Hart Trophy Talk: MacKinnon, Malkin, Kucherov the Early Favorites, Scoring at Highest Rates By Far.

[Hischier and Hughes]

Malkin makes the pens a SC contender...without him the pens miss the playoffs. I'd say that's quite valuable.

I doubt Pittsburgh misses the playoffs without Malkin

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

The hart needs its definition changed to simply. "Best performing player in the regular season" like the nba. This to its team nonsense is dumb.

If it goes by best player in the league

Kucherov
Mack
Malkin

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

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.

Yup. When was the last time a forward won the hart outside the top 5 in scoring? I believe it was messier circa 91-92
Kucherov will bear minimum score 104ish points. Hall will be at least 10+ points back

 

[Ainec]

good odds Pens miss without Malkin


I still think this is Kucherov

 

[SmellOfVictory]

I still dont understand how the "Hart Trophy race truly only boils down to four players " includes Hall but not Kopitar

Compare the two rosters and it's pretty easy to see. Hall is 100% carrying the team; Kopitar has a strong scoring lead for the Kings, but he's still got Doughty and Muzzin on there on the back end, Toffoli, etc.

LA has a total of seven players above 30 points; NJ has five. Comparing the top 10 guys (after Hall and Kopitar) on each team, LA has a total of 308 points, while NJ has 267. Hall and Kopitar are performing similarly on an individual basis, but Hall has a strong lead in terms of importance to team when you look at the numbers he's producing. People have also done comparisons of Hall on/off the ice that I'm too lazy to find, but they also paint a glowing picture of him.

 

[CanadianPensFan1]

I want Geno to win cause... Pens.

But no matter which way they go .. geno, kuch, hall, mack... I wouldn't be too upset.

 

[Nosferatu]

People seem to forget that the Hart is for the most valuable player for his team. There is no rule that the team should make to the play offs. Can anyone honestly say that there is any player more valuable to his team than McDavid? Hall is probably the second best option and McKinnon third.

 

[lidstromiscool]

Mackinnon, Hall, Kucherov. Pretty simple

 

[mazmin]

Blake Wheeler had been driving the Jets as their captain and hardest working player. I've clearly got a bias here but I feel he's deserving as much as anyone this season. His defensive game is underrated and he covered for Scheifele at C when he went down with a big injury and the Jets kept winning.

Winnipeg is a small market so we'll probably see the MVP go to a player in a bigger one. No worries, all Blake cares for is one specific (Cup shaped) trophy.

 

[mazmin]

People seem to forget that the Hart is for the most valuable player for his team. There is no rule that the team should make to the play offs. Can anyone honestly say that there is any player more valuable to his team than McDavid? Hall is probably the second best option and McKinnon third.

I feel like non-playoff / competative teams don't really count for MVP. So McDavid is out this year.

Kucherov is a decent choice but he has Stamkos on his line who is an elite C and a Norris candidate in Hedman on the blue line. He gets a lot of help. Same could be said about Malkin with Crosby, Kessel, Letang.

If the season ended today I'd bet MacKinnon wins it. Do we actually believe Rantanen could drive this team to a playoff position without him?

 

[NoMessi]

Malkin have been the best player in the league for half the season, Kucherov for the other half. They should have a good battle for Lindsey.

 

[DearDiary]

People seem to forget that the Hart is for the most valuable player for his team. There is no rule that the team should make to the play offs. Can anyone honestly say that there is any player more valuable to his team than McDavid? Hall is probably the second best option and McKinnon third.

The Hart goes to the most valuable player. How can the most valuable player be on a team that they led nowhere? If you disagree, give me a list of all the players who've won the Hart on a non playoff team. Hart is voted by the media and they've made it clear the winner has to lead their team to a playoff spot or better if it's a divisional title

 

[Pay Carl]

Hall for me

Difference between him and the next Devil in points is huge

He truly has been the most valuable player to his team

MacKinnon second, Kuch third

Lightning just have so many good players. Hell of a year from Kuch but the Lightning are just too good all around, so its hard to say hes been as important

 

[BahlDeep]

There's no way in hell Hall doesn't win the Hart if we make the playoffs. He has 31 points more than the second point getter. He is on a 25 (18+7) game point streak.

 

[BahlDeep]

good odds Pens miss without Malkin


I still think this is Kucherov

Really? Pitt have 2 other players in the top 15.

Kucherov has Stamkos with 77 points. Tampa has 4 more players with more points than the second best point producer on the Devils.

Mack has Rantanen with 64 points. Barrie has more points than the second best point producer on the Devils. And than there's also Landeskog.

Hall has Hischier with....41 points. There's really no argument at all.

 

[Creativero]

People seem to forget that the Hart is for the most valuable player for his team. There is no rule that the team should make to the play offs. Can anyone honestly say that there is any player more valuable to his team than McDavid? Hall is probably the second best option and McKinnon third.

you could easily McDavid has actually hurt his team this year. The team was out of the playoff race months age with him. If he wasn't playing they could easily be in dead last again finally in position add a #1 defenceman they desperately need . The team would actually be much better off if he just stayed home this year.

 

[Ainec]

Really? Pitt have 2 other players in the top 15.

Kucherov has Stamkos with 77 points. Tampa has 4 more players with more points than the second best point producer on the Devils.

Mack has Rantanen with 64 points. Barrie has more points than the second best point producer on the Devils. And than there's also Landeskog.

