Does mcdavid win the Hart this year if the Oilers miss the playoffs?

Does Mcdavid win the Hart if the Oilers miss the playoffs?


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centipede2233

Registered User
Sep 13, 2010
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That is incredibly poorly worded. It reads as if no Rocket winner had scored 70 goals since 99. If you wanted to make the distinction that the Rocket has only existed since 99, you need to move that up.

no Richard rocket (since 1999) winner has ever scored 70 in a season.
cool
 

bobholly39

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Mar 10, 2013
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His 2018 season was the most dominant even strength season since Lemieux 1993 and he finished fifth because his teammates suck. He was a dominant first in the Pearson.

Being realistic, 130 points and missing the playoffs won't result in a Hart.

Gaudreau just scored more even strength points last season than McDavid in 2018, and only finished 4th in hart.

Even strength points is just a subset of overall offense. Not sure why some people exaggerate the importance of even strength.
 

jigglysquishy

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Jun 20, 2011
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Gaudreau just scored more even strength points last season than McDavid in 2018, and only finished 4th in hart.

Even strength points is just a subset of overall offense. Not sure why some people exaggerate the importance of even strength.

In a much much higher scoring year, even at even strength. McDavid was 27% ahead any other player in 2018 in even strength scoring. Huberdeau was 15%.

Even strength scoring gives additional insight into the quality of the player themselves. A stacked powerplay will throw additional points their way. A player doesn't control how many powerplays their team gets and they can vary massively between teams. An awful powerplay is beyond the scope of one player but can have a huge impact on their total points.

Even strength scoring isn't everything, but it also tells a story beyond just raw point totals. For a player to lead the league in even strength scoring AND total points but not win the Hart is without parallel.

Being elite at even strength and not on the powerplay is cause for concern. Same as the other way around. But looking at both total points and even strength points can help explain a player's effectiveness.
 
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Toby91ca

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Oct 17, 2022
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True but he still looked like the best player that year
Yes and he was awarded as such with the "Pearson" - which is supposed to be the best player award. Different groups vote on Hart and Pearson of course, but the Hart is supposed to be MVP, which isn't necessarily best player.

Taylor Hall was a head scratcher for me that year, but without digging extremely deep on everyone else, certainly a great case for him over McDavid. New Jersey was a bottom 3 team the year before, then they made the playoffs with Hall one of the top scorers in the league and also leaded #2 scorer on his team by 41 points (or 79%). McDavid's Oilers made the playoffs the year before and then missed that year (almost impossible to win in that scenario).
 

Toby91ca

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Oct 17, 2022
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There will be years where McDavid leads the league in scoring, makes the playoffs, and doesn’t win the Hart.

You can pretty much throw the Hart away when considering that if the Oilers don’t make the playoffs.

Karlsson led the damn league in assist and didn’t win the Norris on account of team success.
What does leading in assists have to do with the Norris trophy?
 

AvroArrow

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Jun 10, 2011
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Depends how far out they are, if it's a bottom 5 finish no. If they end up 1-2 points out of a playoff spot, yes.
 

Koivu11

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I’ll just say it’s a dumb requirement - you can be MVP while being on a shitty team.
 
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wetcoast

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Nov 20, 2018
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Could see it going either way, but I voted yes. Narratives decide many Hart votes and if McDavid leads the league in scoring by a dominant margin I could see the story being how he has all those Art Ross trophies and has been the league's best player for so long but hasn't been given the Hart as often as you'd think, particularly after last season.

Voted yes as well but I also don't expect the Oilers to miss the playoffs even with their current troubles.

I mean if McDavid can score 130 + points this year (99 points in his last 67 games) and they miss due to Jack Campbell having a sub .890 save% I think voters will still give McDavid the Hart right?

Especially if his lead over a non Oiler is 20+ points.
 

Hockeyholic

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Apr 20, 2017
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If the Oilers miss the playoffs, there's no doubt Holland will fire Woodcroft.

As for the poll, McDavid would need like 170 points and #2 have like 115 points or something. Unlikely this occurs.
 

Toby91ca

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Oct 17, 2022
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Voted yes as well but I also don't expect the Oilers to miss the playoffs even with their current troubles.

I mean if McDavid can score 130 + points this year (99 points in his last 67 games) and they miss due to Jack Campbell having a sub .890 save% I think voters will still give McDavid the Hart right?

Especially if his lead over a non Oiler is 20+ points.
Ignoring every other variable, this is where I'd disagree a bit. For example....I think he has a better chance at MVP if he leads non-Oiler by 5pts and Drai by 20 than the other way around.
 
