Here are a few of the best players to see when looking at who might win the Hart Trophy. These include a few that have either won it in the past or hope to get there for the first time.
Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado) +650
Nathan MacKinnon was the runner-up for the Hart Trophy last year, plus he won the Lady Byng Trophy for being the league’s most gentlemanlike player. He has the best shot of adding the Hart Trophy to that and the Calder Trophy he won in 2014 as the league’s top rookie.
MacKinnon is on the rise and would have topped the hundred-point mark last year had the NHL season went a full eighty-two games. MacKinnon is also the most proficient shooter on the Avs, so expect him to be more productive this year.
Connor McDavid (Edmonton) +700
Could 2021 be the year Connor McDavid wins his second Hart Trophy? McDavid had 97 points in 64 games last season, and he had 116 points in 78 games the year before that. McDavid could try to pass the 120-point mark this season.
Artemi Panarin (New York Rangers) +1000
The Blueshirts are a rising team in an already competitive Metropolitan Division, and Artemi Panarin is a critical part of this point. The 2016 Calder Trophy winner has taken a great leadership role in New York after arriving there from Columbus last season, bringing in career highs in goals and assists.
Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay) +1100
Nikita Kucherov led the NHL in the playoff bubble last season with 34 points while heading to the Bolts’ Stanley Cup victory. Kucherov had a slight slump last season, averaging 1.25 points per game versus the 1.55 points per game he had a year earlier. Next year could be an ideal time for him to add a second Hart Trophy to a case that already has an Art Ross Trophy and a Ted Lindsay Award.
Excited to be in Tampa for the next 9 years. pic.twitter.com/fSFSU6jKrE
— Nikita Kucherov (@86Kucherov) July 10, 2018
Leon Draisaitl (Edmonton) +1150
Leon Draisaitl has a good shot at winning the Hart Trophy for the second straight year. His NHL MVP odds come from his clutch gameplay. He led the league last year with ten game-winning goals during the regular season. But the competition he’ll have with Connor McDavid will impact his chances.
Jack Eichel (Buffalo) +1400
Could this be the year the Buffalo Sabres break their long playoff drought? Jack Eichel is hoping so, and he’s hoping he will get some support from newcomer Taylor Hall to get his first Hart Trophy. Eichel’s NHL MVP odds will benefit from playing alongside plenty of talented newcomers like Rasmus Dahlin and Rasmus Ristolainen.
Austin Matthews (Toronto) +1600
The former first-overall pick for the Toronto Maple Leafs is hoping to bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada, and his NHL MVP odds are looking very favorable. Matthews had a career-high 47 goals last season and will benefit from playing alongside an already stacked Leafs team featuring John Tavares, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander.
*Odds correct at time of writing.
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