2023-24 Hart Memorial Trophy finalists: Nikita Kucherov, Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid | Winner: Nathan MacKinnon

[HenrikW]

This is very contentious. You could argue MacKinnon is not even the best player on his team. At the very least its very close. I feel like Kucherov carried his team to the play offs more than MacKinnon did tbh.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

This is very contentious. You could argue MacKinnon is not even the best player on his team. At the very least its very close. I feel like Kucherov carried his team to the play offs more than MacKinnon did tbh.

Kucherov could have won the Hart not going to have any debates there. However, MacKinnon was clearly the best Avalanche this season and it wasn't even close.

 

[SavoieSeason]

absolute monster of a player, congratulations MacK. can't wait to see you on Olympic ice.

 

[Turbonium]

This is very contentious. You could argue MacKinnon is not even the best player on his team. At the very least its very close. I feel like Kucherov carried his team to the play offs more than MacKinnon did tbh.

If you didn't think he was easily the best player on the Avs this year I would question if you watched a single game.

 

[Cup or Bust]

I personally think Mackinnon deserved the Hart. Outside of Rantanen, Colorado's top 6 was pretty lousy for most of the season and he still had an amazing season and Colorado was great all season even with pretty average to weak goaltending as well. Overall I think he was the best player in the league all season long

 

[bobholly39]

I like MacKinnon and so I'm happy for him winning.

If MacKinnon hadn't won - I think he'd have an excellent claim to have the best hockey prime in all of hockey history without a major award. So he was definitely due. Also- this was an absolutely fantastic season and definitely hart worthy. If we end up ranking the strongest seasons this century- it'll rank high.

All that being said - I still feel as though Kucherov should have won above him this year. So it really sucks for him.

 

[bobholly39]

Pretty shocked to see McDavid with only one first place vote.

I'll say this - if McDavid's name had been John Smith (ie 0 track record) I think there's a strong chance he would have won. It's a hell of an in-season turnaround he led the Oilers to.

And to clarify - I don't think McDavid should have won - he rightfully places #3. I just expected more #1 votes

 

[Galactico]

I know the refalanche fans are use to being favored like their game 6 against the Stars

But lets face the facts, Kucherov >>> Mackinnon all day, every day. Somehow the guy who scored less points on a better team won the Hart. What a joke.

There is not a single GM in the league that would take Kucherov over MacKinnon on his team, including Brisebois.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1806478880368402905

 

[Midnight Judges]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1806478880368402905

That's true but the Capitals were a sliver away from missing the playoffs. You could make that same argument for Ovechkin, Carlson, and Strome as well.

That said, Lindgren was surprisingly good.

 

[Voight]

100 assists is a made up barrier. Selfish Mr LTIR can't make players around him better while everyone thrives when MacKinnon is around.

Yet only a handful of players in NHL history have collected 100 assists.

 

[tucker3434]

Pretty shocked to see McDavid with only one first place vote.

I'll say this - if McDavid's name had been John Smith (ie 0 track record) I think there's a strong chance he would have won. It's a hell of an in-season turnaround he led the Oilers to.

And to clarify - I don't think McDavid should have won - he rightfully places #3. I just expected more #1 votes

He didn't really have a logical path to #1 votes. If you think the 100 assists is the ultimate accomplishment this year, you've still got to go with the guy with 12 extra goals in Kucherov. Kucherov's lead was too big there for it to turn into a qualitative debate. If Mcavid had actually played 80, he likely gets into the conversation with the top 2.

 

[the_fan]

There is a player on pretty much every team that you can say with out him the team wouldn’t make the playoffs. In that case, all those players deserve the hart…

For those who want to make that argument

 

[MacMacandBarbie]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1806478880368402905

I hate this logic. I understand not wanting to consider a player for MVP because he's on a non-playoff team, like McDavid in 2018.

But to deem a player valuable because he led his team to barely make the playoffs, only to get blown out in the first round? How is that valuable? We don’t consider barely making the playoffs as valuable in the NBA.

