Final Hobey Baker Watch
This week in the Hobey Baker Watch, I will make the arguments for and against my top three contenders for the award.
1. Adam Gaudette, F, Northeastern
Why Gaudette will win the Hobey Baker:
Gaudette has been the most consistent player in the nation all year long, leading the country in points per game at 1.59. He leads the nation in points with 51 and has provided a balanced attack for Northeastern all year. His 51 points have come via 27 goals and 24 assists.
He is finishing the season on a strong note, which will help his case for the award. He has 12 points in his last five games, eight of which have come from goals. He has been the best, most consistent player all season and at plus 13, he is far from a liability in the defensive zone.
Why Gaudette will not win the Hobey Baker:
Gaudette may be a bit undisciplined with 35 penalty minutes, but 15 of those came in one game. With that being said, his 20 penalty minutes outside of that are a cause for some worry.
Another knock on Gaudette is that he plays alongside another Hobey Baker candidate, Dylan Sikura. With such a great player by his side, Gaudette’s success can be attributed to Sikura’s skill helping setup and create space for Gaudette.
2. Henrik Borgström, F, Denver
Why Borgström will win the Hobey Baker:
With 39 points this year, Borgström is tied for fifth in the nation in scoring and has played in fewer games than all but one of the players ahead of him. This season he has 18 goals and 21 assists, leading the defending National Champions in goals and points.
He is only a sophomore and is one of the best players on one of the best teams in the country. His point total may not be as high as some because of the depth on his team, but that shows his ability to still produce at a high rate even though he might not get as many opportunities as some of the other top players.
Why Borgström will not win the Hobey Baker:
Borgström has been a streaky player this year. In a 12 game stretch earlier in the season, he had 14 points in the first six games and just two in the next six. Over his last six games, he has points in every other game.
The biggest issue with Borgström’s struggles of late, is that they have come while Troy Terry has been away with Team USA at the Olympics. In his two games without Terry, Borgström had a two point game and put up a goose egg in the other. His consistency has been an issue this year and that has continued without Terry by his side.
3. Dylan Sikura, F, Northeastern
Why Sikura will win the Hobey Baker:
Like Gaudette, Sikura has scored in bunches recently. In his last six games, he has registered 10 points, scoring twice and adding eight assists. Over the entire season, Sikura has 45 points on 15 goals and 30 assists.
Sikura’s speed allows him to create offense and control play at any time during the game. Sikura has 10 power play goals this year which is good enough for third in the nation in that category.
Why Sikura will not win the Hobey Baker:
Although he has 45 points, Sikura is not as balanced a scorer as other top contenders. He has double the amount of assists as he has goals. Even though his goal total is respectable, it is far from the top of the leaderboard. Furthermore, 10 of his 15 goals have come with a man advantage which hurts his case even more.
Having scored just five times all season at even strength hurts his resume bigtime. He is an electric player, but being unable to turn that into goals at even strength hampers his chances at winning the award.
Josh Starr is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email joshlstarr16@gmail.com.
