	59	109	43	15.7	0.67	0.79	1.45	0.57	0.21	Yes	Yes
Sedin, D	Canucks	73	30	37	67	26	8.9	0.41	0.51	0.92	0.36	0.12	No	No
Sedin, H	Canucks	82	14	67	81	25	8.7	0.17	0.82	0.99	0.30	0.11	9th	No
Stamkos	Lightning	82	60	37	97	43	14.6	0.73	0.45	1.18	0.52	0.18	2nd	No

Voting Breakdown:

1. Malkin: 144 1st place votes, 98.86% total vote points
2. Henrik Lundqvist: 3 1st place votes, 37.32% total vote points
3. Steven Stamkos: 1 1st place vote, 40.13% total vote points
4. Claude Giroux: 0 first place votes; 30.74% total vote points
5. Jonathan Quick: 1 1st place vote, 23.96% total vote points

One year it’s a player who drags his team to the playoffs, the next year it’s back to best forward. Can you keep that straight? 

Verdict:

Good.

2011 – Corey Perry, RW, Ducks (10th in points, 16th in SRS)

• Best Player by PPG: Sidney Crosby (1.61 PPG, 66P, 10.1 PS)
• Art Ross: Daniel Sedin (104P, 1.27 PPG, 14.3 PS)
• MVS by PS: Daniel Sedin
  • MVS by PS factoring in playoffs: 
    • (by division) Steven Stamkos (12.2 PS, 91P)
    • (by conference) Nicklas Lidstrom (9.5 PS, 62P)
  • MVF by OPS: Daniel Sedin
  • MVD by PS: Lubomir Visnovsky (12.8 PS, 68P)
  • MVD by DPS: Toni Lydman (7.4 PS, 25P, +32)
• MVG: Cam Ward (16.8 PS, 37-26-10, .923%, 2.56 GAA, 22 GSAA, 4 SO)
• Best Player on Best Team (Canucks)
  • by Points: Daniel Sedin
  • MVS by PS: Daniel Sedin
• Best Player on Best Offensive Team (Canucks – by 1 goal)
  • by Points: Daniel Sedin
  • MVS by OPS: Daniel Sedin
• Best Player on Best Defensive Team (Canucks)
  • (skater) by PS: Daniel Sedin
  • by DPS: Kevin Bieksa (7.2 PS, 22P, +32)
  • by GPS: Roberto Luongo (13.6 PS, 38-15-7, .928%, 2.11 GAA, 27 GSAA, 4 SO)
• Lindsay (Pearson): Daniel Sedin
• Norris: Nicklas Lidstrom (62P, -2, 9.5 PS)
• Selke: Ryan Kesler (73P, +24, 10.4 PS)
• Vezina: Tim Thomas (35-11-9, .938 SV%, 2.00 GAA, 46 GSAA, 9 SO, 16.2 PS)
• Jennings: 
  • Roberto Luongo
  • Cory Schneider (16-4-2, .929 SV%, 2.23 GAA, 11 GSAA, 1 SO)

Best Player Race

Player	Team	GP	G	A	P	GC	PS	GPG	APG	PPG	GCPG	PSPG	Hart	TL
Crosby	Penguins	41	32	34	66	26	10.1	0.78	0.83	1.61	0.63	0.25	20th	No
Perry	Ducks	82	50	48	98	39	13.3	0.61	0.59	1.20	0.48	0.16	Yes	No
Sedin, D	Canucks	82	41	63	104	39	14.3	0.50	0.77	1.27	0.48	0.17	2nd	Yes
Sedin, H	Canucks	82	19	75	94	30	10.5	0.23	0.91	1.15	0.37	0.13	10th	No
St. Louis	Lightning	82	31	68	99	35	11.3	0.38	0.83	1.21	0.43	0.14	3rd	No

Voting Breakdown:

1. Perry: 67 1st place votes, 82.78% total vote points
2. Sedin: 51 1st place votes, 76.19% total vote points
3. Martin St. Louis: 1 1st place vote, 26.35% total vote points
4. Pekka Rinne: 1 1st place vote, 13.89% total vote points
5. Tim Thomas: 1 1st place vote, 13.57% total vote points

• Carey Price: 2 1st place votes, 7.14% total vote points
• Ryan Kesler: 1 1st place vote, 5.48% total vote points
• Marc-Andre Fleury: 1 1st place vote, 4.6% total vote points
• Luongo: 1 1st place vote, 1.19% total vote points

So Sedin was the best forward in the league to play more than half a season and the best forward on the best team, but he wasn’t good enough to be MVP? 

