Mike Brophy

Veteran hockey columnist Mike Brophy writes Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday on Sportsnet.ca and appears regularly on Hockeycentral.

Tyler Myers is heads above the rest of the rookie class in the race for the Calder Trophy.

What a year in the NHL.

It's the kind of year when a team like the Atlanta Thrashers can start the day in 11th place and end it in sixth place. I don't care what anybody says about three-point games; I love the tight playoff races the current system creates.

… it's the kind of year when a budding superstar like Eric Staal can suffer through an injury-plagued first half of the year, be named to the Canadian men's Olympic hockey team and then score eight goals in five games since being named team captain.

… it's the kind of year when Henrik Sedin, in his ninth NHL season, suddenly emerges as a more complete offensive force, going from being a set-up man for his brother Daniel, to being a legitimate scoring threat on every shift.

… it's the kind of year when one trade hurts two teams. The Boston Bruins may not have wanted to pay Phil Kessel $5 million a season, but there is no denying they desperately miss his offence. And the team that got him, the Toronto Maple Leafs, are not only lousy, they will regret surrendering two first round picks to acquire him no matter what they tell you.

… it's the kind of year when Mike Green can be the top-scoring defenceman in the NHL with 12 goals and 51 points and still not be named to Team Canada for the Vancouver Olympics. And when Tim Connolly can be the third-highest scoring American-born NHLer with 13 goals and 48 points in 52 games and still not be named to Team USA.

… it's the kind of year when the Philadelphia Flyers may regret having so much brawn (Ian Laperiere, Daniel Carcillo, Aaron Asham) and not enough skill to carry them deep into the playoffs. That is, if they make the playoffs.

… it's the kind of year when Rob Schremp is lost to one team on waivers, the Edmonton Oilers, joins a new tea, the New York islanders, struggles to find a spot in the lineup, but finally begins to emerge as the consistent scoring threat he was as a junior with the London Knights.

… it's the kind of year when injuries may conspire to cause the Detroit Red Wings to miss the playoffs (though I wouldn't count them out quite yet) and nobody will care. The Red Wings, after all, have been the league's model franchise for years and will surely bounce back.

… it's the kind of year when the Tampa bay Lightning can have three of the NHL's top 17 scorers - Martin St-Louis, Steven Stamkos and Vinny Lecavalier - and still not be in a playoff position with 30 games remaining in the regular season.

… it's the kind of year when the Chicago Blackhawks can continue their emergence as an NHL powerhouse even though some of its players do not understand the meaning of discretion.

… it's the kind of year when the Edmonton Oilers can completely bottom out and the fans understand because they are likely to get a blue chip prospect through the draft in June to go with World Junior Championship star Jordan Eberle and Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson. There is light at the end of the tunnel so long as GM Steve Tambellini plays his cards right.

… it's the kind of year when head shots, the curse of hockey, are finally starting to get the attention they deserve. It's too bad it took so many serious injuries before those charged with running the game finally decided to sit up and take notice. Do not include Canadian Hockey league president and Ontario Hockey League commissioner David Branch amongst that group - he has been a trend-setter for years in terms of trying to make the game safer.

… it's the kind of year when the Nashville Predators are one of the hardest teams to play against and will scratch and claw every night in an effort to make the playoffs with no real chance of winning the Stanley Cup. Oh, wait a minute, that's every year.

… it's the kind of year when Brad Richards of the Dallas Stars re-establishes himself as a scoring threat despite the fact his plus-minus remains a chilly minus-10.

… it's the kind of year when a lanky 19-year-old defenceman from the Buffalo Sabres, Tyler Myers, can steal the thunder from a 19-year-old scoring sensation, John Tavares of the New York Islanders, to be the leading candidate to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL's rookie of the year.

… it's the kind of year when a healthy Marian Gaborik finally takes his rightful place among the league's elite scorers. Now if only New York Rangers GM Glen Sather can surround him with a supporting cast.

… it's the kind of year when the only thing better than a great Olympic tournament will be the Stanley Cup playoffs. Enjoy the ride.