Hart Trophy: Who has better claim?

[User9992]

Hart Trophy: Who has better claim?


Nikita Kucherov:
- Art Ross Trophy
- 100 Assists. First ever winger to do it. First ever winger to reach 90 assists.
- 54 Points clear of closest teammate
- 1'st in PPG


Nathan Mackinnon:
- 2'd in Art Ross Trophy
- 3'd in PPG
- +34
- 35 Points more than the closest teammate


Connor McDavid:
- 100 Assists
- 3'd in Art Ross Trophy
- 2'd in PPG
- +35
- 26 Points more than the closest teammate

Click to read more...

 

[Breakfast of Champs]

Gonna go with mack by a hair. Kuch could take it though.

Looked at the athletics metrics from the other day, and according to their list mackinnon had the largest impact overall when considering offensive and defensive metrics.

Kucherov may have had a historic season for a winger , but Mackinnon brought more total value this season while putting up nearly as many pts and st least 7 more goals

 

[bobholly39]

Kucherov.

1. Led the league in points most of the year
2. Will win Ross by a good gap (potentially, both McDavid and Mack have 1 game left)
3. He performed ridiculously well against top teams, as opposed to just bottom feeders (stats have been posted often here lately)
4. His team can be said to have been the weakest/most reliant on him vs MacK

To me it's maybe close - but a clear choice.

We go through seasons with hart winners where we say "weak winner" vs "strong winner". I think any of Kucherov, Mack, McDavid, Matthews at the very least would qualify as "strong winners" this year.

But there can only be one winner - and I think it should and will be Kucherov.

 

[Breakfast of Champs]

Kucherov.

1. Led the league in points most of the year
2. Will win Ross by a good gap (potentially, both McDavid and Mack have 1 game left)
3. He performed ridiculously well against top teams, as opposed to just bottom feeders (stats have been posted often here lately)
4. His team can be said to have been the weakest/most reliant on him vs MacK

To me it's maybe close - but a clear choice.

We go through seasons with hart winners where we say "weak winner" vs "strong winner". I think any of Kucherov, Mack, McDavid, Matthews at the very least would qualify as "strong winners" this year.

But there can only be one winner - and I think it should and will be Kucherov.

Kucherov definitely the better year offensively by a hair, but I think his defensive game will drag him down. As much as people want to award the AR winner the hart and make it easy, I don't think that's how it should be. As foe the weaker team that could be debatable, since Vasy returned kuch definitely has the better team top to bottom IMO.

At the end of the day both "deserve" to win and its going be really funny seeing the pissing match when the winner gets announced. Can't go wrong with either IMO and someone will get the shit end

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Lol why you even listing mcdavid? Anyways righw now its kuch. Lets see what nate does tonight

 

[Despote]

Lol why you even listing mcdavid? Anyways righw now its kuch. Lets see what nate does tonight

Does what MacKinnon does in a meaningless game really matter for the Hart race? If MacK is the MVP he's MVP prior to tonight's game and if he isn't nothing he does tonight should change that.

 

[Midnight Judges]

A very good case could be made for either of the two IMO.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Kucherov one of three players to get 40 goals and 100 assists.
Other 2, Gretzky and Lemieux

 

[BraveCanadian]

Like I said in the 11th poll, I was leaning MacK until Kucherov killed it down the stretch so - in the 12th poll asking the same thing in some form - I'm going Kucherov.

 

[Tralfamadore]

Mack's play dropped during the most important stretch of the season while Kuch just continued to rip it up. Going with Kuch but I think the voters will be biased.

 

[amnesiac]

Kuch played with Point and Hedman

MacK played with Rantanen and Makar

McDavid played with Hyman and Bouchard, and made Hyman into a 50+ goalscorer


McDavid for me if we're really treating this as Most important player to their team

 

[Johnny Tomala]

Kucherov. Let's hope he will win. He deserves it this year.

 

[Say Hey Kid]

It's hilarious that the children think Kucherov deserves it. Francis is 5th in points. He must be the 5th best player ever. j/k

 

[SillyRabbit]

I think Kucherov has the best argument but I think the voters would rather give it to MacKinnon over him.