It seems as though Sedin suffered from having a bunch of people vote for goalies instead.

Perry was

• 1st in Goals
• 2nd in GPG
• T-14th in Assists
• 26th in APG
• 3rd in Points
• 4th in PPG
• 1st in Goals Created
• 2nd in GCPG
• 2nd in Offensive Point Shares
• 9th in Point Shares

Perry was certainly not the worst choice but, unless you believe that the Richard winner is the MVP, or you strongly believe in the “Goals Created” metric as a determinant (or ice time), then it’s hard to see how his case is better than Daniel Sedin’s.

Verdict:

Controversial.

2010 – Henrik Sedin, C, Canucks (6th in points, 4th in SRS)

• Best Player by PPG: Alex Ovechkin (1.51 PPG, 109P, 15.6 PS)
• Art Ross: Henrik Sedin (112P, 1.37 PPG, 13.5 PS)
• MVS by PS: Alex Ovechkin
  • MVS by PS factoring in playoffs: Henrik Sedin
  • MVF by OPS: Alex Ovechkin
  • MVD by PS: Mike Green (13 PS, 76P)
  • MVD by DPS: Zdeno Chara (10.2 PS, 44P, +19)
• MVG: Ryan Miller (16.8 PS, 41-18-8, .929%, 2.22 GAA, 36 GSAA, 5 SO)
• Best Player on Best Team (Capitals)
  • by Points: Alex Ovechkin
  • MVS by PS: Alex Ovechkin
• Best Player on Best Offensive Team (Capitals)
  • by Points: Alex Ovechkin
  • MVS by OPS: Alex Ovechkin
• Best Player on Best Defensive Team (Devils)
  • (skater) by PS: Zach Parise (11.5 PS, 82P)
  • by DPS: Andy Greene (8 PS, 37P, +9)
  • by GPS: Martin Brodeur (13.2 PS, 45-25-6, .916%, 2.24 GAA, 10 GSAA, 9 SO)
• Lindsay (Pearson): Alex Ovechkin
• Norris: Dunca Keith (69P, +21, 12.6 PS)
• Selke: Pavel Datsyuk (70P, +17, 8.6 PS)
• Vezina: Ryan Miller
• Jennings: Martin Brodeur

Best Player Race

Player	Team	GP	G	A	P	GC	PS	GPG	APG	PPG	GCPG	PSPG	Hart	TL
Backstrom	Capitals	82	33	68	101	37	12.2	0.40	0.83	1.23	0.45	0.15	9th	No
Crosby	Penguins	81	51	58	109	43	14.7	0.63	0.72	1.35	0.53	0.18	3rd	No
Ovechkin	Capitals	72	50	59	109	43	15.6	0.69	0.82	1.51	0.60	0.22	2nd	Yes
Sedin, H	Canucks	82	29	83	112	38	13.5	0.35	1.01	1.37	0.46	0.16	Yes	No
Stamkos	Lightning	82	51	44	95	39	12.8	0.62	0.54	1.16	0.48	0.16	6th	No

Voting Breakdown:

1. Sedin: 46 1st place votes, 67.22% total vote points
2. Ovechkin: 40 1st place votes, 62.71% total vote points
3. Crosby: 20 1st place votes, 54.81% total vote points
4. Miller: 13 1st place votes, 37.97% total vote points
5. Ilya Bryzgalov: 13 1st place votes, 26.62% total vote points

• Craig Anderson: 1 1st place votes, 0.75% total vote points (9th)

Sedin got the benefit of split votes here. We think this is Ovechkin’s award personally.

