Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Nikita Kucherov Are Your Hart Trophy Finalists, and the Snub Is Going to Sting

The Hart Trophy voting is done, and the Professional Hockey Writers Association has made their choice: Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Nikita Kucherov are your three finalists for NHL MVP. All three have won it before. All three made the playoffs. And that last part is the reason everyone in hockey is talking about who got left off this list.

McDavid's Numbers Are Simply Ridiculous

Let's start with the Edmonton Oilers star. McDavid is chasing his fourth Hart Trophy, and the case for him is basically written in the stat sheet. He led the entire NHL with 138 points in 82 games to grab his sixth scoring title. He also paced the league in assists with 90, the fifth time in his career he's done that. He finished third in goals with 48, behind MacKinnon and Cole Caufield.

But here's what really matters: McDavid carried the Oilers down the stretch when Leon Draisaitl went down with an injury late in the season. In 14 games without his star center, McDavid had 24 points and basically locked Edmonton into the Stanley Cup playoffs by himself. That's MVP stuff. McDavid won the Hart in 2017, 2021, and 2023. If he wins it again, he ties Eddie Shore on the all-time list.

The Player Everyone's Talking About Didn't Even Make It

Here's where this gets wild. San Jose Sharks teenager Macklin Celebrini put together one of the greatest seasons in NHL history for a 19-year-old. He set a franchise record with 115 points, 45 of them goals. He scored 56 more points and 21 more goals than any other Shark all season. That's not just good. That's historic.

Except the Sharks missed the playoffs. They finished four points out of a playoff spot. So Celebrini stays home while three former Hart winners advance. He did get named a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award, voted on by the players themselves, and McDavid and Kucherov are finalists for that one too. But the Hart snub is the one that stings.

The three finalists will have their winner crowned soon enough. But everyone knows the real story right now is the 19-year-old in San Jose who put up one of the best individual seasons ever and has nothing but offseason golf to show for it.

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