Pick the 3 Hart finalists

[amnesiac]

who you got?

McD
Matthews
Kane (his contribution % must be way up there)

Click to read more...

 

[Emerz]

McDavid
Matthews
Marchand

 

[JaegerDice]

McDavid
Matthews
Crosby

 

[Namikaze Minato]

Mcdavid
Matthews
Crosby

Hm to Marchand who could easily be in there as well, fantastic season.

 

[Mitch nylander]

Mcdavid

Matthews

Barkov/Marchand/Mackinnon/Crosby

 

[AyyLmao]

McDavid, Draisaitl and Vasilevskiy.

 

[Regal]

Are we saying who we think will or who we think should?

I voted for McDavid, Matthews and Barkov for should, though I think a bunch of these guys could get a spot behind McDavid and I wouldn't complain.

For who will end up top 3, McDavid and Matthews are locks. 3rd is wide open but I'm leaning toward voters once again loving to vote for Crosby.

 

[needforspeed]

When is the last time Hart was won if not leading your team in points (excluding goalies and defensemen)? That takes away Matthews and MacKinnon on my Top 3 list. McDavid wins, other candidates are far away. Crosby, Stone and Aho have led their teams with strong performances this year

 

[The Moose is Loose]

I don't get how so many people are leaving Draisaitl off these nominations. No other player hit the 70 point mark and he is at 83 points (+1 game to go). He is repeating his MVP year from last year, is 2nd in points, 3rd in goals, first in the entire league +/-, dominant face-off %, and some very solid advanced analytics.

Even with the McDavid having a monster season working against Draisaitl, there is still a lot of support for him being a top(2/3) player in the league this year in his own right.

He and one of Marchand/Matthews I think should be the 2 finalists but I doubt it happens that way. Barkov and Crosby definitely deserve consideration too.

There's some people saying Mackinnon which I also support but I think its hard to say he is definitively ahead of of those 3 guys, its unfortunate he got hurt. I think he will have a season in the next couple years were he makes a statement and sweeps the awards.

Edit: He's probably a more valid candidate for the Lindsay since that doesn't have the semantics based definition

 

[needforspeed]

How can Drai be most valuable to his team when McDavid is in the same team?

 

[belair]

All I could think of is McDavid. Who else completely drives their team's success? Kaprizov?

 

[majormajor]

How can Drai be most valuable to his team when McDavid is in the same team?

I know what you mean but that's the wrong interpretation.

Most valuable to his team = most value

Don't galaxy brain it. It's simple.

 

[jetsforever]

When is the last time Hart was won if not leading your team in points (excluding goalies and defensemen)? That takes away Matthews and MacKinnon on my Top 3 list. McDavid wins, other candidates are far away. Crosby, Stone and Aho have led their teams with strong performances this year

Wow, didn't realise Rantanen finished ahead of MacK

 

[jetsforever]

I know what you mean but that's the wrong interpretation.

Most valuable to his team = most value

Don't galaxy brain it. It's simple.

That's also the wrong interpretation. The right one is: we're picking the top-3 here, not just #1 (McD).

 

[bobholly39]

Definitely Matthews and McDavid (winner).

3rd is more wide open. I think it should be Drai - his offensive gap over the field is ridiculous. But I suspect it won't be - so I picked Crosby. None of the other top 10 scorers had a bigger impact on team success imo.

Mack is great, but had Ranta whose as great this year
Kane...hot start, but Chicago faltered, boring choice
Marner...you're already rewarding Matthews. Maybe give him some votes too, but he won't be 3rd
Schiefele...decent season, but Jets really nose-dived at end

Crosby led a mostly Malkin'less Pens team to #1 in the toughest division.

I know I skipped over Marchand - but he's a rat and nobody likes him

As for goalies/defensemen - I don't see anyone breaking into top 3 this year.

 

[bobholly39]

When is the last time Hart was won if not leading your team in points (excluding goalies and defensemen)? That takes away Matthews and MacKinnon on my Top 3 list. McDavid wins, other candidates are far away. Crosby, Stone and Aho have led their teams with strong performances this year

Aho is too far back in the scoring race. Won't factor in.
Stone....I doubt it. Vegas perceived as a top team all year, and they have been, never really worried. I think that takes a bit away from Stone. Fleury having a Vezina caliber season does too. He might though - I just don't have him top 3. He'll get some votes however

As for Matthews - I'd agree with your points - but the goal total is too hard to ignore. Simply put hart voters like goals - and he has 40 goals in 52 games, which is a pace of 63 over 82 games. Way atop the league for Rocket. Finished 1 point back of Marner, but with 3 less games. I don't see any issues with giving him hart votes. Mack and Ranta - sure. Mack doesn't have anything as big over Ranta, outside of perceptions.

As to your question - if you're actually asking "when the last time it was won without leading team in points" rather than it being a rhetorical question - I don't know. But in 2001, Lemieux finished 2nd in hart, Jagr 3rd - and Lemieux had way less points (less games). It's the best example I can think of. In 2013, Martin St Louis finished ahead of Stamkos to win the Ross, but Stamkos got more hart votes (but both finished far back of winner, so not super relevant). You're right, it's quite rare - but sometimes it just makes sense, and this year with Matthews it seems like an obvious fit.

 

[t0nedeff]

How can Drai be most valuable to his team when McDavid is in the same team?

How can Matthews be one with Marner leading his team in points? How can Mackinnon be one with Rantanen leading his team in points.

 

[majormajor]

That's also the wrong interpretation. The right one is: we're picking the top-3 here, not just #1 (McD).

No idea what you're saying.

 

[canuckking1]

Not sure why I keep seeing Crosby. He was pretty mediocre 5on5 this year. Feasted on the empty net without Empty net points he isn't even PPG.

13th among C's and 37th among forwards in 5on5 production

 

[needforspeed]

but sometimes it just makes sense, and this year with Matthews it seems like an obvious fit.

Thanks for the answer and good reasoning. Context always matters so like you said sometimes it still can make sense. Matthews probably in top 3 anyway and deservingly. Still feel there could be made an argument for Aho in top 3 spot: over ppg, 14 point gap (over 30%) over 2nd best scorer, consistent all year and big factor for Hurricanes run in clinching Central and being a top 3 team in the league

 

[Mickey Marner]

I figure it'll be McDavid, Matthews and either Marchand or Crosby.

 

[needforspeed]

I know what you mean but that's the wrong interpretation.

Most valuable to his team = most value

Don't galaxy brain it. It's simple.

I get that interpretation as well, value is value. Still feels wrong to have two hart finalist from the same team

 

[GermanSpitfire]

Give me

1: McDavid

2: Crosby

3: Matthews

 

[Ivo]

McDavid

Matthews, Marchand

 

[agent082]

McDavid and Vasilevski are clearly two. Third is a tough one. Put Crosby there. Could have been many other too.