For a third consecutive year, there is no clear choice for the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP, and again the debate over the importance of “valuable” comes into play.
Edmonton’s Connor McDavid is on track to win the scoring race for the most points and the Art Ross Trophy, while Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon has the inside track for the league lead in goals. Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov is more than 40 points clear of his next-closest teammate and could be a Hart finalist for a second consecutive year.
AP Hockey Writers John Wawrow and Stephen Whyno give their predictions on who should take home all the major awards, which are based on how players performed during the regular season:
Wawrow: Nikita Kucherov. As much as McDavid and MacKinnon deserve consideration, and maybe Montreal's Nick Suzuki merits mention, Kucherov did more with less on a Tampa Bay team that proved immune to the shakeup that turned the Atlantic Division upside down.
Whyno: McDavid. There's an argument to be made for Kucherov, given where the Lightning could be without him after a season full of injuries. But McDavid carried the Oilers down the stretch after Leon Draisaitl got injured, and he should add a fourth MVP honor to his impressive resume that is missing only the Stanley Cup.
Wawrow: Vasilevskiy. The numbers simply speak for themselves. Leading the league with 39 wins, no goalie had a better goals-against average and save percentage playing 50 or more games this season.
Whyno: Vasilevskiy. John and I are on the same wavelength here. With a nod to Utah's Karel Vejmelka for making more than 60 starts, no one has mixed a heavy workload with quality of play like Vasilevskiy, who has made the Cup Final four times, won it twice, but only won the Vezina once (2019).
Wawrow: Cale Makar, Colorado. A case could be made for Werenski over a ton of talent such as Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin and Minnesota’s Quinn Hughes. Makar, however, stands out for once again being the NHL’s most complete defenseman.
Whyno: Makar. Had Werenski on top for much of the year, but it was a rough second half for the 28-year-old since the Olympic break. Dallas' Miro Heiskanen deserves consideration, but Makar controlled the play for Colorado and only missed a handful of games because of injury.
BetMGM Sportsbook favorite: Matthew Schaefer, New York Islanders (off the board)
Wawrow: Schaefer. Montreal’s Ivan Demidov and Anaheim’s Beckett Sennecke might have more points, but no rookie played more valuable minutes than Schaefer, justifying his selection as a No. 1 pick.
Whyno: Schaefer could be unanimous. Even some of the best defensemen of this generation needed years to adapt to the learning curve at the position, and Schaefer did it perfectly at 18.
Wawrow: Nick Suzuki, Montreal. With Aleksander Barkov injured, the field was wide open and Suzuki may run away with the honor. Though he is a secondary figure on the Canadiens' penalty kill, his 5-on-5 numbers and puck-possession metrics, while facing opposing top lines, are solid.
Whyno: Jordan Staal, Carolina. The team captain has consistently drawn tough defensive matchups and dominated on faceoffs and has only once been a Selke finalist. This should be his year.
Wawrow: Ruff. He found the elusive key to finally unlock the potential of a team that too often faltered under pressure, carrying over the lessons learned from his first season back in Buffalo. He did so with a game-at-a-time focus, a changing lineup and being Buffalo’s first coach during the team’s 14-season playoff drought to finally place an emphasis on improving locker room culture.
Whyno: Jon Cooper, Tampa Bay. Injuries and extended absences to key players, including Victor Hedman, Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli and Ryan McDonagh, led the Lightning to dress 33 skaters and three goalies and showcased why Cooper is considered among the best in the business.
___
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