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wetcoast

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Ignoring every other variable, this is where I'd disagree a bit. For example....I think he has a better chance at MVP if he leads non-Oiler by 5pts and Drai by 20 than the other way around.

Sure I can see that point holding merit among some Hart voters but if the non Oiler is only 5 points behind him on a playoff team then the Hart would probably not go to McDavid.

Utter league dominace, regardless of what Draisatal does would be more important.

That being said I don't think the Oilers will miss the playoffs.
 

JackSlater

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Apr 27, 2010
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Voted yes as well but I also don't expect the Oilers to miss the playoffs even with their current troubles.

I mean if McDavid can score 130 + points this year (99 points in his last 67 games) and they miss due to Jack Campbell having a sub .890 save% I think voters will still give McDavid the Hart right?

Especially if his lead over a non Oiler is 20+ points.
I could see it going this way, though I also doubt that Edmonton misses the playoffs. McDavid dominates scoring as you said and Campbell is a sieve. The writers start writing stories about how McDavid won two Art Ross trophies while the sixth place scorer (Hall and Matthews) won the Hart, talk about a lack of respect after those two suspect decisions, then even draw parallels with Lemieux getting the trophy in 1988. Then McDavid wins a tight decision over whoever is the highest non-Oiler scorer on a top team.
 
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Toby91ca

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Oct 17, 2022
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Sure I can see that point holding merit among some Hart voters but if the non Oiler is only 5 points behind him on a playoff team then the Hart would probably not go to McDavid.

Utter league dominace, regardless of what Draisatal does would be more important.

That being said I don't think the Oilers will miss the playoffs.
This is why I suggested I ignored any other variable.

You can't have utter league dominance regardless of what Draisaital does. If McDavid has 148pts, Draisaitl at 110 for #2 and then 102 for #3....yes, league dominance, but if McDavid has 148pts, Draisaitl has 142pts.....then you could have the 2 dominate the league, but I wouldn't suggest McDavid utterly dominated the league......there were some years where Gretzky lead the league and #2 was one of his teammates, but they are still 75pts back.
 

Video Nasty

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It’s a lot more nuanced than a lot of the commenters so far want one to believe.

McDavid has some elements working in his favor, both personal play and nothing to do with him. to win the Hart even if the Oilers miss:

1. Campbell has been otherworldly bad. I think it’s easier for people to see a clear boogeyman holding him and the rest of his team back, rather than the myth of “not enough defense.” Campbell’s play and numbers paint a glaring obvious picture.

2. He’s actually won the Hart just once over the past 5 seasons. He sees nominations and top 5 finishes year in and year out, but extreme fatigue hasn’t set in yet for voters. I think a superhuman effort that still sees fall a couple of points shy in the end, particularly if the Oilers are winning most of their games down the stretch, while McDavid puts up tremendous numbers, and losing only when Campbell is letting in 5, 6, 7 goals can still convince enough to give the nod to a non-playoff candidate.

3. We’re roughly just 20% of the way, but there’s not really another clear compelling case yet to make someone ignore McDavid potting a goal per game and two points per game while generating 56% of his teams offense.

4. If Lemieux can win it during a season where his team missed the playoffs when all but 5 teams made it and Gretzky missed 16 games, there is precedence of it being done. Voters are fickle though and it was a long time ago, so possibly irrelevant.

Lastly, if he pots 70 goals/150 points, numbers not seen in decades, I think it’s the kind of effort that will see recognition regardless.

In the end, it would just be easier on the people who grunt “win good, loss bad” to see McDavid lead the league with 55+ goals/130+ points while the Oilers finish with any playoff berth.
 
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centipede2233

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Sep 13, 2010
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It’s a lot more nuanced than a lot of the commenters so far want one to believe.

McDavid has some elements working in his favor, both personal play and nothing to do with him. to win the Hart even if the Oilers miss:

1. Campbell has been otherworldly bad. I think it’s easier for people to see a clear boogeyman holding him and the rest of his team back, rather than the myth of “not enough defense.” Campbell’s play and numbers paint a glaring obvious picture.

2. He’s actually won the Hart just once over the past 5 seasons. He sees nominations and top 5 finishes year in and year out, but extreme fatigue hasn’t set in yet for voters. I think a superhuman effort that still sees fall a couple of points shy in the end, particularly if the Oilers are winning most of their games down the stretch, while McDavid puts up tremendous numbers, and losing only when Campbell is letting in 5, 6, 7 goals can still convince enough to give the nod to a non-playoff candidate.

3. We’re roughly just 20% of the way, but there’s not really another clear compelling case yet to make someone ignore McDavid potting a goal per game and two points per game while generating 56% of his teams offense.

