Sports betting experts normally shy away from discussing awards, but the race for this year’s NHL MVP is an interesting one. The finalists for the 2010 Hart Trophy for league MVP are Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and Henrik Sedin. Crosby and Ovechkin are part of the usual cast of characters for the Hart Trophy, but Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks is new to the line-up and he may deserve the award more than the other two.

Sedin was one of the top point producing players in the league for the 2009-2010 season, and much of the NHL betting regarding the Canucks revolved around Sedin’s performance. The award would symbolically go to Henrik and his brother Daniel since the two are an inseparable pair, but the case for a Sedin win in the Hart Trophy race is compelling. The Penguins can win without Crosby and the Capitals can win without Ovechkin, but without the Sedins the Canucks are a much less potent team.

The exciting game seven of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Montreal Canadiens marked the last game played in Pittsburgh’s Mellon Arena. It is the only home the Penguins have ever known. Throughout its history it has been called the Civic Arena and earned the nickname “The Igloo” from its rounded dome roof that used to be able to open. The Penguins could not send the Mellon Arena off on a winning note, but they begin next season in a brand new home right next door to their old stomping ground.

Rumors are swirling in Detroit that Chris Osgood may be dealt away during the off-season. Now that the Red Wings have their starting goalie in Jimmy Howard, there is no longer room on the roster for two starters. It is unclear if Osgood will wait to be moved, or if he will retire.