Hall has Hischier with....41 points. There's really no argument at all.

I'm not discriminating Hall's workload or the fact that he has the least amount of players to work with but the Hart trophy often times go to the best player in the NHL, and not the most Valuable.

That player is Kucherov.

And yeah without Malkin, the Pens are likely an eighth seed

 

[BahlDeep]

I'm not discriminating Hall's workload or the fact that he has the least amount of players to work with but the Hart trophy often times go to the best player in the NHL, and not the most Valuable.

That player is Kucherov.

And yeah without Malkin, the Pens are likely an eighth seed

That wouldn't happen. You have Kessel and Crosby who might (probably will) finish with 80+ points. I refuse to believe that they would be fighting for the 8th seed.

 

[Ainec]

That wouldn't happen. You have Kessel and Crosby who might (probably will) finish with 80+ points. I refuse to believe that they would be fighting for the 8th seed.

b2b cup fatigue and overall lazy play

They were on the outside looking in for parts of this season. Then Malkin turned it on

 

[Newsworthy]

Blake Wheeler had been driving the Jets as their captain and hardest working player. I've clearly got a bias here but I feel he's deserving as much as anyone this season. His defensive game is underrated and he covered for Scheifele at C when he went down with a big injury and the Jets kept winning.

Winnipeg is a small market so we'll probably see the MVP go to a player in a bigger one. No worries, all Blake cares for is one specific (Cup shaped) trophy.

Jets are one of the higher scoring teams in the league(219)about the same spot as Pittsburgh(220). Vegas(225) isn't much higher and Tb(243)leads the league. The Jets have a lot of talent including on the first line.
Despite these offensive numbers Wheeler still only has 18 goals on the year.
Say what you want about McDavid but the numbers don't lie. The Oilers have about 40 less goals on the year.
Could make similar cases for Hall and MacKinnon all who score more goals with similar PPG.
Now if we mention defense or goaltending Connor is a Vezina candidate this year.
Other than Vaz of Tb you can't mAke a case for any other team among the top Hart candidates.
In fact I could make the case that Laine is more valuable to the Jets success than Wheeler. And Schiefele is one of the better Centers in the league.
I really don't see a case for Wheeler at all.

 

[rmthomson21]

Really? Pitt have 2 other players in the top 15.

Kucherov has Stamkos with 77 points. Tampa has 4 more players with more points than the second best point producer on the Devils.

Mack has Rantanen with 64 points. Barrie has more points than the second best point producer on the Devils. And than there's also Landeskog.

Hall has Hischier with....41 points. There's really no argument at all.

Alternatively, Hall doesn't improve the players around him as well as Kucherov and MacKinnon do.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

Pittsburgh without Malkin likely still makes the playoffs.

No chance. They’d be a bottom 5 team in the league this year without Malkin.

 

[Sam Spade]

People seem to forget that the Hart is for the most valuable player for his team. There is no rule that the team should make to the play offs. Can anyone honestly say that there is any player more valuable to his team than McDavid? Hall is probably the second best option and McKinnon third.

If no McDavid where do the Oilers finish in the standings?

With McDavid where are the Oilers in the standings?

Great player but his "value" to the Oilers, this season, is negligible.

That wouldn't happen. You have Kessel and Crosby who might (probably will) finish with 80+ points. I refuse to believe that they would be fighting for the 8th seed.

Yeah, I think without Malkin the Pens are still in the exact same position they are in today, third in the Metro. That is a pretty loaded roster up front.

Taking nothing away from Malkin though, he has been insane, and if he takes the Ross and/or the Rocket I wouldn't be surprised if he wins the Hart and the Lindsay.

 

[rintinw]

Really? Pitt have 2 other players in the top 15.

Kucherov has Stamkos with 77 points. Tampa has 4 more players with more points than the second best point producer on the Devils.

Mack has Rantanen with 64 points. Barrie has more points than the second best point producer on the Devils. And than there's also Landeskog.

Hall has Hischier with....41 points. There's really no argument at all.

Yeah, I think without Malkin the Pens are still in the exact same position they are in today, third in the Metro. That is a pretty loaded roster up front.

Taking nothing away from Malkin though, he has been insane, and if he takes the Ross and/or the Rocket I wouldn't be surprised if he wins the Hart and the Lindsay.

It could be easily argued that without Malkin PIT wouldn't be in play offs.

Penguins were 23rd in the league in Pt% and out of play offs before Malkin started his hot streak. Then they won 17 in their last 24 games. In those 24 games the team is +15 at 5v5 when Malkin is on ice and +1 when he is not. It gets to +22 vs +4 if you count all ES situations. And it's not exactly that he played with Kessel or Crosby. Of his 387 ES minutes only 129 were with one of them on ice (110 Kessel, 9 Crosby, 10 both). Malkin is also +21 in that span while no other PIT player has more than +13 (Kessel +11, Crosby +6).

So the question is who would step in to replace that contribution. And how many wins of those 17 wouldn't be wins. And keep in mind that all it takes for PIT is having 5 less wins and they are looking from the outside.

 

[bobholly39]

No chance. They’d be a bottom 5 team in the league this year without Malkin.

No chance in hell

Without Malkin they'd still make the playoffs. Even if it simply means Crosby would be having a better year to make it so.

Though of course that's besides the point...