Incredible Hart Trophy Race !

[VainGretzky]

I have never seen a season with so many worthy Candidates to win it , I can see 1st places votes being split across the board. Hall ,Gaudreau, Kucherov, Malkin, Giroux, Mackinnon, and others are all up for argument sake . The media are going to have a very difficult choice to make unless someone runs away with production last 20 games , but great for the NHL.

Click to read more...

 

[Spartachat]

Based on CF60 5on5, Toews should get the Hart.

 

[LordNeverLose]

Based on CF60 5on5, Toews should get the Hart.

Eh, I dunno, I hear his xCGFrel5v5adj/60 isn't too impressive when you take out secondary assists.

 

[alko]

Who else could be in the finals?

Tavares?
Vasilevski?
Connor Hellebuyck?

Any possibility for some D?

 

[tucker3434]

It wasn’t going to be until Kucherov got hurt. But if he misses a handful of games, he’s gonna get caught.

It’s a race again.

 

[KnuckChuckinTkachuk]

Who else could be in the finals?

Tavares?
Vasilevski?
Connor Hellebuyck?

Any possibility for some D?

If the Islanders make the playoffs, Barzal should get more Hart votes than Tavares imo.

 

[Rygu]

I would give it to Hall or Kucherov as of right now.

 

[bobholly39]

Who else could be in the finals?

Tavares?
Vasilevski?
Connor Hellebuyck?

Any possibility for some D?

I don't see any of those guys in it to be honnest....

Vasi....no, the Tampa team has too much talent up front/on D for their goalie to get serious hart consideration. Vezina maybe, no hart.
Hellebuyck....same idea as Tampa, especially on offense.
Tavares? He was in contention but seems to have slowed down and been passed by a bunch of other forwards. Isles are also not even in playoff spot atm.

Defenders....nope. I don't see any. There seems to be a bias against defenders in hart voting, and it would take someone like Karlsson whose alone on Ottawa to get hart consideration (and obviously he's not in contention). Subban on a great team won't get much, Hedman same idea...don't really see any defensemen likely to get serious hart considerations.

To me it's all about forwards this year, and there's a bunch of them.


Kucherov. Him having been at the top all year is a very strong narrative. He's been at top of scoring race, and propelled his team to top all year. Even if he loses scoring race by like 1 pt, unless the other guy has a very strong narrative, having been on top for so long may still influence voters to vote for Kucherov.

Then you have a lot of other candidates at forward. Malkin - if he finishes with strong enough #s, he might sweep the Hart. Mackinnon, despite games missed. Giroux. Ovechkin. Hall. Stamkos. Gaudreau.

I think almost all of those forwards are better candidates than any D or G this year. It's a very good race. Still wide-open with 20 games left, depending on how strong they each finish (and playoffs vs no playoffs also tends to count).

 

[King In The North]

Hall's been otherworldly

 

[22FUTON9]

I think if the avs make the playoffs it has to be Mackinnon. Big if though.
This image is just at the 5 game mark and I'd guess the gap is probably a bit wider if you count the full 8 games he missed.

If the avs miss it will probably go to Kucherov or Malkin but I'd love to see ovechkin win another hart

 

[RDTBay4]

Here's a question. if you could trade Hall for Kucherov straight up, would you? Please try to not consider contract length, amount or player age.

 

[GoJetsGo55]

I got Hall, Kuch, and Wheeler in my top 3.

 

[Its a Trap]

Here's a question. if you could trade Hall for Kucherov straight up, would you? Please try to not consider contract length, amount or player age.

What’s the point of making such a trade? That’s basically a lateral move.

 

[TheSauceBoss]

I'd add Eric Staal to the mix.

 

[GoJetsGo55]

Here's a question. if you could trade Hall for Kucherov straight up, would you? Please try to not consider contract length, amount or player age.

I think you do that.

 

[Brock Radunske]

Hall winning it would mean a very interesting summer around these parts!

 

[bobholly39]

I think if the avs make the playoffs it has to be Mackinnon. Big if though.
This image is just at the 5 game mark and I'd guess the gap is probably a bit wider if you count the full 8 games he missed.

If the avs miss it will probably go to Kucherov or Malkin but I'd love to see ovechkin win another hart

Those are my top 4 now I think.

Feel Mack needs to finish strong and Avs make the playoffs tho or he won't stand a chance to win
Feel Ovi has to catch up a bit in scoring race (gap is too wide behind Kuch), or distance a bit in the goal race to stand a chance

 

[namttebih]

Andersen won't win it but probably should.

