Ranking the MVP Seasons Since 2000

[Brando]

Rank the MVP seasons since from 2019 to 2000 - best to worst. (regular season only)

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[amnesiac]

Ovie 08

 

[Hierso]

I still remember Sacic from 2001 fondly despite not being an Avs fan.

 

[Brucelenok]

2008 Ovechkin AINEC

 

[Trap Jesus]

Sakic in 2001 for me for sure. The other Hart finalists were on the same line in Lemieux and Jagr. Sakic and Jagr were waaaaaaaaay ahead of the pack in scoring in a dead puck era season, and Sakic was unbelievably close to winning the Selke that year, finishing extremely close to Madden and finishing 2nd despite getting more 1st place votes.

 

[LongWayDown37]

Ovi in 08. But I was awfully tempted to say Kane in 2016. He just turned into such an elite offensive player and absolutely dominated - yet I assume that one gets overlooked.

 

[Merrrlin]

2007
2008
2001

Just from memory, in that order.

 

[Star Ocean]

Peter Forsberg said he was having foot problems already in 2003 so.

 

[Voight]

Sakic in 2001 for me for sure. The other Hart finalists were on the same line in Lemieux and Jagr. Sakic and Jagr were waaaaaaaaay ahead of the pack in scoring in a dead puck era season, and Sakic was unbelievably close to winning the Selke that year, finishing extremely close to Madden and finishing 2nd despite getting more 1st place votes.

Sakic was 3 pts behind Jagr for the AR, 5 goals behind Bure for the Richard (keep in mind Bure was basically parking himself at the other blueline and waiting for a pass at this point) and like you said a few votes way from the Selke.

He nearly did the unprecedented Hart/Pearson/Art Ross/Richard/Selke sweep and throw in a Stanley Cup as a cherry on top. It would be one of the top 5 seasons ever.

 

[Varan]

Ovechkin was a one-man army who single-handily took the Capitals to the playoffs

He also swept all 4 of the major awards

He scored 65 freaking goals

 

[Sasso09]

fix 2018 Claude Giroux* we all know he was the real MVP

 

[Sasso09]

Ovi 08' not close.

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

OV 2008, not really close. 1st in goals, GPG, pts, PPG, 200+ hits, 43pts ahead of next closest team mate.. Best season of the century.

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

I went with 2017 Connor McDavid. He posted the highest GAR total of any of the post-2007 seasons listed here, his scoring dominance over his peers was near the top of these seasons while playing for a team that had been stuck in perpetual mediocrity, and he was the most impressive by my eye test as well although my eye test only spans the last decade-ish.

It’s possible that I’m wrong and that one of the other guys here was better but McDavid was definitely incredible in his own right and his 2017 season deserves more love than it’s getting so I’m giving him a vote.

 

[Hockey Outsider]

It's between Ovechkin in 2008 and Sakic in 2001.

Arguments for Ovechkin

• 65 goals (11 more than Sakic)
• Ovechkin won the Hart more decisively (approximately a 98% vote share compared to a 94% vote share)
• Far less help offensively - the Capitals had one player >60 points (rookie Backstrom), while the Avalanche had four (Forsberg, Hejduk, Tanguay and Drury)
• Hitting machine

Arguments for Sakic

• 17 more assists and 6 more points overall
• Sakic was a much better defensive player - his ES GAA was approximately 2.17 and Ovechkin's was 2.82. But Sakic played in front of a much better goalie and blueline. Doing some ballpark calculations, Sakic was still much better defensively accounting for team strength (though not as much as it appears at a first glance).
• Sakic was a regular on a very strong penalty killing unit, Ovechkin received hardly any shorthanded ice time
• Sakic was 2nd for the Selke trophy

Even factors

• Ovechkin won the Art Ross and Sakic didn't. But I don't find this too persuasive. It's due to competition - Sakic had to compete with peak Jagr, who was helped by Lemieux's comeback.
• The scoring environments are essentially even (2.76 GPG in 2001 compared to 2.78 GPG in 2008)

I voted Ovechkin. What he did with such a weak supporting case is impressive. I value Sakic's strong two-way play, and I think he's an easy #2 on the list, but his year wasn't quite as strong as Ovechkin's.

 

[Plural]

65 goals

 

[M88K]

I voted perry because I know he won't get any other votes (nor should he)

 

[CatchyTune]

Trick question! The NHL doesnt have an MVP award.

Should say "Which Hart trophy winning season was most impressive"

 

[LeafsNation75]

Ovechkin in 2008 because along with winning the Hart Trophy, he also won the Art Ross, Rocket Richard, and Ted Lindsay awards.

 

[SimpleJack]

65 goals

That’s it? Only 65??

 

[Satoru Gojo]

Ovie 08 was incredible

 

[Khomutov]

Ovechkin 2008, than it is between Malkin 2012 and Sakic 2001.

 

[daver]

Even factors

• Ovechkin won the Art Ross and Sakic didn't. But I don't find this too persuasive. It's due to competition - Sakic had to compete with peak Jagr, who was helped by Lemieux's comeback.
• The scoring environments are essentially even (2.76 GPG in 2001 compared to 2.78 GPG in 2008)

You can argue the scoring environment was slightly in Sakic's favour due to slightly more PPs being called that year.

There were 28 PPG players (in the Top 50 scorers) and eight players hit 40 PP points in 00/01 vs. 23 PPG players and four players hit 40 PP points in 07/08.

As usual, people categorizing something as a "DPE" season is very misleading.

 

[Voight]

Ovechkin was a one-man army who single-handily took the Capitals to the playoffs

He also swept all 4 of the major awards

He scored 65 freaking goals

Believe if you adjust for era its pretty close to Hull's 86 goals, which would result in it being arguably the second best goal scoring season in history after Gretzky's 92.

 

[JackSlater]

Ovechkin's 2008, then Sakic's 2001, then a variety of contenders.