I prefer MacKinnon over Kucherov because MacKinnon seemed to lead his team somewhere. Honestly, if the Avalanche didn’t lose Nichushkin, they might have won the Cup again. Kucherov's points often felt empty—getting two points in a win but ending with a negative plus/minus. Sometimes he hustled back on defense, other times he just glided. MacKinnon, on the other hand, wants to win every night and leads by example.

MacKinnon won because he embodies the hardworking, professional leader like fellow his Cole Harbour native Crosby. Meanwhile, Kucherov fits the stereotype of a lazy player who makes everything about himself. To pretend this didn't influence voters is naive.

 

[Kranix]

Bullshit

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

MacKinnon is the better player, don't think he's the more valuable one though. That Avs team is arguably the scariest in the West. Was super happy when Dallas defeated them.

 

[MacMacandBarbie]

This is very contentious. You could argue MacKinnon is not even the best player on his team. At the very least its very close. I feel like Kucherov carried his team to the play offs more than MacKinnon did tbh.

I feel like MacKinnon is the leader on his team. I felt like MacKinnon led his team somewhere, and I liked their chances to win it all. Why would it matter that Kucherov carried his team to the playoffs? Is squeaking into the playoffs with no shot to get out of the 1st round really an accomplishment?

MacKinnon is the better player, don't think he's the more valuable one though. That Avs team is arguably the scariest in the West. Was super happy when Dallas defeated them.

That Lightning team would arguably be better if they played a more closed off system similar to the Capitals. They can't do that because of Kucherov, and they are running the system around Kucherov. Which sometimes has them winning high scoring games, and sometimes losing them. Not sure if Kucherov is really all that valuable to the Lightning, and in fact he may be holding them back from a much needed rebuild and system tweak.

 

[Soul Assumption]

because MacKinnon seemed to lead his team somewhere

Honestly, if the Avalanche didn’t lose Nichushkin

lol

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I feel like MacKinnon is the leader on his team. I felt like MacKinnon led his team somewhere, and I liked their chances to win it all. Why would it matter that Kucherov carried his team to the playoffs? Is squeaking into the playoffs with no shot to get out of the 1st round really an accomplishment?


That Lightning team would arguably be better if they played a more closed off system similar to the Capitals. They can't do that because of Kucherov, and they are running the system around Kucherov. Which sometimes has them winning high scoring games, and sometimes losing them. Not sure if Kucherov is really all that valuable to the Lightning, and in fact he may be holding them back from a much needed rebuild and system tweak.

I mean if the bolded is true that's an argument that he's more deserving of the award because he's pulling his team further despite the warts.

 

[Fire Sweeney]

50 1st place votes for Kucherov is insanity. Should have been 0.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

Dominant season with a well deserved hart win. Mac should really have two though. Kucherov would have won in most other years.

Yet only a handful of players in NHL history have collected 100 assists.

Ya but guess what people dont care.

 

[MacMacandBarbie]

Mac should really have two though.

If MacK fanboys think he got robbed when he finished in a 3 way tied for 9th in goals, 11th in assists, and 5th in points on the way to the final wildcard spot....well lets just say we will be hearing about the Kucherov robbery of 2024 for a very, very long time.

 

[sensfan4lifee]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1806478880368402905

He needs to loose his voting credentials

 

[MacMacandBarbie]

I mean if the bolded is true that's an argument that he's more deserving of the award because he's pulling his team further despite the warts.

He is the one causing the warts. When you build your team around your best player, you succeed because of that player, and you fail because of that player. Sometimes you need to move on from an aging player on a max contract that wants the system to be developed around them still. Kucherov is a very good player but he isn't getting better, he is actually slowly losing enthusiasm for the game and getting lazier and lazier on defense by the day, and doesn't have the charisma to rally the troops.

I think they need a good retool like Philly did when they shipped Richards and Carter out and promoted a young Giroux.

 

[67 others]

This is very contentious. You could argue MacKinnon is not even the best player on his team. At the very least its very close. I feel like Kucherov carried his team to the play offs more than MacKinnon did tbh.

Who could possibly argue that and what would be the argument?

Rantanen has no case and neither does Makar. Not this year.