New Jersey Devils v Tampa Bay Lightning — Top 7 mid-season NHL MVP candidates: Who's leading the pack for Hart Trophy honors in 2024?

Top 5 mid-season NHL MVP candidates: Who's leading the pack for Hart Trophy honors in 2024?

Modified Jan 22, 2024 20:06 GMT

In 2022-23, the Hart Trophy race was never in doubt when Connor McDavid became just the sixth skater in NHL history to finish a season with over 150 points. Meanwhile, David Pastrnak finished in second thanks to 61 goals, and Matthew Tkachuk came in third after another 100-point campaign.

There are no clear-cut favorites this season, and McDavid is not in a position to repeat as league MVP. At the halfway mark, two skaters are presently neck and neck in the scoring race, which is a significant factor when voters cast their ballots for the Hart Trophy.

Although everyone has opinions on why a particular player outranks another, here's a breakdown of the players with the best chances of winning the coveted award at the season's end.

Ranking 5 NHL favorites to win the Hart Trophy in 2024

#5. J.T. Miller (Vancouver Canucks)

In 2019-20, Vancouver Canucks' J.T. Miller finished the season with 99 points and ended in 14th place in Hart Trophy voting. Under head coach Rick Tocchet, the Canucks are one of the top teams this season, and Miller, along with Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes, have been in the top 15 in scoring all year.

Even though Vancouver is winning as a group, Miller continues to rank among the top five scorers in the league and will easily surpass 100 points by the end of the season. Of course, some more favorable players are ahead of him in the race, but he'll be considered a top finalist for his award.

#4. David Pastrnak (Boston Bruins)

Pastrnak collected a career-high 61 goals in 2022-23, finishing second in the Hart Trophy race behind McDavid. Surprisingly, the Boston Bruins forward finished high in the race despite the team breaking almost every NHL record during a historic season.

Now, the Bruins are not dominating like last year but remain a top team, and Pastrnak is one of the few skaters to have 30 goals at the halfway point. As arguably the best player on the team, it is safe to say without him scoring at a torrid pace, Boston might not be battling for the Presidents' Trophy for consecutive seasons.

#3. Artemi Panarin (New York Rangers)

Artemi Panarin is about to break his career high for goals (32) and possibly finish the season with 50 goals. Under a new head coach, Peter Laviolette, the New York Rangers were the best team in the NHL during the first half, and Panarin is just one of the players benefitting from a new system.

Although he is still chasing a Stanley Cup title, the only trophy on his mantle is a Calder Trophy, despite being one of the top NHL scorers of his generation. Panarin could be a long shot for the Hart Trophy; he'll likely be a top-three finalist.

#2. Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche)

Nathan MacKinnon is a Stanley Cup champion who finally surpassed 100 points last season for the first time in his career. Since debuting almost a decade ago, his name has often been in the discussion about who the best player in the league is.

Outside of his fanbase, no one would admit that MacKinnon is elite, but this year, he's been on a mission to prove everyone wrong. Outside winning the Calder Trophy and the Lady Byng Trophy, he needs to add an NHL scoring title or league MVP to solidify his spot at the top.

#1. Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Nikita Kucherov had a head start on the scoring race and was running away from everyone else in the league until MacKinnon caught up to him. Now, the two superstars continue to alter positions at the top of the Art Ross Trophy race every other day.

However, there's quite a difference between the two teams they play for. The Colorado Avalanche are Stanley Cup contenders and a top Western Conference and NHL team. Yet, the Tampa Bay Lightning are doing everything possible to stay in the Eastern Conference wildcard race.

If Kucherov wins the NHL scoring race and the Lightning qualify for the playoffs by just a handful of points, the former Hart Trophy winner from 2020 would claim his second league MVP award.