As the NHL season rolls past the midway point, the league is already deep into chaos mode. We’ve seen blockbuster trades, early-season GM firings, and an intense scramble as teams battle for playoff positioning while settling into the grind of the year.
As the race tightens, focus is turning to individual awards like the Hart Trophy. An anonymous ESPN poll of PHWA voters revealed a surprising MVP contender outside of Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon.
Hart Trophy Voter Names Surprise Superstar Outside Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon
At the moment, MacKinnon sits firmly atop the Hart Trophy race. The Colorado Avalanche star leads the NHL in scoring with 74 points and has been the driving force behind Colorado’s dominance. The Avs currently own the league’s best record at 31-3-7, and voters see MacKinnon as the engine behind it all.
One voter summed it up simply, noting, “MacKinnon is just too critical to the Avs’ success and he’s been the league’s best offensive player all season. Until that changes, he’s got this on lock,”
Right behind him is McDavid, who has once again reminded everyone why he’s always part of the Hart conversation. The Edmonton Oilers captain has 72 points and went on a scorching run in December, posting 34 points in just 15 games. That surge helped Edmonton climb from sixth place in the Pacific Division all the way to second.
According to one voter, “McDavid proving again that the Oilers go as he goes.”
However, the most intriguing name to surface in the poll was San Jose Sharks rookie sensation Macklin Celebrini.
Celebrini has quietly put together a remarkable season, piling up 63 points and carrying a Sharks team that few expected to be competitive. The gap between him and San Jose’s second-leading scorer, Will Smith, is a massive 34 points. It highlights just how much of the offensive load Celebrini has taken on.
One voter pointed out, “Celebrini has a real shot to overtake MacKinnon if the Sharks make the playoffs.” While the majority of voters still lean toward MacKinnon or McDavid as the eventual winner, a small but growing group believes Celebrini could make things interesting down the stretch.
Another said Celebrini has clearly and credibly entered the MVP conversation based on what he accomplished over the past month.
Others weren’t ready to move him ahead of MacKinnon just yet, but admitted the idea is becoming harder to ignore, with one voter saying they’re already looking forward to the possibility of penciling Celebrini onto their ballot.
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Beyond the top contenders, voters also mentioned several other standout performers further down their ballots, including Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand, Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, Minnesota Wild winger Matt Boldy, and Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki.