 

[TheStatican]

Does what MacKinnon does in a meaningless game really matter for the Hart race? If MacK is the MVP he's MVP prior to tonight's game and if he isn't nothing he does tonight should change that.

Was Kucherov's last game of the season meaningless too? The Lightning likewise had nothing to play for in game 82.

 

[wetcoast]

Does what MacKinnon does in a meaningless game really matter for the Hart race? If MacK is the MVP he's MVP prior to tonight's game and if he isn't nothing he does tonight should change that.

I agree and Mack would be my Hart winner if I had a ballot followed by McDavid, Hughes, Kuch and then AM off the top of my head.

That being said the voters are also going to go the narrative route as well so Kuch supporters need to be prepared.

I also think that Mack, Kuch and McDavid will be the finalists.

A very good case could be made for either of the two IMO.

3 guys this year and also Hughes but the Norris trophy.

 

[22FUTON9]

I think Mack and Kuch are neck and neck but the OP needs to atleast make it less obvious who they’re cheering for. I’m obviously bias because I watch them everyday but I really do think it’s understated how much impact the Mack has on the avs and numbers other than raw stats back them up as well.

I’m not the biggest fan of advanced stats but Mack this year has been one of the better defensive forwards, obviously differs a bit on which model you’re looking at, but it’s been pretty consistent where he’s ranked.
There’s a reason these guys don’t have NHL jobs but it does have some truth to it.

Tampa’s top 5 scorers:
144, 90, 81, 76, 75

Colorado’s top 5 scorers:
140, 104, 90, 56, 53

obviously the difference between 1 and 2 is a lot more but you could just say Tampa has a much balanced offense compared to the avs.

On ice goal differential:
Mack 97
Kuch 71

On-ice expected goals
Mack: 64.8 (without mack 41.8)
Kuch: 61.8 (without kuch 42.4%)

5 on 5 scoring:
Mack: 78
Kuch: 67

I’m sure there are a bunch of numbers that support Mcdavid as well, but he’s probably missed too many games to be in the conversation.
It’s up to each individual to decide which one of these are more important/less important but imo it’s atleast worth mentioning.

 

[Rorschach]

Edit: Never mind, made a mistake

 

[Albatros]

My logic: MacK no - AVs might still make the playoffs on the backs of Makar, Landeskog and Rantenen

Landeskog played his last game two years ago.

 

[Joseppi]

Kucherov probably should win it, but it's likely going to be Mack just because it's so close and Mack deserved it the year Hall won it. I don't think McDavid did enough this year to separate himself from the other two, as crazy as that sounds on the face of it.

My money is on Mack.

 

[NyQuil]

Still Kucherov.

 

[Cup or Bust]

My logic: MacK no - AVs might still make the playoffs on the backs of Makar, Landeskog and Rantenen; Kucherov no - stronger argument than MacK but team still has Vasilevski plus several good skaters AND Hedman; McD yes - Oilers are Draisaitl vs the world and vying for 1OA without him.

Landeskog hasn't played in the NHL since 2022 and Nishushkin missed almost 30 games this season. Not a chance Colorado makes the playoffs without Mackinnon unless Rantanen and Makar can carry a team with one of the worst starting goalies in the league to the playoffs basically by themselves.

 

[Breakfast of Champs]

My logic: MacK no - AVs might still make the playoffs on the backs of Makar, Landeskog and Rantenen; Kucherov no - stronger argument than MacK but team still has Vasilevski plus several good skaters AND Hedman; McD yes - Oilers are Draisaitl vs the world and vying for 1OA without him.

Landeskog ?

Just say you didn't watch a single avs game the last two seasons

 

[HolyHagelin]

Voted for MacK, there is no wrong answer this year. My ultimate decider was the team goal differentials WOWY combined with a much deeper supporting cast in TB.

ETA - of course, those things do have a direct correlation…

 

[ManofSteel55]

Voted McKinnon. I still think Kucherov probably wins it.