The race for the Hart Trophy award as the NHL’s most valuable player remains incredibly tight, and a former winner has forced himself into the conversation. Nathan MacKinnon remains in the top three for betting odds, but thanks to the recent dominance of Austin Matthews, he no longer sits at minus money. Winning the award would be a first for MacKinnon, but in addition to Matthews, two other former winners stand in his way. With just over 20 games remaining, Nikita Kucherov and reigning MVP Connor McDavid are the only other two players with a legitimate shot at the award. Connor Hellebuyck is a heavy favourite to win the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender, but he remains a long shot for the Hart Trophy as the next most likely player to win behind these four at +4000.
Austin Matthews
With 53 goals in 57 games, Matthews is on pace to score 74 goals if he can stay healthy for the remainder of the season. This would be the eighth highest scoring season in NHL history, and it would make him the first 70 goal scorer of the 21st century. Matthews set his previous high of 60 goals two seasons ago in just 73 games, which was the highest mark we have seen since Alex Ovechkin scored 65 goals in 2007-08. With over a 10-goal lead over Sam Reinhart, the 2016 first overall pick is a near lock for his third Rocket Richard Trophy in the last four seasons as the league’s leading goal scorer.
Just eight games ago, Matthews was a long shot for the MVP at +1600, but a ridiculous scoring stretch has moved him all the way to the top as a slight favourite. He went on a five-game goal streak that began with back-to-back hat tricks, giving him 10 goals over that stretch. The 26-year-old has six hat tricks on the season and has now done it back-to-back twice after opening the season with consecutive three goal games. The centerman not only contributes on the offensive side of the things, he also ranks as the fourth best forward in plus/minus this season.
Nathan MacKinnon
MacKinnon has a slight edge over Kucherov as the second most likely player to win the MVP. Both players have produced incredibly similar seasons statistically, but MacKinnon has the edge defensively with an 18 plus/minus compared to a 1 plus/minus from Kucherov. The 2013 first overall pick has now scored over 100 points in consecutive seasons and is on pace to break his career high of 111 he set last season. MacKinnon slightly trails Kucherov in both goals and assists, but he ranks sixth in goals and third in assists league wide.
Nikita Kucherov
Nikita Kucherov, the odds-on favorite, has achieved the league’s highest honor as NHL MVP four seasons ago, setting career highs with 128 points and 87 assists. The 30-year-old has now surpassed the 100-point threshold for the third time in his career, leading the league with 104 points. He ranks within the top five in both goals and assists, trailing just McDavid for the league lead in helpers.
Connor McDavid
McDavid nearly tied the 21st century goal record with 64 goals last seasons, falling just one short of Ovechkin’s 2007-08 season. He did however surpass Kucherov’s 128-point 2018-19 season by a significant margin, giving the most single season points in the 21st century with 153. This earned McDavid his second Hart Trophy in three seasons, and the third of his young career. The 27-year-old has ranked withing the top five for the award in the previous seven seasons and is set to do so once again this year.
The 2015 first overall pick has already cemented his place in the Hockey Hall of Fame and continues to prove he is one of the greatest talents to step foot on the ice. Since his rookie season where he only played in 45 games, he has reached the 100-point threshold every season, excluding his 97 points in 2019-20 in just 64 games. His goals have dropped off significantly from the 64 he scored last year to just 22 in 55 games this season, but he leads the NHL with 72 assists and ranks third in points behind Kucherov and MacKinnon.
If you are looking to bet on Matthew’s, MacKinnon, Kucherov, or McDavid to win the 2023-24 Hart Trophy, we recommend looking at the top betting sites your country has to offer. You can bet on all the NHL’s top individual awards including the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, Vezina Trophy, Calder Memorial Trophy, James Norris Memorial Trophy, and Frank J. Selke Trophy.