Connor McDavid
McDavid previously won the Hart in 2017, 2021, and 2023. He is arguably the best player in the world and a major reason the Oilers were on the doorstep of a Stanley Cup title last season, losing in seven games to the Florida Panthers. While McDavid only had 32 goals in 2023-24, he tallied 100 assists, which led the NHL. He finished with 132 points overall, ranking third in the league. McDavid also dominated in the playoffs. If the Oilers are going to be a legitimate contender again, he’ll need to be at his best. To be brutally honest, there’s little doubt that McDavid will perform. He has a great chance at dethroning the next name on this list, Nathan MacKinnon.
Nathan MacKinnon
MacKinnon absolutely erupted last season, scoring 51 goals and supplying 89 assists for 140 points. That was second in the NHL behind only Nikita Kucherov. MacKinnon did enough to be named the MVP for the first time in his career and also won the Ted Lindsay Award, which is given to the league’s most outstanding player. MacKinnon took the Colorado Avalanche to the playoffs but they lost in the conference semifinals to the Dallas Stars. He’s shown no signs of slowing down and should have another impressive campaign. However, it could be hard to beat out McDavid. MacKinnon has the second-best odds at most NHL sportsbooks.
Auston Matthews
Matthews is the No. 1 option for the Toronto Maple Leafs and has won the Hart Trophy once back in 2022, finishing with 60 goals and 46 assists. The 23’-24 campaign was even better, leading the NHL with 69 goals while also compiling 38 assists. Matthews finished fourth in the Hart voting as a result. He’s had over 100 points in two of the last three seasons. The Leafs will go as far as Matthews takes them, although the rest of the core in John Tavares, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander also have to do their job. Winning a Cup is definitely a priority for Matthews, but because of how talented he is, the American will be in the Hart Trophy conversation.
Nikita Kucherov
While Kucherov’s odds are steep, he can’t be overlooked. The Tampa Bay Lightning star led the NHL with 144 points last season, including 44 goals and 100 assists. Kucherov just barely lost out on the Hart Trophy to MacKinnon. He did win it back in 2019 though and is no stranger to being one of the top players in the NHL. The veteran will have every opportunity to put up numbers in ‘24-25, especially with Steven Stamkos now gone.
