Hart Trophy: The Dark Horses

[Mr Kot]

So NHL.com has Matthews, Huberdeau, and McDavid are the top three for the Hart right now. However, there has been a ton of speculation on other candidates and this may have been one of the closer Hart votes in a while. So, supposedly the top three were out of the race, which of the dark horses would you think should deserve it? These are the names that nhl.com has on the rest of the list so far.

Igor Shesterkin
Johnny Gaudreau
Roman Josi
Kirill Kaprizov
Cale Makar
Alex Ovechkin
Sidney Crosby
Leon Draisaitl

Note, there is no "other" option, this is based on nhl.com list.

Click to read more...

 

[wetcoast]

Johnny isn't a darkhorse though as he is 3rd on my "ballot".

Maybe Leon Draisaital as he is really flying under the radar here.

 

[Regal]

I think Gaudreau might bump Huberdeau out of the top 3, and deservedly so imo.

I’d order them

Gaudreau
Shesterkin
Kaprizov
Josi
Draisaitl
Ovechkin
Makar
Crosby

 

[thaman8765678]

Lol some of these "darkhorses" have a better case of winning than Matthew's.

Gaudreau and Shesterkin would win the award if they played in Toronto.

 

[LeafsNation149]

Lol some of these "darkhorses" have a better case of winning than Matthew's.

Gaudreau and Shesterkin would win the award if they played in Toronto.

Yes, because Toronto players are notorious for winning awards.

Give your head a shake

 

[ricky0034]

Yes, because Toronto players are notorious for winning awards.

Give your head a shake

whens the last time a Toronto player put up 90 even strength points or lead the league in save percentage by a wide margin?

 

[Buck Naked]

Kaprizov should be a top 3 candidate together with McDavid and Josi.

Gaudreau and Huberdeau, or Matthews, can fight for the 4th and 5th spots.

 

[LeafsNation149]

whens the last time a Toronto player put up 90 even strength points or lead the league in save percentage by a wide margin?

Just because Gaudreau and Shesterkin are putting up insane seasons, doesn't mean they're going to win the MVP award, especially when McDavid and Matthews are clearly in the lead.

Matthews playing for Toronto has nothing to do with him being a Hart finalist. If you think it does, you know absolutely nothing about hockey.

 

[5 14 6 1]

If I had a ballot Shesterkin and Gaudreau would be in my top 3

 

[thaman8765678]

Just because Gaudreau and Shesterkin are putting up insane seasons, doesn't mean they're going to win the MVP award, especially when McDavid and Matthews are clearly in the lead.

Matthews playing for Toronto has nothing to do with him being a Hart finalist. If you think it does, you know absolutely nothing about hockey.

Unbiased opinion McDavid probably deserves it most years because of the team surrounding him. He also put up the most points and his team would be poop without him.

Matthew's is the other front runner for one reason only: Toronto Media. There really is no case to be made that he had a better season that Gaudreau or Josi. Other than it is close and therefore give it to the guy in Toronto.

It would be a crime if Matthew's won over McDavid, Gaudreau or Josi. He is the least important to his team as they win without him all the time.

 

[ricky0034]

Just because Gaudreau and Shesterkin are putting up insane seasons, doesn't mean they're going to win the MVP award, especially when McDavid and Matthews are clearly in the lead.

Matthews playing for Toronto has nothing to do with him being a Hart finalist. If you think it does, you know absolutely nothing about hockey.

I dont really like comparing Goalies to skaters but Gaudreau had a better season than Matthews did

sorry if that upsets you, I know even strength numbers are only important when they make Leafs players look good

 

[LeafsNation149]

Unbiased opinion McDavid probably deserves it most years because of the team surrounding him. He also put up the most points and his team would be poop without him.

Matthew's is the other front runner for one reason only: Toronto Media. There really is no case to be made that he had a better season that Gaudreau or Josi. Other than it is close and therefore give it to the guy in Toronto.

It would be a crime if Matthew's won over McDavid, Gaudreau or Josi. He is the least important to his team as they win without him all the time.

51 goals in 50 games which hasn't been done since Lemieux isn't a case at all. Or 60 goal season that hasn't been done since Stamkos. Or 2nd in PPG behind McDavid, while also being a good defensive center. But shit, you're right, no case at all.

