Nikita Kucherov is the clear favorite for the Art Ross Trophy

[DFC]

I’d like to add some context and hopefully clarity here.

1. Kucherov and MacKinnon have been the front runners for the award virtually all season. I don’t really understand the general screw job idea some are aiming for.

2. I think I’m one of the more vocal McDavid fans around here. I’ve recognized that he would finish no higher than third in voting, so let’s be real here…there’s not some giant swell of support for him over Kucherov, particularly now that he is injured again.

I think what we’re seeing here is people being blindsided by Kucherov’s comeback when it comes to who is reaching 100 assists first. It seemed like a foregone conclusion that it was McDavid and not too long ago, Kucherov wasn’t even in the discussion to do it; now if he sits again tonight, it pretty much locks Kucherov in to reaching the mark first. I think people are almost dumbstruck by it happening.

3. Kucherov has 2 goals in his last 11 games and 5 in his last 19. His best 3 game stretch all season is 4 goals total. Potting 7 goals with 3 games left is not a real chance.

His case is strong. I think he deserves it at this point.

But I also think voters decided months ago that MacKinnon was getting it as long as his case was very good as well, which it is.

That is actually the screwjob.

I mostly agree with everything in here. I do think voters in general watch TB games less than other teams (whenever TB is reported on, they tend to get things very wrong -- like claiming Stamkos was a winger about 3 years before he actually became a winger). And I think voters or more likely to vote for a guy they see more often, or have seen more often.

With that said, I think in the past 3 weeks or so there has been a ground swell toward Kucherov. About 75% of the guys I see talking about their vote are saying that, right now, it's Kucherov. He has become the sexy pick, rather than the obvious pick, which is strange, considering he's in the Art Ross lead.

But anyway, I think it's too close to call in general.

 

[Video Nasty]

That is actually the screwjob.

I mostly agree with everything in here. I do think voters in general watch TB games less than other teams (whenever TB is reported on, they tend to get things very wrong -- like claiming Stamkos was a winger about 3 years before he actually became a winger). And I think voters or more likely to vote for a guy they see more often, or have seen more often.

With that said, I think in the past 3 weeks or so there has been a ground swell toward Kucherov. About 75% of the guys I see talking about their vote are saying that, right now, it's Kucherov. He has become the sexy pick, rather than the obvious pick, which is strange, considering he's in the Art Ross lead.

But anyway, I think it's too close to call in general.

Hopefully Kucherov does win it, so then we’ll never hear the end of MacKinnon getting “robbed again.”

 

[DFC]

Hopefully Kucherov does win it, so then we’ll never hear the end of MacKinnon getting “robbed again.”

The real winners are Crosby diehards.

 

[EmptyNetAssassin]

2 years have passed and you still haven’t learned how offsides work?

Damn.

Been playing hockey for over 30 years. I know it how it works. It was Offsides.

We will have 2 players with 100 assists for the first time since 1988-1989, damn near 36 years to get to this achievement.

Apparently getting less points is a better accomplishment if you aren't Canadian. Switch kucherov with McDavid this wouldn't even be a debate.

 

[Rschmitz]

Well.....before you chime in, try reading the context of the replies you are replying to. So yeah....totally your fault.

I did. The context, the title and the 4000 posts talking about the Hart is part of the context.

If you don't want your individual post to be about the Hart, elaborate that it's a nuanced point so that we can ignore it. Thanks

 

[EpochLink]

Apparently getting less points is a better accomplishment if you aren't Canadian. Switch kucherov with McDavid this wouldn't even be a debate.

Naw, that’s a great accomplishment for both players. I’m a fan of both, Kucherov is a great player. Sorry, I’m not those idiot fans grunting about ‘tough nose, gritty, husky, gnarly, good old Canadian’ players like some people are.

 

[Cup or Bust]

Same for Kucherov. Let's be honest here If his name was nick kuche from Quebec all the Canadian media would be saying he is the greatest right winger in the league since jagr and is the mvp. McDavid, Mack, and Kucherov are all hof worthy players.

