The First Annual DiPietro Award

Jun 9, 2014; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers left wing Benoit Pouliot (left) loses his balance as he chases after the puck in the corner against Los Angeles Kings center Trevor Lewis (22) during the third period in game three of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final at Madison Square Garden. The Kings won 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Benoit Pouliot

Our next nominee is another ex-Ranger!  And ex-Wild, Canadien, Bruin, and Lightning player.  Notice a trend?  Well, apparently the Oilers didn’t when they handed him a five-year, $20,000,000 contract this summer so they could be Pouliot’s sixth different club in six years.

The former fourth overall draft pick put up his most productive season yet with 15 goals and 21 assists during the regular season and chipping in another 10 points during the playoffs.  Pouliot brought a physical dimension to the Rangers on a line with Mats Zuccarello and Derick Brassard that was the Rangers’ most consistent for large parts of the season.  However, there is a reason Pouliot has bounced around from club to club before his 28th birthday.  He has never been able to consistently put all his tools together and score at a rate that many thought he would when he was drafted by the Wild.  He still hasn’t produce a 20-goal season in the NHL and his knack for taking offensive-zone penalties these past playoffs were a source for many Ranger fans’ angst.

The dollar amount of the contract is not horrible, but for a player who can’t seem to find a NHL home, I have a hard time believing that things will click for him out in Edmonton where most good things end up bad.  Pouliot had a real shot at taking home the DiPietro Award, but at $4,000,000 a year, there are worse contracts out there.