Verdict:

Controversial.

2009 – Alex Ovechkin (2), LW, Capitals, (4th in points, 9th in SRS)

• Best Player by PPG: Alex Ovechkin (1.39 PPG, 110P, 14.5 PS)
• Art Ross: Evgeni Malkin (113P, 1.38 PPG, 12.6 PS)
• MVS by PS: Alex Ovechkin
  • MVS by PS factoring in playoffs: Alex Ovechkin
  • MVF by OPS: Alex Ovechkin
  • MVD by PS: Mike Green (13.9 PS, 73P)
  • MVD by DPS: Duncan Keith (9.4 PS, 44P, +33)
• MVG: Nicklas Backstrom (15.6 PS, 37-24-8, .923%, 2.33 GAA, 29 GSAA, 8 SO)
• Best Player on Best Team (Sharks)
  • by Points: Joe Thornton (86P, 9.5 PS)
  • MVS by PS: Dan Boyle (10.6 PS, 57P)
• Best Player on Best Offensive Team (Red Wings)
  • by Points: Pavel Datsyuk (97P, 11.5 PS)
  • MVS by OPS: Pavel Datsyuk
• Best Player on Best Defensive Team (Bruins)
  • (skater) by PS: 
    • Zdeno Chara (10.5 PS, 50P)
    • Dennis Wideman (10.5 PS, 50P)
  • by DPS: Dennis Wideman
  • by GPS: Tim Thomas (14.7 PS, 36-11-7, .933%, 2.10 GAA, 41 GSAA, 5 SO)
• Lindsay (Pearson): Alex Ovechkin
• Norris: Zdeno Chara
• Selke: Pavel Datsyuk
• Vezina: Tim Thomas
• Jennings: 
  • Manny Fernandez (28-27-16, .910 SV%, 2.59 GAA, 1 GSAA, 1 SO, 4.9 PS)
  • Tim Thomas

Best Player Race

Player	Team	GP	G	A	P	GC	PS	GPG	APG	PPG	GCPG	PSPG	Hart	TL
Malkin	Penguins	82	35	78	113	40	12.6	0.43	0.95	1.38	0.49	0.15	2nd	No
Ovechkin	Capitals	79	56	54	110	45	14.5	0.71	0.68	1.39	0.57	0.18	Yes	Yes

Voting Breakdown:

1. Ovechkin: 115 1st place votes, 95.04% total vote points
2. Malkin: 12 1st place votes, 59.17% total vote points
3. Datsyuk: 4 1st place votes, 30.38% total vote points
4. Steve Mason: 20% total vote points
5. Zach Parise: 19.32% total vote points

• Chara: 2 1st place votes, 5.94% total vote points

Ovechkin was a little bit worse this year but his team was much better. Malkin got fewer votes than we would have thought, given how much of a toss up their numbers are but the Penguins had a worse record (though they were a better team by SRS).

Verdict:

Ovechkin was on the better team by record but Malkin was on the better team (barely) by more advanced metrics (goal differential, strength of schedule, etc). It’s kind of a toss up, but Ovechkin feels like the right choice.

2008 – Alex Ovechkin, LW, Capitals, (12th in points, 19th in SRS)

