Hart Trophy Talk: MacKinnon, Malkin, Kucherov the Early Favorites, Scoring at Highest Rates By Far.
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Devilswede
Registered User
- Dec 10, 2006
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Stamkos just had a 5 point night...
Kucherov has plenty of help around him. They're a stacked team.
Malkin has Crosby etc. Giroux has plenty of help too in Philly.
The Hart Trophy is a race between Taylor Hall and Nathan MacKinnon, and obviously I'm biased but no other player is doing what Hall is doing for the Devils. He's carrying them. To me he's the clear cut favourite to win the Trophy and what the Trophy really stands for. Most valuable to his team.
Kucherov is the best player and he should win Ted Lindsay. But the Hart should go to Hall. IF the Devils make the playoffs.
Kucherov has plenty of help around him. They're a stacked team.
Malkin has Crosby etc. Giroux has plenty of help too in Philly.
The Hart Trophy is a race between Taylor Hall and Nathan MacKinnon, and obviously I'm biased but no other player is doing what Hall is doing for the Devils. He's carrying them. To me he's the clear cut favourite to win the Trophy and what the Trophy really stands for. Most valuable to his team.
Kucherov is the best player and he should win Ted Lindsay. But the Hart should go to Hall. IF the Devils make the playoffs.
How does Kucherov not bring more value to his team if he has provided more offense?
Kucherov isn't going to slow down. I am now convinced of it.
Mack himself is starting to look like he won't either.
Malkin is at a serious disadvatage if all 3 players production end up similar.
Kucherov has the narrative of hoisting his team to #1 all year and keeping them there and also leading the scoring race all year
Mack has the narrative of having less support then either/or yet still producing at ridiculous amounts.
I think for Malkin to win the Hart he has the outproduce everyone and win the Ross (and preferably by some sort of gap). It's gonna be hard
PensandCaps
Beddy Tlueger
- May 22, 2015
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It's really not debatable. Kucherov and Malkin are ahead in points, less games too. And It's not like Ovi is that far ahead in goals. As Malkin and Kucherov are 2nd and 3rd in goals per game.
Duke749
Savannah Ghost Pirates
DearDiary
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- Aug 29, 2010
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Media and Hfboards were saying Pens were going to miss the playoffs from October to January, they were last in the division. Pens are now 3 points behind the Caps, it's a big deal if they manage to win the division
The question is whether he's actually provided more offense or whether he has more points due to the help surrounding him.
glenngineer
Registered User
He seemed to do well last year with Stamkos out so I would say it is a safe assumption that he can generate offense on his own.
I was being facetious. I just think comparing pts/60 in any context among the top producers is a meaningless endeavor. It in no way identifies who is more effective.
Paxton Fettel
Registered User
- Mar 3, 2006
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Kucherov showed last year that he can do it all by himself and carry a team. Would be very lame if he got passed over this year because of the "surrounded by talent" narrative. Probably need to eliminate Hedman from the Norris conversation and Vasy from the Vezina talk too.
If he keeps up this lead, it will be him for sure. There is no history of a player like Hall winning the Hart but sometimes you do see them getting a fair amount of 2nd and 3rd place votes.
Sidney the Kidney
One last time
- Jun 29, 2009
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When in recent history has that happened? The Hart going to a guy outside the top 10 in scoring (assuming he's not a defenseman or goalie).
Kale Makar
Lets go Aves?
Nathaniel Skywalker
DIG IN!!! RiGHT NOW!!!
- Oct 18, 2013
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What I took from this is you have not watched the Avalanche once this season. If you want to talk about a player straight up carrying his team, it's MacKinnon not Hall.
The Avalanche were the worst team to play hockey the past 20 seasons last year, we were expected to be near the bottom again. But then MacKinnon happened, this guy simply won't let us become the mediocre team we should be. The Devils as a whole have better defense and goaltending than the Avalanche. The Avs on paper have a bottom 3 roster, but yet somehow despite playing in the absurdly difficult Central Division we are still fighting for a playoff spot.
I can't find the graphic but it was posted when MacKinnon missed 8 games due to injury. Basically it showed our goals per game dropped by over 1 a game, our PP% went from like 22% to 8%, shots generated dropped significantly as well, we were completely inept offensively when MacKinnon was out of the lineup.
No player has done more with less than MacKinnon has this year with the Avs. He tops in the league in points per game, 4th in overall scoring despite playing 8-10 less games than everyone else in the top 10. Oh and that's all while playing in the toughest division in hockey.
IMO this shouldn't even be up for debate, MacKinnon has been the best player in the league margin this season. Right now MacK is the best player on the planet. I'd take him over McDavid, with the way he has played this season. No offense to Kucherov or Hall or Malkin or McDavid or Barkov who have all had good seasons, but MacKinnon has been better.
I feel as though Crosby (and Kessel) played a larger part in the Pens initial turnaround than Malkin did. Malkin is having the better season out of the 3 of course - but I feel as though it's Crosby's strong play/run halfway through the season that really coincided with Pens starting to win a bunch of games. And with Crosby - Kessel was also playing strong at the same time. Malkin was injured/missed a few games, and when he came back/got hot it already felt like the Pens were back in the race/making a push.
He's been dynamite since then - and he's helped them accumulate wins since. But if i look back at the turnaround of their season I don't think I can pinpoint and say "yep - Malkin is the one who led the charge/is main one responsible for it". So basically - i don't think the Pens turning their season around is going to count for all that much for Malkin's case to the hart.
I think for Malkin to win the hart - he literally has to win the ross. Or at least score enough points/goals combined to make his offensive output more impressive than the guy above him. Because I feel that both Mack and Kucherov lead him in intangibles/narrative when it comes to Hart, as per my other post.
Absolutely how I see it too if season ends right now.
But with 17 or so games to go the race is still wide open. They're all having such great seasons and having so many multiple point games that it's anyone's guess as to how the scoring race ends up when it's all said and done.
Taylor Hall has NO chance at the Hart right now. He's too far back in the scoring race. But he's slowly climbing every day. If he finishes high enough in the scoring race i'd be willing to look his way more. But still has ground to cover.
LightningStrikes
Champa Bay Lightning
- Nov 24, 2009
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Kuch just had a 3-point game coming back from his injury. I don't see him slowing down. He might miss the Rocket but he's still way on his way to his first Hart IMO.
He's without question the most dangerous player on the Lightning. And the Lightning lead the league in GF and GF/GP by a good margin. He drives the offense, no matter on which line Cooper decides to put him on.
He's without question the most dangerous player on the Lightning. And the Lightning lead the league in GF and GF/GP by a good margin. He drives the offense, no matter on which line Cooper decides to put him on.
McBaevid
Lottery Dynasty
Don't think Malkin will be a nominee unless he wins the Ross by a decent margin. Hard to see the media giving him the MVP when Crosby has been healthy all season
The season is not over yet and Hall is 11th right now. Currently on a long point streak. I think it's basically a given he will finish in the top 10.
Because you need context. I don't think Kucherov is a bad choice for MVP, I just think Hall brings more value to his team given what's around him. It's been said a million times: Hall has 30 goals, if he didn't score a goal all season he would still be leading the Devils in points. That's crazy to me....31 point lead on 2nd place on his team.
