An Edmonton Oilers superstar leads the Hart Trophy race ... but it's not Connor McDavid.
The latest: Leon Draisaitl has usurped running mate McDavid as the favourite to win this award. McDavid isn't even the top Connor on the board as Connor Hellebuyck holds down the third-shortest odds. Hot on Draisaitl's tail, however, is the always-dangerous Nathan MacKinnon.
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It's fair to say the Oilers have two frontmen.
Not many teams boast two players that have won the Hart Trophy even once. But now Edmonton has a chance become the only active team with two players who own multiple Hart Trophies.
Draisaitl, who won this award during the 2019-20 campaign, is emerging as the top contender to claim the honour again in 2024-25.
Outproducing McDavid is a good way to establish yourself as a legitimate candidate. Draisaitl leads the Oilers in points (83 versus McDavid's 71) this season.
He's been on an absolute tear since the calendar flipped to 2025, too, with 13 goals and 27 points in 18 games.
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It's not often a goalie works his way into the mix, but Hellebuyck's play is too good to ignore.
The Winnipeg Jets puckstopper owns the third-best odds and rightfully so. Hellebuyck ranks:
- 1st in games (43)
- 1st in wins (34)
- 1st in SV% (.925)
- 1st in GAA (2.06)
- 1st in shutouts (6)
He leads every single important goaltending statistic.
Goaltenders winning the Hart Trophy isn't something that happens often. Carey Price (2015) was the last one to do it.
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MacKinnon: On a team full of high-calibre talent, MacKinnon (+285) has been the Colorado Avalanche's best player.
He leads the league in assists (66) and points (87) through 57 games.
The only surprise so far is a lack of goals after he potted 51 last year.
The Avalanche are firmly in the Western Conference's playoff picture, holding onto a wild-card spot while trying to chase down divisional rivals.
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NHL Hart Trophy notes
- Even with the departure of Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov (+1,500) continues to be one of the most dominant offensive forces in the NHL. Last year's Art Ross Trophy recipient has 82 points through 52 games.
- Don't get it twisted: McDavid (+650) is still very live to win this award. The Oilers superstar is only 16 points off the league lead in points despite missing six games, and he's capable of going on a heater at any time. The biggest worry is that McDavid and Draisaitl cancel each other out in the MVP race.
- Vancouver is back in a playoff spot and Quinn Hughes (+1,000) is a big reason why. The blueliner leads his team in points (59) and ice time per game (25:18). He's the driving force on a team that has a lot of underperforming players this season.
