Here are the candidates for the NHL’s Most Valuable Player – including a huge surprise!
The NHL revealed the candidates for this season’s Hart Trophy on Friday. The award is given to the player who has been the most valuable to their team. The winner is chosen by the NHL Writers’ Association.
The finalist trio for the 2025-26 season consists of Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning), Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche), and Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers).
However, the biggest topic of discussion is who was left out of the trio. Teenage sensation Macklin Celebrini did not make the finalist trio at all, even though the young player nearly single-handedly carried the San Jose Sharks and led the team, which was expected to be the weakest in the league, close to a playoff spot.
Kucherov had another incredible season. The 32-year-old Russian scored 130 points with 44 goals and 86 assists in 76 games and was the Lightning’s top scorer, playmaker, and points leader. He previously won the Hart Trophy once, in the 2018-19 season.
MacKinnon claimed the Hart Trophy two seasons ago and is now a finalist for the fifth time. The Avalanche star won the NHL goal-scoring title with 53 goals and 74 assists for 127 points in 80 games.
McDavid, on the other hand, won the points race for the sixth time in his career. The Oilers superstar amassed an impressive 138 points with 48 goals and 90 assists in 82 games and is a Hart finalist for the seventh time. He has previously won the award three times.
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