Originally I was going to get into the discussion of who is the front runner for the 2023-24 NHL Hart Trophy award.
The Hart is awarded to the MVP of the league, and the current contenders are:
– Nathan Mackinnon
– Nikita Kucherov
-Connor McDavid
-Artemi Panarin
-Quinn Hughes
-Cale Makar
However, a selfless play made by Mackinnon in the dying seconds of the third, changed the topic of this video.
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I believe Mackinnon/Kucherov are neck and neck for the Hart trophy as of right now. I don't think a few point differential will make a huge difference if they were both to finish top two. What's more important, as a narrative driven trophy, is, can the Tampa Bay Lightning stay in a playoff spot?
I have a hard time believing, that if they miss playoffs, Kucherov wins. With that being said, there are also players such as Connor McDavid, Quinn Hughes, Artemi Panarin, and Cale Makar in the rear view mirror.
As of right now MY percentages would be:
– Mackinnon 40%, as the Avs are basically guarenteed a playoff spot, and since it's narrative driven, Mackinnon not having a Hart would probably help him.
– Kucherov 25%, Tampa Bay making playoffs has a huge hold on whether Kucherov is a contender or not, but what he's doing is nothing short of amazing.
-Other 35%, There's a good chance McDavid can always come back with half of a season to work with, and with the seasons that Makar and Hughes are having, we could see a Norris/Hart winner as well.
What do you think!? What am I missing?
Edit: These percentages assume no players miss significant time.