Incredible Hart Trophy Race !

[BayStreetBully]

So close that the winner will be decided in the last remaining quarter of the season. Whoever carries momentum through the end.

 

[TJ Hooker]

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.

Here's a question, if you could trade Hall for Larsson straight up, would you?

 

[VainGretzky]

Its not really that big of a race, its down to Kuch, Ovi and Bergeron but Bergeron injured his foot and is out long term. If the Oilers were in the playoff race / in McDavid would get more consideration. People saying Hall, but he's only NJ's mvp not the leagues mvp.

Taylor Hall is the exact meaning of the Hart trophy and should win on the fact NJD are nowhere near the playoffs without him , but we get the press voting on it and like last year we had a idiot from TSN tweeting out make sure you take Crosby's ppg in account when your voting (Gino Reda) Which has 0 to do with it.


My top 3 right now would Be Hall Gaudreau and Mackinnon Now Both Mackinnon and Gaudreau imo would drop completely of the voting if their teams miss playoff so Add Kucherov , so number 1 choice right now should be Hall because his team is soundly in a playoff spot right now.For all you idiot hockey writers out there has nothing to do with who wins scoring race they already have a Trophy read the meaning

 

[rmthomson21]

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

Alternatively, MacKinnon makes the players around him better more than Hall does

 

[cgf]

 

[ColdSteel2]

MacKinnon for me. He’s on fire right now, will be tough to beat.

 

[NeedleInTheHay]

It’s between Malkin or Kucherov.

The Avs aren’t making the playoffs which takes Mackinnon out of the running.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

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

I'm kind of hoping for Hall to win just for the LOLz.

 

[cgf]

It’s between Malkin or Kucherov.

The Avs aren’t making the playoffs which takes Mackinnon out of the running.

1 point out with a home-heavy schedule down the stretch & their record at home...I wouldn't be using such definitive statements. Logically I think we'll just miss out; but I would not bet against them, not with the way MacKinnon is dominating. He's hit an even higher level since coming back from his injury and there's no way I'm betting against him carrying them the rest of the way. This kid elevates his games the more they start to matter and despite how insanely hot he already was, he's doing so again this year. 6 games back, 5 goals, 5 assists and in that first game after the injury, he was clearly still getting his bearings back.

Hell I wouldn't even count him out of the Art Ross race if Kuch misses a game or two.

 

[hockeykicker]

It’s between Malkin or Kucherov.

The Avs aren’t making the playoffs which takes Mackinnon out of the running.

what about the dude thats literally carrying the team by himself in ovechkin?

i mean look at this
Pittsburgh Penguins 2018 Statistics - Team and Player Stats - ESPN
kessel, malkin and crosby all at just under 70 points or higher. pitt has 4 20 goal scorers

Tampa Bay Lightning 2018 Statistics - Team and Player Stats - ESPN
kucherov has 4 other 20 goal scorers (although nemestikov got traded)

then you come to ovechkin
Washington Capitals 2018 Statistics - Team and Player Stats - ESPN

only one forward is within 24 points of him and only 2 players are within 21 points of ovie

washington has 1 20 goal scorer aka ovechkin

 

[biotk]

My top 3 at the moment would be Hall, MacKinnon and Wheeler (in alphabetical order, not rank). Things could change between now and the end of year, and the voters for Hart don't care what I think anyway.

 

[LordNeverLose]

I'll take Kucherov, Malkin, OV as the finalists

 

[DEVILS130]

Who was the last (if any) Hart winner to not make the playoffs? Out of curiosity

EDIT: Appears that it's Lemieux in 1988. I'm amazed there was even one

 

[Perfect_Drug]

I feel like i've made this argument in 3 different threads but. Hall is 14th in the scoring race. He'll never win being that far back.

Here is a list of the last 15 forwards to win the Hart Trophy:

McDavid. 1st in scoring
Kane. 1st in scoring
Crosby. 1st in scoring
Ovechkin. 3 in scoring (only 4 points gap, but rocket winner by 3 goals)
Malkin. 1st in scoring.
Perry. 3rd in scoring. (only 6 points gap, but first in goals by 5 goal gap)
Sedin. 1st in scoring
Ovechkin. 2nd in scoring (3 point gap), 1st in goal (1o goals gap)
Ovechkin. 1st in scoring
Crosby. 1st in scoring
Thornton. 1st in scoring
St Louis. 1st in scoring
Forsberg. 1st in scoring
Sakic. 2nd in scoring (3 points gap), 2nd in goals scored, 2nd in Selke voting
Jagr 1st in scoring.

Hall is 14th in scoring, with a 14 point gap from the top. He's also 17th in goal-scoring.

He's way too far back to warrant serious hart consideration. If he can climb up the scoring race significantly, maybe. But i don't even think that's likely.

The 27 point lead on Hischier doesn't mean nearly as much as you think.

Wanted to post this without all the research.

Not an indictment to Hall, or Wheeler. But it'll likely be the Art Ross winner. Unless it's a non-playoff team star like McDavid, MacKinnon, or Gaudreau.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Who was the last (if any) Hart winner to not make the playoffs? Out of curiosity

EDIT: Appears that it's Lemieux in 1988. I'm amazed there was even one

I could be wrong... cuz im not looking (on a commute).. but i believe he had 199 points that season.

 

[Hockey Outsider]

I could be wrong... cuz im not looking (on a commute).. but i believe he had 199 points that season.

Not quite, Lemieux scored 70 goals & 168 points that year (1988) while missing the playoffs. He scored 199 the next year, and made the playoffs.

Otherwise you'd have to go back to 1959 to find a Hart winner on a team that missed the playoffs (Andy Bathgate - 3rd in scoring while his team missed the playoffs by 1 point).

 

[VainGretzky]

71c points in 55 games is not in the category of a hart winner Mckinnon's value to his team should be the only reason , and if they make playoffs and he continues with his play he deserves to be in the top 3 for consideration.

 

[authentic]

I notice there are lots of wingers making a big impact this season. Can't remember a season this great for wingers.

 

[Eltuna]

He also had a somewhat slow start of 8 points in his first 11 games. Since then, he has 63 points in 44 games for a 1.43ppg. If the avs make the playoffs and he keeps up his play, I think he’s gotta be the winner.

 

[yababy]

Hall winning would be ****ing amazing.

Hall winning will get Chiarelli fired

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

what about the dude thats literally carrying the team by himself in ovechkin?

i mean look at this
Pittsburgh Penguins 2018 Statistics - Team and Player Stats - ESPN
kessel, malkin and crosby all at just under 70 points or higher. pitt has 4 20 goal scorers

Tampa Bay Lightning 2018 Statistics - Team and Player Stats - ESPN
kucherov has 4 other 20 goal scorers (although nemestikov got traded)

then you come to ovechkin
Washington Capitals 2018 Statistics - Team and Player Stats - ESPN

only one forward is within 24 points of him and only 2 players are within 21 points of ovie

washington has 1 20 goal scorer aka ovechkin

Could say similar stuff about Kopitar and he's getting zero love. 70 points in 64 games, next closest King is at 44. He plays the 2nd most forward minutes in the league, and plays in all situations, all the hard minutes, vs. top competition. Carrying the team offensively and defensively at F. He's got Doughty back there behind him so I'm not going to say he gets no support, but the guy is THE jack of all trades.