Patrick Maroon Nominated for the Masterton Trophy

Today it was announced that Edmonton Oiler fan favourite, Pat Maroon is the Oilers nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. Big Rig was selected as a nominee for the award by the Edmonton chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association and for that we salute him.

Pat Maroon is having the best season of his NHL career so far and is definitely deserving of some recognition for the work he’s put into making it happen. After being acquired from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a 4th round pick and Martin Gernat (WITH SALARY RETAINED!), Maroon seems to have found a match made in heaven with the Oilers. In Anaheim, Maroon was playing lower in the lineup and not getting much traction but that all changed when he landed in the Y-E-G. In 90 games with Edmonton so far, the Big Rig has already amassed 33 goals and 20 assists for 53 points.

To put that into perspective, those 53 points account for 40% of his production at the NHL level in 31% of his total games played. That kind of spike in production seems hard to believe but we’re watching it happen. To say that Maroon is making the best of his opportunity in Edmonton would be the understatement of the century. Not only is he making the most of his time here but he’s turned himself into a fan favourite that is impossible not to cheer for in addition to being a monster on the ice. That’s a solid return for a guy that was acquired for a pick and a prospect that was never going to play for the Oilers anyway.

Back to the Masterton…

In case you’re wondering what the Masterton is, it is the NHL’s award for perseverance and dedication to hockey, something Pat Maroon has shown through his dedication to his teammates and his willingness to improve himself. While we don’t know how Maroon will stack up against the other nominees it’s safe to say that no one around these parts will likely argue the merit of his nomination. Whether he wins or not, it’s nice that the big man is getting a little bit of love for the amazing season he’s having and I couldn’t be more pumped for him.

Pat Maroon, we speak your name. Congrats, big man. You deserve it.