Lastly, if he pots 70 goals/150 points, numbers not seen in decades, I think it’s the kind of effort that will see recognition regardless.

In the end, it would just be easier on the people who grunt “win good, loss bad” to see McDavid lead the league with 55+ goals/130+ points while the Oilers finish with any playoff berth.
I kind of disagree that there isn’t a compelling case for anyone else. Let me introduce you to Pasternak, on the hottest team carrying a bruins team with no Marchand and mcavoy to start the year. It’s a pretty nice narrative for a hart vote thus far
 

Faceboner

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Jan 6, 2022
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Yes and he was awarded as such with the "Pearson" - which is supposed to be the best player award. Different groups vote on Hart and Pearson of course, but the Hart is supposed to be MVP, which isn't necessarily best player.

Taylor Hall was a head scratcher for me that year, but without digging extremely deep on everyone else, certainly a great case for him over McDavid. New Jersey was a bottom 3 team the year before, then they made the playoffs with Hall one of the top scorers in the league and also leaded #2 scorer on his team by 41 points (or 79%). McDavid's Oilers made the playoffs the year before and then missed that year (almost impossible to win in that scenario).
I think hall had a solid case still think mack should have won it though but if you miss the playoffs it basically disqualifies you
 

Video Nasty

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I kind of disagree that there isn’t a compelling case for anyone else. Let me introduce you to Pasternak, on the hottest team carrying a bruins team with no Marchand and mcavoy to start the year. It’s a pretty nice narrative for a hart vote thus far

I won’t argue with Pasta being a top alternate candidate. Good call.
 
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authentic

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Jan 28, 2015
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Yes and he was awarded as such with the "Pearson" - which is supposed to be the best player award. Different groups vote on Hart and Pearson of course, but the Hart is supposed to be MVP, which isn't necessarily best player.

Taylor Hall was a head scratcher for me that year, but without digging extremely deep on everyone else, certainly a great case for him over McDavid. New Jersey was a bottom 3 team the year before, then they made the playoffs with Hall one of the top scorers in the league and also leaded #2 scorer on his team by 41 points (or 79%). McDavid's Oilers made the playoffs the year before and then missed that year (almost impossible to win in that scenario).

This is the only year you could argue McDavid was really robbed of the Hart.

I think if he scores 60+ and 130+ he gets it because I don't see anyone else reaching 120 points and anywhere close to 60 goals unless Matthews really heats up from here on out and Draisaitl won't win it unless he outscores everyone including McDavid. I think this year he takes it in a clean sweep but the race for the Rocket may be close by the end of the season.
 
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JaegerDice

The mark of my dignity shall scar thy DNA
Dec 26, 2014
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No.

He would still win the Lindsay as the BEST player, but he would not with the MVP.

To win MVP you must present value towards something. If the Oilers miss the playoffs, what is McDavid’s value? They would have missed the playoffs by even more without him? That’s not compelling.

If the only value you provide is a smaller gap between your team and success, that’s not great value. The team fails both ways, with or without you.
 
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Toby91ca

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Oct 17, 2022
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This is the only year you could argue McDavid was really robbed of the Hart.

I think if he scores 60+ and 130+ he gets it because I don't see anyone else reaching 120 points and anywhere close to 60 goals unless Matthews really heats up from here on out and Draisaitl won't win it unless he outscores everyone including McDavid. I think this year he takes it in a clean sweep but the race for the Rocket may be close by the end of the season.
You mean the year Hall won it? Why? Voters certainly disagreed big time....he wasn't even top-4 in voting. A non-playoff guy has only won the award 3 times in history and 2 of those times were pretty ridiculous picks. He would have had to done something pretty awesome to overcome that and there is no way that would have been the year.
 

KoozNetsOff 92

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Apr 6, 2016
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Historically, when you look at the hart voting, hart voters love the “new kid on the block”. Like a Brett hull who scores 86, or Taylor hall that laps teammates in points, or Jamie benn a big power forward leading the league in points. This years “IT” guy I think will be Pasternak. On a good team, maybe finish with a presidents trophy and not exactly deep with stars and if Pasternak can have the monster year he continues to have, that narrative will go a long way for hart consideration.

Brett Hull scored 70 goals and was a hart finalist the previous year, how exactly was he a "new kid on the block"? Benn wasn't even top 10 in hart voting the year he won the ross.
 
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Dempsey

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Probably not. There are many voters who won't place a player at the top of the MVP ballot if they don't make the playoffs. Their mind is made up on that criteria. And there will always be at least one other player who has a legit case and did make the playoffs.
 

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