2023-24 Ted Lindsay Award finalists: Nikita Kucherov, Nathan MacKinnon, Auston Matthews | Winner: Nathan MacKinnon

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Not really, when you step back and realize that McDavid has won four already, a number only equaled or surpassed by Gretzky and Lemieux (5 and 4 respectively). He is also a six-time finalist. During a year where he missed more games than the three finalists combined and didn’t repeat a 150 point season, the players are naturally going to vote like this. He’s competing with not only every peak singular season someone puts up, but also past versions of himself. There’s actually no mystery to it, thus making it quite uninteresting.

And when you step back and realize both kuch and mack were both better the entire season. It gets even more uninteresting.

 

[PaulD]

In what world was Matthews a better player than McDavid?

Laughable.

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

Players gotta value goals more than assists? Also, 69 goals. Nice.

 

[Leaf Fans]

Put Tavares up for the Messier.

Only Messier can do that.

 

[Oscar The Grouch]

Let’s make it clear that that’s your opinion of Selke level defence. That’s it.

My opinion is Selke level defence gets you invited to award night to win the Selke trophy. Just like an MVP level season gets Kucherov and Mackinnon to award night to win the Hart and/or Lindsay regardless of who actually wins it.

Either way, being a 69 goal scoring Selke finalist is a phenomenal season for an NHL player.

"Regular" season.

 

[Atomos2]

"Regular" season.

Uhhh yea, that’s kinda implied with the Selke finalist reference in a Ted Lindsay finalist thread. Did you not know those are regular season awards?

 

[Leaf Fans]

"Regular" season.

Yes, the individual awards are for the regular season with the exception of the Conn Smythe Trophy which is MVP of the playoffs.

 

[Maplebeasts]

Do you even know what you are trying to say here? Matthews is not the play driver on his line. Matthews main job is to score goals.

Matthews being a center doesn’t inherently make him better than Pasta. Matthews doesn’t play a traditional center role anyway.

Didn’t Pasta put up a crap ton more goals than Matthews last season? Pasta is consistently in the race and has won a Richard trophy before, so the gap in goal scoring is marginal.

Also the irony is Pasta ended your season in OT of game 7. Guy is pretty clutch too.

What? He is and has always been the driver of play on his line. The guy finished tied for second for the rocket in his rookie year when his linemates were Connor Brown and Hyman, and played his best hockey this season between Bertuzzi and Domi. Matthews being the better goal scorer (He has 3 rockets to Pasta's 1 and has outscored Pasta in almost every comparable year of their careers, usually by a significant amount), playing center, being better defensively, etc makes him better. Funny you want to credit Pasta for signficantly outscoring Matthews for last season while ignoring that this season and 2 seasons ago Matthews had a 20+ goal gap.

 

[Koivu11]

 

[Three On Zero]

Players gotta value goals more than assists? Also, 69 goals. Nice.

Assists will always be valued less, you have two ways you can get an assist but only one way you can score a goal.

Matthews was deserving of the nod over McDavid this year

 

[Avs44]

Hell yeah, MacK

 

[Mr Kot]

There is his individual award, now his trophy case finally matches bravado.

 

[Shane Diesel]

There is his individual award, now his trophy case finally matches bravado.

How could you forget his illustrious Lady Byng Trophy?

 

[Regal]

Assists will always be valued less, you have two ways you can get an assist but only one way you can score a goal.

Matthews was deserving of the nod over McDavid this year

I think to some degree McDavid is competing against his past self as well. This season probably didn’t feel as special after the year prior.

 

[Rob Brown]

Well deserved

 

[Three On Zero]

I think to some degree McDavid is competing against his past self as well. This season probably didn’t feel as special after the year prior.

Fair point also

 

[Zalos]

Gotta share the love with others aside from McDavid. Well deserved for Nathan!

 

[tabness]

Anyone have the voting results of the Ted Lindsay?

I wanna see how many players were jelly of Matthews drip

I wish they actually showed detailed breakdowns of the trophies that sort of matter like the Ted Lindsay rather than the media dork awards.

 

[dalewood12]

Anyone have the voting results of the Ted Lindsay?

I wanna see how many players were jelly of Matthews drip

I wish they actually showed detailed breakdowns of the trophies that sort of matter like the Ted Lindsay rather than the media dork awards.

Pretty sure they never release the votes for the Ted Lindsay.

 

[Five Alarm Fire]

Pretty sure they never release the votes for the Ted Lindsay.

Would probably be hilarious if it came to light. I’m sure there are a ton of burn votes.

 

[Plural]

Players value goals a lot. I've said this before but Timonen (for example) said that he might vote for Matthews if he had a vote.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Blokes mad at Mack winning is comical. This is the one award where it's not some slob of a reporter that's voting. It's voted by their own peers, other players voted and the vast majority agreed on Nathan MacKinnon. That is end of story there.

In what world was Matthews a better player than McDavid?

NHL players vote for this, so that means their own peers feel those 3 were the finalists. You know, the blokes these players play against, with, etc.

 

[bobholly39]

They don't share voting results for this one do they?
I'm happy for Mack but also definitely disappointed for Kucherov. With the year he had I think he should have won both Hart and Lindsay - but definitely at least one of them

 

[Sanderson]

Blokes mad at Mack winning is comical. This is the one award where it's not some slob of a reporter that's voting. It's voted by their own peers, other players voted and the vast majority agreed on Nathan MacKinnon. That is end of story there.


NHL players vote for this, so that means their own peers feel those 3 were the finalists. You know, the blokes these players play against, with, etc.

You are putting way too much value on the player's ability to judge other players.

Their main skillset is playing hockey, not judging how good others are at playing hockey, otherwise there would be a whole lot more coaches and scouts who were great hockey players.
Then there is the issue that the majority of players would neither have the time nor the interest to actively follow what other teams are doing throughout the entire season. They wouldn't be oblivious to it, and certainly have match preparations teach them about upcoming opponents, but they have way to much on their plate to focus on what specific players are doing. Unlike those whose job it is to follow the league.

Players can have a unique view on things that those outside cannot have, but they are anything but the ultimate judge.

Which isn't to say that MacKinnon and Kucherov weren't a given. With McDavid not being quite himself and missing some games with injuries as well, they were the clear cut front-runners, and either one would have been a fine winner.

 

[jigglysquishy]

They don't release the Lindsay votes. I strongly suspect their records management is awful and they don't keep previous years. Multiple posters and journalists have reached out for them for historical record purposes. It's been continually rejected.

The NHLPA was extraordinarily dysfunctional in the Eagleson era and I have my doubts of the legitimacy of the vote during his reign. He literally ended up in jail. I have zero reason to trust the integrity of a secret ballot when he had a financial interest in tweaking results.