 

[paragon]

My top3 atm are in no particular order McKinnon, Hall and Kopitar.

 

[george14]

Plenty of worthy guys. I think Hall deserves it, but it will likely go to Kucherov.

 

[IWantSakicAsMyGM]

I don't see any of those guys in it to be honnest....

Vasi....no, the Tampa team has too much talent up front/on D for their goalie to get serious hart consideration. Vezina maybe, no hart.
Hellebuyck....same idea as Tampa, especially on offense.
Tavares? He was in contention but seems to have slowed down and been passed by a bunch of other forwards. Isles are also not even in playoff spot atm.

Defenders....nope. I don't see any. There seems to be a bias against defenders in hart voting, and it would take someone like Karlsson whose alone on Ottawa to get hart consideration (and obviously he's not in contention). Subban on a great team won't get much, Hedman same idea...don't really see any defensemen likely to get serious hart considerations.

To me it's all about forwards this year, and there's a bunch of them.


Kucherov. Him having been at the top all year is a very strong narrative. He's been at top of scoring race, and propelled his team to top all year. Even if he loses scoring race by like 1 pt, unless the other guy has a very strong narrative, having been on top for so long may still influence voters to vote for Kucherov.

Then you have a lot of other candidates at forward. Malkin - if he finishes with strong enough #s, he might sweep the Hart. Mackinnon, despite games missed. Giroux. Ovechkin. Hall. Stamkos. Gaudreau.

I think almost all of those forwards are better candidates than any D or G this year. It's a very good race. Still wide-open with 20 games left, depending on how strong they each finish (and playoffs vs no playoffs also tends to count).

In terms of being the most valuable to the team, I think it's hard to discount MacKinnon, even with games missed. The Avs without MacKinnon are a lottery team. With him, they might end up being a playoff team this year, despite being the youngest team in the league. I think only Hall is in that same category of importance to the team. That's not to say that the other teams wouldn't be worse if they lost their guy to injuries, they just have better help around them, and aren't nearly as reliant on one player.

 

[bobholly39]

In terms of being the most valuable to the team, I think it's hard to discount MacKinnon, even with games missed. The Avs without MacKinnon are a lottery team. With him, they might end up being a playoff team this year, despite being the youngest team in the league. I think only Hall is in that same category of importance to the team. That's not to say that the other teams wouldn't be worse if they lost their guy to injuries, they just have better help around them, and aren't nearly as reliant on one player.

MacKinnon has been better than Hall offensively. Higher PPG, more points in less games. So I do like Mackinnon, but still think he has to close the gap on Kucherov to stand a chance.

If season ended today (and assuming Colorado was in the playoffs) - Mackinnon finishing 8th in scoring race 11 points behind Kucherov isn't enough for Hart imo. But his ppg is high enough that if he maintains that pace till year end (and if Colorado makes playoffs) I think he has a good shot, depending on what other players do.

 

[cgf]

MacKinnon has been better than Hall offensively. Higher PPG, more points in less games. So I do like Mackinnon, but still think he has to close the gap on Kucherov to stand a chance.

If season ended today (and assuming Colorado was in the playoffs) - Mackinnon finishing 8th in scoring race 11 points behind Kucherov isn't enough for Hart imo. But his ppg is high enough that if he maintains that pace till year end (and if Colorado makes playoffs) I think he has a good shot, depending on what other players do.

Fortunately, MacK has 66 points in the 45 games he's played since taking off this season...which paces for 28 points in his final 19 games...so that gap to Kuch should get much smaller before season's end, even if Kuch is back for Tampa's next game.

 

[bobholly39]

Fortunately, MacK has 66 points in the 45 games he's played since taking off this season...which paces for 28 points in his final 19 games...so that gap to Kuch should get much smaller before season's end, even if Kuch is back for Tampa's next game.

Yep agreed. Avs still need to make the playoffs though too, which at this point seem like a 50/50 possibility at best. But yes if he finishes strong and if they make the playoffs he could have a strong case

 

[NJ DevLolz]

MacKinnon has been better than Hall offensively. Higher PPG, more points in less games. So I do like Mackinnon, but still think he has to close the gap on Kucherov to stand a chance.

If season ended today (and assuming Colorado was in the playoffs) - Mackinnon finishing 8th in scoring race 11 points behind Kucherov isn't enough for Hart imo. But his ppg is high enough that if he maintains that pace till year end (and if Colorado makes playoffs) I think he has a good shot, depending on what other players do.

Hall has a 27 point lead on Hischier.

Mackinnon has a 12 point lead on Rantanen, 25 point lead on Landeskog. He is getting more help