Yzerman191

The truncated season has made all of the major awards a much closer race than they otherwise might have been - one bad streak, or one small injury, and suddenly the race completely changes.

 

With the regular season nearing completion, who is the favorite for each NHL award?

 

Due to the desperation around the board to obtain Parise and Suter, really the only two high profile UFAs this year, I've seen figures all over the place on how high Holland should go. Realistically, what are they worth? When should Holland just walk away?

Ryan Suter has never finished top three (or even top five) in Norris voting. Maybe he's just underrated, but last year, for example, he finished 15th in Norris voting. The most points he's ever had in a season is just 46 - one might say he's similar in offensive capabilities to Kronwall or Wideman, both of whom are around ~$5M. He's also largely considered to be the second best defenseman on his own team (which isn't necessarily a knock on him). With that said, he's a big hitter, has a great shot, and is only 27 years old. If push comes to shove, what is he worth? Is he worth the $7M+ that is being thrown around? Is he worth more than Chara, Keith, or Weber?

Zach Parise is three seasons removed from scoring in the 40-goal/90-point range. He had 69 points last year in the regular season (his first after a huge knee injury), and just 15 points in 24 playoff games. His 31 goals are just 6 more than Hudler's 25, and 2 more than Franzen's (the LGW scapegoat) 29. Parise has a great work ethic, and is also known for his two-way game. However, one might argue (again) that he's not even the best forward on his own team, and his accomplishments to date don't rank him up with the league's elite. People have put huge price tags on his head - $7.5M-8M. Is he worth it? Crosby is rumored to be looking for $9M, Stamkos is locked up at $7.5M, Kovalchuk is locked up long term for $6.7M, etc. How high is too high? When does Ken Holland walk away, and think about pursuing Perry, Getzlaf, Iginla, etc. the following year?

What do you think?