Post automatically merged: May 1, 2022

I dont really like comparing Goalies to skaters but Gaudreau had a better season than Matthews did

sorry if that upsets you, I know even strength numbers are only important when they make Leafs players look good

Bruh I don't have an issue with people's opinion on Gaudreau having a better season than Matthews. It's an opinion i'm not bothered.

It's cringe when people cry that the only reason Matthews is considered a finalist is because he plays for Toronto, which makes absolutely no sense.

 

[thaman8765678]

51 goals in 50 games which hasn't been done since Lemieux isn't a case at all. Or 60 goal season that hasn't been done since Stamkos. Or 2nd in PPG behind McDavid, while also being a good defensive center. But shit, you're right, no case at all.

Post automatically merged: May 1, 2022

Bruh I don't have an issue with people's opinion on Gaudreau having a better season than Matthews. It's an opinion i'm not bothered.

It's cringe when people cry that the only reason Matthews is considered a finalist is because he plays for Toronto, which makes absolutely no sense.

The Leafs have a better win% without him in the lineup. He is a great player but not most valuable.

Take away Josi, McDavid, Gaudreau or Shesterkin and it is likely no playoffs for any of those teams.

Post automatically merged: May 1, 2022

51 goals in 50 games which hasn't been done since Lemieux isn't a case at all. Or 60 goal season that hasn't been done since Stamkos. Or 2nd in PPG behind McDavid, while also being a good defensive center. But shit, you're right, no case at all.

Post automatically merged: May 1, 2022

Bruh I don't have an issue with people's opinion on Gaudreau having a better season than Matthews. It's an opinion i'm not bothered.

It's cringe when people cry that the only reason Matthews is considered a finalist is because he plays for Toronto, which makes absolutely no sense.

It is not an opinion that Gaudreau had a better year, it is a fact.

 

[Demandedace]

The caps are literal garbage without Ovechkin this season and he absolutely carried them offensively throughout the year.

Conversely, the Leafs didn’t miss a beat at all when Matthews was out (using him as an example). The Hart definition more closely aligns with Ovechkin to the Caps this year, even though Matthews had a statistically superior season

 

[Madap]

Since when do voters go by the definition of “most valuable”? Hall maybe? Most of the time they just go with the best season.

This year it’s been McDavid or Matthews. Don’t see the argument for any of the other forwards. Everyone else is just a worse version of McDavid this year. Only Matthews stands out enough with his goal scoring.

Shesterkin and Josi are different enough, but I’d be surprised if they gave it to a goalie or defensemen.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

51 goals in 50 games which hasn't been done since Lemieux isn't a case at all. Or 60 goal season that hasn't been done since Stamkos. Or 2nd in PPG behind McDavid, while also being a good defensive center. But shit, you're right, no case at all.

Matthews was third in PPG behind McDavid and Kucherov.

 

[Regal]

The caps are literal garbage without Ovechkin this season and he absolutely carried them offensively throughout the year.

Conversely, the Leafs didn’t miss a beat at all when Matthews was out (using him as an example). The Hart definition more closely aligns with Ovechkin to the Caps this year, even though Matthews had a statistically superior season

Too many keep focusing on a small sample of games. The Leafs are a good skater group without Matthews, but they had terribly inconsistent goaltending all year. The fact that their goaltending was actually good in the games without Matthews (.928SV% and 2.33 GA/GP) doesn’t mean they would have kept winning without him in the games he did play where the goaltending was largely trash on average (.896SV% and 3.16 GA/GP). If the Leafs weren’t getting huge goals for totals as a result of Matthews in the lineup for most of the year, they would have been a very mediocre team.

 

[kk87]

One of Gaudreau/Shesterkin should be a finalist over Huberdeau

 

[frisco]

Roman Josi. Nashville doesn't sniff the playoffs without him and a all-time great year by a d-man.

My Best-Carey

 

[SillyRabbit]

Is there a reason why you left Roman Josi out of this poll?

 

[Mr Kot]

Is there a reason why you left Roman Josi out of this poll?

You're right, I listed him but forgot him in the poll. Added him and you can change vote.

 

[Maplebeasts]

Matthews was third in PPG behind McDavid and Kucherov.

While true Kucherov only beat him by 0.02 pts/game and only played 47 games.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

While true Kucherov only beat him by 0.02 pts/game and only played 47 games.

True but Matthews was only 0.01 pts/game ahead of Huberdeau, and played less games than him too.

Tier wise, it was McDavid ahead on his own, with Kucherov>Matthews>Huberdeau in the next tier, all virtually on the same level.