Enough about that Russian stuff. I don't want to talk to anyone on this board bringing up that nonsense. I don't care where players come from, I don't even care about international hockey, my opinions on players have nothing to do with where players are born. If Kucherov wins or Mackinnon wins it honestly does not matter much to me since I am not a fan of either team.

 

[WarriorofTime]

The real winners are Crosby diehards.

Like the one guy that started a history of hockey thread to say in a roundabout way that Kucherov and MacKinnon outscoring him this year means McDavid isn’t better than Crosby.

 

[Video Nasty]

The real winners are Crosby diehards.

How so?

 

[DFC]

Like the one guy that started a history of hockey thread to say in a roundabout way that Kucherov and MacKinnon outscoring him this year means McDavid isn’t better than Crosby.

How so?

See above.

 

[um]

Been playing hockey for over 30 years. I know it how it works. It was Offsides.


Apparently getting less points is a better accomplishment if you aren't Canadian. Switch kucherov with McDavid this wouldn't even be a debate.

Gotta touch the puck to be offsides.

 

[EmptyNetAssassin]

Gotta touch the puck to be offsides.

Can't enter zone before tbe puck

 

[McShogun99]

Change Kucherov's name to Nicholas Kane from Long Island and he'll get almost every 1st place vote this year.

He currently has the season assist record by a winger, 3rd most points in a season by a winger and only 6 points behind Bossy and 8 behind Jagr for the record. Potentially be the only winger in NHL history with 100 assists. Potentially could win the Ross. I don't know how this can't be an MVP season.

 

[ViD]

Is McDavid playing tonight ?
If he scores 4-5 points, you can truly say he’s back in the mix

 

[User9992]

Is McDavid playing tonight ?
If he scores 4-5 points, you can truly say he’s back in the mix

He won't. Looks like Kucherov will be only one to score 100 Assists this season.

Oilers' Connor McDavid: Won't play Friday

Oilers' Connor McDavid: Won't play Friday

www.cbssports.com

Looks like Connor & Oilers priorities health & playoffs over personal achievements in regular season.

 

[User9992]

Looks like Conor McDavid will miss the rest of regular season. So Kucherov will be the only one to score 100 assists this season

 

[Video Nasty]

He won't. Looks like Kucherov will be only one to score 100 Assists this season.

Oilers' Connor McDavid: Won't play Friday

Oilers' Connor McDavid: Won't play Friday

www.cbssports.com

Looks like Connor & Oilers priorities health & playoffs over personal achievements in regular season.

It’s for the best. They made the wrong call rushing him back early in the season, but the stakes are even higher at this point, so they need to get this right. Missing out on becoming the fourth player to record 100 assists and being removed from Art Ross contention stings, but at this point, they need him primed for a long playoff run.

 

[ViD]

Looks like Conor McDavid will miss the rest of regular season. So Kucherov will be the only one to score 100 assists this season

That’s a shame but he’s got more than enough personal hardware

 

[User9992]

That’s a shame but he’s got more than enough personal hardware

He says health is more important than numbers & individual achievements.

 

[J T Money]

Props to McDavid is he chooses to sit the rest of the season…can’t be easy to be so close to a milestone and willfully walk away from it.

 

[66-30-33]

I'm guessing he will play the final 2 games until he can hit 100 assists and take the rest after that.

 

[killa3312]

If we are honest, the only reason there's a race is because McDavid got injured

McDavid has still played in 74 games and Kucherov has the higher PPG average this season, lol.

 

[Frolov 6'3]

If McDavid had been healthy this season, I think he would have run away with the Art Ross, Hart, Lindsay, possibly passing Yzerman to have the third highest point in a season ever.

14th highest points in a season ever, you mean.

 

[42]

Bah, 100 is a purely arbitrary target significant only because we have chosen to use the decimal system for most countable things, arbitrarily. As a binary system proponent, Kucherov won't impress me until he hits 128 assists.

 

[DownIsTheNewUp]

I think people are jumping the gun a bit assuming McD sits out the rest of the season. He's out tonight, questionable for tomorrow, but they still have 3 more games next week.