• Best Player by PPG: Alex Ovechkin (1.37 PPG, 112P, 17.2 PS)
• Art Ross: Alex Ovechkin
• MVS by PS: Alex Ovechkin
  • MVS by PS factoring in playoffs: 
    • (by division) Marian Gaborik (11.6 PS, 83P)
    • (by conference) Evgeni Malkin (13.9 PS, 106P)
  • MVF by OPS: Alex Ovechkin
  • MVD by PS: Nicklas Lidstrom (14.4 PS, 70P)
  • MVD by DPS: Nicklas Lidstrom (+40)
• MVG: Tomas Vokoun (16.1 PS, 30-29-8, .919%, 2.68 GAA, 21 GSAA, 4 SO)
• Best Player on Best Team (Red Wings)
  • by Points: Pavel Datsyuk (97P, 12.6 PS)
  • MVS by PS: Nicklas Lidstrom
• Best Player on Best Offensive Team (Senators, by one goal)
  • by Points: Jason Spezza (92P, 11.6 PS)
  • MVS by OPS: Daniel Alfredsson (11.5 PS, 89P)
• Best Player on Best Defensive Team (Red Wings)
  • (skater) by PS: Nicklas Lidstrom
  • by DPS: Nicklas Lidstrom
  • by GPS: Chris Osgood (6.6 PS, 27-9-4, .914%, 2.09 GAA, 5 GSAA, 4 SO)
• Lindsay (Pearson): Alex Ovechkin
• Norris: Nicklas Lidstrom
• Selke: Pavel Datsyuk (+41)
• Vezina: Martin Brodeur (44-27-6, .920 SV%, 2.17 GAA, 22 GSAA, 4 SO, 15.5 PS)
• Jennings: 
  • Dominik Hasek (27-10-3, .902 SV%, 2.14 GAA, -6 GSAA, 5 SO)
  • Chris Osgoode

Best Player Race (silly)

Player	Team	GP	G	A	P	GC	PS	GPG	APG	PPG	GCPG	PSPG	Hart	TL
Crosby	Penguins	53	24	48	72	37	9	0.45	0.91	1.36	0.70	0.17	17th	No
Ovechkin	Capitals	82	65	47	112	48	17.2	0.79	0.57	1.37	0.59	0.21	Yes	Yes

Voting Breakdown:

1. Ovechkin: 128 1st place votes, 97.99% of total vote points
2. Evgeni Malkin: 1 1st place vote, 49.18% total vote points
3. Jarome Iginla: 2 1st place votes, 42.16% of total vote points
4. Lidstrom: 2 1st place votes, 18.36% of total vote points
5. Brodeur: 1 1st place vote, 17.84% total vote points

Seems pretty open and shut.

Verdict:

Good!

2007 – Sidney Crosby, C, Penguins (8th in points, 12th in SRS)

• Best Player by PPG: Sidney Crosby (1.52 PPG, 120P, 13.3 PS)
• Art Ross: Sidney Crosby
• MVS by PS: 
  • Dany Heatley (13.4 PS, 105P)
  • Vincent Lecavalier (13.4 PS, 108 PS)
  • MVS by PS factoring in playoffs: 
    • (by division) Daniel Sedin (10.7 PS, 84P)
    • (by conference) Joe Thornton (12.1 PS, 114P)
  • MVF by OPS: Sidney Crosby
  • MVD by PS: Nicklas Lidstrom
  • MVD by DPS: Nicklas Lidstrom (+40)
• MVG: Martin Brodeur (17.3 PS, 48-23-7, .922%, 2.18 GAA, 36 GSAA, 12 SO)
• Best Player on Best Team (Red Wings, Sabres)
  • by Points: 
    • Daniel Briere (95P, 10 PS)
    • Pavel Datsyuk (87P, 10.5 PS)
  • MVS by PS: 
    • Nicklas Lidstrom (13.1 PS, 62P)
    • Thomas Vanek (11.6 PS, 84P)
• Best Player on Best Offensive Team (Sabres)
  • by Points: Daniel Briere
  • MVS by OPS: Thomas Vanek
• Best Player on Best Defensive Team (Wild)
  • (skater) by PS: Marian Gaborik (8.1 PS, 57P)
  • by DPS: Martin Skoula (4.9 PS, 15P, +15)
  • by GPS: Niklas Backstrom (9 PS, 23-8-6, .929%, 1.97 GAA, 24 GSAA, 5 SO)
• Lindsay (Pearson): Sidney Crosby
• Norris: Nicklas Lidstrom
• Selke: Rod Brind’Amour (82P, +7, 8.2 PS)
• Vezina: Martin Brodeur
• Jennings: 
  • Niklas Backstrom
  • Manny Fernandez (22-16-1, .911 SV%, 2.55 GAA, 7 GSAA, 2 SO)

Voting Breakdown:

1. Crosby: 91 1st place votes, 85.66% total vote points
2. Roberto Luongo: 25 1st place votes, 56.01% total vote points
3. Brodeur: 21 1st place votes, 53.36% total vote points
4. Lecavalier: 5 1st place votes, 25.31% total vote points
5. Joe Thornton: 16.08% total vote points

• Lidstrom: 1 1st place vote, 3.71% total vote points

No consensus best team makes this even easier.

