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New York Islanders 2016-17 NHL Awards Edition

Jun 23, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; New York Islanders center John Tavares talks to media during a press conference in advance of the 2015 NHL Awards at MGM Grand. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 23, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; New York Islanders center John Tavares talks to media during a press conference in advance of the 2015 NHL Awards at MGM Grand. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports /
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Calder Trophy

Finalists: Anthony Beauvillier, Adam Pelech, Joshua Ho-Sang, 

Awarded To: the team’s most outstanding rookie

This award is always a crazy debate on “what’s a rookie”? Or what’s “the spirit of the award”? I’ll make it clear this is for the player, who in their first year, which in this instance is simply going to mean they’ve played in at least 10 NHL games this season.

Anthony Beauvillier was named to the active roster right out of training camp. Both he and Mathew Barzal were. But Beauvillier was the only one to stay with the team for the entire year. Barzal played just two games.

Beau, or Tito, or whatever he goes by put up 24 points in 66 games with the Islanders this season. A season that saw the dynamic 19-year-old play an average of 13 minutes of ice times in all situations and get his unfair share of healthy scratches. He should have been given more. But he did fantastically well with what he was given.

Adam Pelech was called up to the roster when the Isles defensive core was bit with the injury bug. Instead of slotting on the third defensive pairing with either Calvin de Haan or Dennis Seidenberg, he went right to the top with Nick Leddy. And he didn’t look out of place.

He added 10 points in 44 games. But his production wasn’t what earns him a finalist spot. It’s just how well he slotted into the lineup and against some of the leagues toughest oppositions.

Joshua Ho-Sang was a revelation this season. We knew we was good, but this good we could only hope for. He put up 10 points in 21 games played when the Isles added him to the roster on the trade deadline. Sending twitter and fans into a frenzy. Will he play? Are they trading him? We even tracked the plan to find out what was going on.

Ho-Sang was everything the Isles wanted him to be. Dynamic, an offensive force, and exciting. Every time he touched the puck Isles fans would jubilate. For good reason. Remember this?

Ho-Sang should make the team straight out of camp next season. We only got a quarter of the season with Ho-Sang. Imagine the full 82 experience.

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