Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid, Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov have been named finalists for the Hart Trophy, awarded to the team’s most valuable player. team.
McDavid is the reigning Hart Trophy winner and is aiming for his fourth, which would tie him with Boston Bruins legend Eddie Shore for third all-time. Wayne Gretzky (9) and Gordie Howe (6) are the only other players to win more league MVPs. McDavid’s 132 points place him third among NHL players, behind Kucherov and MacKinnon, and he became the fourth player in NHL history to record 100 assists in a season.
MacKinnon never won the Hart Trophy, but was a finalist four times. The Avalanche forward had a 35-game point streak at home, just five games shy of the record set by Gretzky. MacKinnon’s 51 goals, 89 assists and 140 points are all career highs, trailing Kucherov’s point total by four. This is also the first time he has recorded consecutive 100-point seasons.
GO FURTHER
NHL Awards Watch: Nathan MacKinnon leads extremely tight race for Hart Trophy
Kucherov is vying for his second Hart Trophy after winning his second Art Ross Trophy with 144 points. His 2023-24 stats surpassed his 2018-19 Hart Trophy-winning campaign, where he also won the Art Ross Award and Ted Lindsay Award. He also joined McDavid in the 100 assists club.
GO FURTHER
Is Nikita Kucherov having an MVP season before our eyes?
Required reading
(Photo by Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid: Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)