Verdict:

Good.

2006 – Joe Thornton, C, 2 teams

• Best Player by PPG: Joe Thornton (1.54PPG, 125P, 13.3 PS)
• Art Ross: Joe Thornton
• MVS by PS: Jaromir Jagr (15.5 PS, 123P)
  • MVS by PS factoring in playoffs: 
    • (by division) Jonathan Cheechoo (12.7 PS, 93P)
    • (by conference) Simon Gagne (10.8 PS, 
  • MVF by OPS: Jaromir Jagr
  • MVD by PS: Nicklas Lidstrom (12.9 PS, 80P)
  • MVD by DPS: Michal Rozsival (8.1 PS, 30P, +35)
• MVG: Roberto Luongo (18.5 PS, 35-30-9, .914%, 2.97 GAA, 33 GSAA, 4 SO)
• Best Player on Best Team (Red Wings)
  • by Points: Pavel Datsyuk (87P, 9.8 PS)
  • MVS by PS: Nicklas Lidstrom
• Best Player on Best Offensive Team (Senators)
  • by Points: 
    • Daniel Alfredsson (103P, 12.3 PS)
    • Dany Heatley (103P, 12.9 PS)
  • MVS by OPS: Dany Heatley
• Best Player on Best Defensive Team (Flames)
  • (skater) by PS: Dion Phaneuf (10.3 PS, 49P)
  • by DPS: Dion Phaneuf (+5)
  • by GPS: Miikka Kiprusoff (16.2 PS, 42-20-11, .923%, 2.07 GAA, 42 GSAA, 10 SO)
• Lindsay (Pearson): Jaromir Jagr
• Norris: Nicklas Lidstrom
• Selke: Rod Brind’Amour (70P, +8, 6.8 PS)
• Vezina: Miikka Kiprusoff
• Jennings: Miikka Kiprusoff

Best Player Race

Player	Team	GP	G	A	P	GC	PS	GPG	APG	PPG	GCPG	PSPG	Hart	TL
Cheechoo	Sharks	82	56	37	93	40	12.7	0.68	0.45	1.13	0.49	0.15	15th	No
Datsyuk	Red Wings	75	28	59	87	31	9.8	0.37	0.79	1.16	0.41	0.13	21st	No
Jagr	Rangers	82	54	69	123	47	15.5	0.66	0.84	1.50	0.57	0.19	2nd	Yes
Lidstrom	Red Wings	80	16	64	80	26	12.9	0.20	0.80	1.00	0.33	0.16	7th	No
Thornton	Two Teams	81	29	96	125	42	13.3	0.36	1.19	1.54	0.52	0.16	Yes	No

Voting Breakdown:

1. Thornton: 67 1st place votes, 82.02% total vote points
2. Jagr: 48 1st place votes, 75.5% total vote points
3. Kiprusoff: 10 1st place votes, 43.49% total vote points
4. Eric Staal: 0 first place votes; 9.38% total vote points
5. Daniel Aflredsson: 0 first place votes; 9.22% total vote points

Other first place votes:

• Alex Ovechkin: 1 1st place vote, 8.45% total vote points (6th)
• Lidstrom: 1 1st place vote, 8.22% total vote points (7th)
• Scott Niedermayer: 1 1st place vote, 5.12% total vote points (8th)
• Tomas Vokoun: 1 1st place vote, 1.01% total vote points (16th)

This is an anomaly as nobody else has ever won the Hart in a year they got traded.

Verdict:

Correct as “Best Player”. Completely wrong in terms of “MVP”.