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In what has been a tradition with Binghamton Devils’ team awards are announced during the last regular-season home game voted by the players. Since this didn’t happen for the obvious reasons, I decided l would hold our voting process forum with the participation from The Panel. I’ve mixed in a potpourri along with opinions to support the results and the eventual circumstances that follow.*
The top 8 categories are; Man of the Year, 7th Player, Most Improved Player, Team Rookie, Most Stars of the Game, Top Defenseman & Top Forward along with last but not least, Team MVP Award.
The Panel
In breaking down the voters, there are ten members within the group and in no particular order consists of the following; @enker1700, @RogieVachon30, @crazybazookajoe, @EmilyRose474, @ChrisWasselDFS, @DuncanMRF, @swislosky, @trace_1114, @kreegan99, and @Ski931.
Man of the Year
Ben Street - Captain
“The Binghamton Devils are proud to announce that captain Ben Street has been named the team’s winner of the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to the Binghamton community during the 2019-20 season.
During the first season with the Devils, Street has committed over 20 hours of community service, attending events such as talking with local youth hockey players and meeting with fans. He spearheaded a shopping trip with his team, who purchased over $400 of food to donate to an annual food drive (Fill the Food-A-Bago).
Aside from his time in the community, Ben and his wife Jessica brought the team together to donate Christmas presents to over 20 children in need for the local Family Enrichment network during the holidays, as well as attending the Toys-for-Tots Spaghetti Dinner where he served spaghetti in return for donated toys.”
Source - Binghamton Devils
Top Defenseman
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Josh Jacobs - 88, 90, 90
Josh had a very strong quarter and was a fixture on the blue line. He played so well that he got a call up to New Jersey and is still up as we speak. His offensive numbers weren’t great, but he is one of the most steady defensive player we have (had) down here. I would not mind seeing him stay up and get a solid look with NJ as long as Freddy Claesson gets sent down in his place. We will need one of the two down here to solidly the back end if we want to continue our push to the post-season. @enker1700
Source - Binghamton Devils 3rd Quarter Grades & Player Evaluations
Top Forward
Brett Seney - 93, 89, 94
Most likely the MVP of the team as you cannot miss one shift with his involvement in the play on both ends. Likes to draw penalties and is the center of attention in most scrums. Excellent puck awareness and hasn’t disappointed with his consistent game. @Ski931
Source - Binghamton Devils 3rd Quarter Grades & Player Evaluations
7th Player
Brandon Baddock - 73, 82, 83
“Since I have no frame of reference for what the team “feels” - here’s my take on it. We should do Baddock, calling out how he sticks up for his team and pays the price to do so. This is a quality our building has long cherished, and it has been absent the last few years. Baddock likely fought more times this year than we have seen on the ice in total the prior few years. That’s my spin on it. Gutsy, hard working and a role player - Might be worth documenting that this crowd notices and values that aspect of hockey.” @kreegan99
Source - Binghamton Devils 3rd Quarter Grades & Opinion
Most Improved Player
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Gilles Senn - 88, 90, 90
“My goalie eyes are on Senn. Really adjusted to American ice over the course of the year. Showed confidence and became a solid, reliable netminder.” @EmilyRose474
“I’ll go with Senn. Compared to what I saw preseason to towards the end I saw two different goaltenders.” @trace_1114
Source - Binghamton Devils 3rd Quarter Grades & Opinion(s)
Team Rookie
Gilles Senn - 88, 90, 90
Senn continues to impress throughout the 3rd quarter. A few shaky games at the end of the quarter but almost to be expected as he’s taken on a heavier workload and been the starter in back to back games as a result. In the recent Bites article, I mentioned how much time Senn has had to share in the crease. Given the recent rearranging of goaltenders in Binghamton, I believe we will truly be able to see a glimpse of how well Senn can truly play. So far, he seems to be the real deal. The prospect of a Blackwood / Senn tandem for New Jersey is a very real possibility just a few years down the road. @EmilyRose474
Source - Binghamton Devils 3rd Quarter Grades & Player Evaluations
Most Stars of the Game
Mikhail Maltsev - 73, 75, 82
Mikhail Maltsev has continued his steady development throughout the third quarter of the season. While earlier in the year he showed flashes of his offensive talent, his play has become more consistent, even as key offensive players have jumped to the NHL squad. He has played throughout the top-9, and is using his speed and physicality with more consistency and effectiveness. His point production still doesn’t quite match his potential, but I have been greatly encouraged by his play during a huge push by the club, and at a time when the roster is continually changed. He has shown all of the tools required to be a future NHL’er, now all I want is for the production to follow. @DuncanMRF
Source - Binghamton Devils 3rd Quarter Grades & Player Evaluations & AHL Website (referencing a total of 4 Star of the Game honors)
Team MVP
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Nathan Bastian - 83, 83, 84
The odd thing is that Bastian quietly develops into a nice middle-six forward for Binghamton. Also, he can easily play in the top-six and not look out of place. His consistency throughout the season has been welcome. Bastian tallied ten points in 18 games for the second quarter in a row. He is up to 12 goals on the season and is on pace for 18. The nice thing is Bastian could end up with 40-45 points which would be well above his 24 point career-high. Again, the forward continues to work which is something McLeod could learn from. @ChrisWasselDFS
“Bastian didn’t miss a single game, career high assists and points, -2, 3rd best on the team, defensive forward prowess, team leader, yeah. I’m going Baz.” @crazybazookajoe
Source - Binghamton Devils 3rd Quarter Grades & Opinion
This concludes the virtual voting process provided via Twitter for the 2019-’20 Binghamton Devils’ season. I hope you enjoyed it as much as we have in participating!
*Disclaimer: This is not an official, team-related casting type of results, but otherwise opinions from fans within a group on social media.