History shows Bobrovsky should be a lock for MVP nod
The list of goaltenders to capture the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player is short, especially in the modern era.
Since Jacques Plante became the fourth-ever netminder to win the award in 1961-62, only four more have earned the honor, most recently in 2014-15.
As this regular season winds down, though, Sergei Bobrovsky's sparkling campaign should earn him plenty of consideration to become the next goalie MVP, as he's been the catalyst in the Columbus Blue Jackets' emergence as a contender in the Eastern Conference.
Take a look at his numbers compared to those of the most recent goalies to win the Hart:
| Season | Player | Wins | GAA | Sv% | 1st place votes (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-97 | Dominik Hasek | 37 | 2.27 | .930 | 96.1% |
| 1997-98 | Dominik Hasek | 33 | 2.09 | .932 | 92.4% |
| 2001-02 | Jose Theodore | 30 | 2.11 | .931 | 70% |
| 2014-15 | Carey Price | 44 | 1.96 | .933 | 95.4% |
| 2016-17* | Bobrovsky | 41 | 1.97 | .935 |
*The Blue Jackets have seven games remaining
It goes without saying that Bobrovsky has built himself quite a case.
Save for Theodore's win in 2002, when he narrowly edged Jarome Iginla's 52-goal campaign, goaltenders that have put up seasons like Bobrovsky's have been clear favorites over their competition.
For reference, Hasek's dominant back-to-back wins in the late nineties saw him edge Paul Kariya (99 points) and Mario Lemieux (122 points) in voting in 1996-97, then convincingly beat out Jaromir Jagr for MVP in 1997-98, after No. 68 put forth a 102-point season.
If Bobrovsky ends up a finalist, his presumed competition will be Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby, who are on track to win the Art Ross and "Rocket" Richard, respectively, but wont reach any earth-shattering totals in doing so.
Beating out those two won't be easy, as his superstarstardom is nowhere near that of the aforementioned faces of the NHL. It's also difficult to discount the very real possibility of Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns, and Brad Marchand earning nominations.
Bobrovsky's already been designated as the Blue Jackets' Masterton nominee, and will certainly be a Vezina finalist, but the 28-year-old owns a convincing argument to earn even more hardware.