Nicklas Backstrom: Selke Candidate?

Interesting! I’d be in favor of this. ;-) Of course, my vote means little in the grand scheme of things, but that would be so COOL!

Not to bring up unwanted comparisons between superstars, but how does Backstrom’s numbers look compared to one Sidney Alphonse Crosby? Afterall Nicky and Sidney play the same position.

Backstrom is just too awesome. It will be nice to see him contractually sewn to the Caps for a long time.

Backstrom is on the attack regardless of which team has the puck. Watch the routes he chosses for backcheck, especially if the odds are roughly even: he whittles down passing lanes and sets rolling picks all the way up the ice, shift after shift. I get that he’s not the inventor, but it’s as consistent and artful as the rest of his game—and that’s saying something!
Hope he stays here a long, long time.

I said it half in jest in the gameday thread but it’s funny to see the numbers actually back it up.

Damn, Koivu is a stud.

Backstrom’s GA/60 on the PK isn’t good enough to get him to the top spot in the Selke, but I could definitely get behind a Top 3 finish for him. Particularly given is QualComp numbers.

His ES GAON/60 is an outstanding number.

until after his contract is extended before we talk about winning big awards. for now, i’m content to say he’s just “ok” and lacks an “nhl body”…and he needs a haircut.

Will he be? No way. To much hype for those other guys as ‘perennial’ Selke candidates.

Coincidnece of not, since 2000 eight of nine Selke winners had something in their resume that Backstrom does not (yet) have. A Stanley Cup.

Great post. It’s too bad that Lars doesn’t get more minutes on the PP, as being joined at the hip with Ovie makes it tough to get him out there. All things being equal, you’d have to say he’s the best PK’er on the team, if you don’t consider distributing his minutes elsewhere.

Here’s hoping that Nick waits another year to win the Selke. That will only make his contract that much more expensive come the off season.

I have to say, I approve of this article.

JP, you are a man who follows through on his promises.

Any word on whether the guy that voted for Backstrom last year is the same guy that voted for Viktor Kozlov a couple years back?

and that he’s near the top of the League in scoring (a factor that has somehow crept into Selke consideration)

Though the trophy was created for Bob Gainey, who averaged around 40 pts a year, Bobby Clarke and Troy Murray were both early winners who averaged over 1 PPG. So, it’s not really a new thing. Basically, there’s not many players who can be consistently great offensive forces while taking care of business in their own end, so it makes sense that anyone who fits both those criteria gets consideration.