The NFL just isn’t the one sport that’s going to have an intense MVP debate. Because the 2024-25 NHL season reaches its midway level, the Hart Trophy (MVP) race remains to be extraordinarily vast open with a number of contenders rising.
Let’s check out 4 of them who needs to be main the best way.
Nathan MacKinnon, ahead, Colorado Avalanche
MacKinnon’s MVP argument is easy — he’s main the NHL in scoring with 70 factors going into Thursday’s video games, and he’s one of the best participant on a group that’s solidly in a playoff spot. Factors and offense will all the time get gamers observed in awards discussions, particularly when they’re on high of the league. Given what number of accidents Colorado has needed to cope with this season, in addition to its sketchy goaltending that value it some video games early within the season, MacKinnon’s play has allowed the Avalanche to remain comfortably in a playoff spot. If he wins, he could be the primary back-to-back MVP winner since Alex Ovechkin throughout the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons.
Leon Draisaitl, ahead, Edmonton Oilers
Yearly, you may make certain that Edmonton’s dominant offensive duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will probably be on the high of the scoring leaderboard and on the heart of the MVP debate. Each gamers have already received the MVP award of their careers, and each gamers are proper there once more this season. However nearly as good as McDavid has been, Draisaitl will get the slight edge right here as a result of he entered play on Thursday main the NHL in complete targets (31), plus-minus (plus-27) and game-winning targets (9).
Connor Hellebuyck, goalie, Winnipeg Jets
Goalies do not get practically sufficient love within the MVP race. Solely two of them have received it over the previous 25 years (Jose Theodore in 2001-02 and Carey Value in 2014-15), and they’re not often finalists. However given how a lot they will impression a group, and the way a lot a terrific goalie can elevate a mediocre group right into a contender, they completely match the definition of worth. No goalie within the league does that extra proper now than Hellebuyck. He’s the only greatest motive the Jets have one of many NHL’s greatest data. His .929 save proportion is the best within the NHL and .028 greater than the league common (.901), whereas he has a mark of .920 or higher for the third yr in a row. He’s one of the best goalie on the planet proper now and has nearly single-handedly turned the Jets right into a contender.
Kirill Kaprizov, ahead, Minnesota Wild
The Wild have by no means had an MVP winner within the historical past of their group, however Kaprizov in all probability has one of the best probability of any participant they’ve ever had. He’s a top-tier scorer, a dynamic playmaker and helps to hold the Wild to a playoff spot a yr after they missed solely. His point-per-game common is fourth greatest within the NHL, and he’s one in all league’s must-see gamers when wholesome. That, nevertheless, is the important thing for Kaprizov and the one factor that’s in all probability placing him beneath the gamers talked about above. He has not been wholesome all season. He has already missed 11 video games this season, which could knock him down a peg or two within the eyes of voters. If he performs nearly all of the second half, nevertheless, and maintains his present scoring fee and will get the Wild into the playoffs, he’ll completely be within the dialogue.
