Kucherov, MacKinnon, McDavid: Three Absolute Monsters Fighting for Hart Trophy Glory

The Hart Trophy voting is in, and the NHL just gave us the three names you'd expect to see in the conversation for the league's MVP award. Nikita Kucherov, Nathan MacKinnon, and Connor McDavid have been voted as the Hart Trophy finalists, cementing their places among the absolute elite of the 2025-26 season.

This is the award that separates the good players from the generational talents. All three of these guys have spent the season doing things on the ice that make you stop and wonder how they pull it off night after night. The Hart Trophy doesn't get handed out to role players or solid contributors. It goes to the guy who carries his team on his back when it matters most.

Three Guys, One Trophy, Zero Doubt

Kucherov, MacKinnon, and McDavid all made it through the voters' gauntlet and came out on the other side as finalists. That's your top tier right there. When the Hart Trophy voting happens, you're looking at who elevated their team above everyone else in the league, who showed up when the pressure was highest, and who made the biggest impact on the ice every single night.

This trio represents the cream of the crop. These are the names that dominate highlight reels, lead the stat sheets, and carry their teams into the playoffs on their backs. Whether it's consistency, playmaking, goal scoring, or pure dominance, each of these guys has a legitimate case for why they deserve to take home hardware.

What's Next

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are already rolling, and while these three will be competing to lift the Cup with their respective teams, one of them will eventually be crowned the Hart Trophy winner. The voting is done, the finalists are set, and now it's just a matter of waiting to see which titan the voters decided meant the most to their franchise during the regular season.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.