The largest of all of the NHL awards has officially been handed out, as Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Nikita Kucherov won the Hart Trophy because the league’s most useful player.
The Hart Trophy race was a really close three-horse battle between Kucherov, Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid, and Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon. Ultimately, the Lightning star won in considered one of the closest votes in NHL history.
Kucherov won the Hart with 1,436 total voting points, while McDavid finished right behind him at 1,426. MacKinnon amassed loads of support himself, ending with 1,297, per results shared by Frank Seravalli.
By way of first-place votes, it was also a razor-thin margin between the three best players in hockey this season. Kucherov garnered 72 winning votes, while McDavid finished with 68, and MacKinnon finished with 52.
McDavid, MacKinnon, and Kucherov were the three leading point-scorers within the NHL this season, so it didn’t come as a surprise to see them lapping the sphere by way of voting for this award. McDavid led the way in which with 138, while Kucherov got to 130 and MacKinnon finished third at 127.
McDavid’s argument for the award comes from anchoring one of the best power play in hockey and carrying an unmatched offensive load on an Oilers team that does not have numerous depth behind him. While that lack of depth cost the Oilers a likelihood at a Stanley Cup once more, it also shows the worth that McDavid needed to his team this season.
MacKinnon was the league’s leading goal-scorer and in addition led the league in plus-minus on an Avalanche team that won the Presidents’ Trophy and was one of the best team in hockey throughout the regular season. Kucherov was a little bit of one of the best of each worlds, and that was ok to get him the very slight nod in the long run.
After all, McDavid already has three Hart Trophies on his mantle, so he won’t be too apprehensive about losing out on a fourth one here. As an alternative, he’s locked in on attempting to get this Oilers team back to the Stanley Cup Final after a first-round exit this spring.
The largest of all of the NHL awards has officially been handed out, as Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Nikita Kucherov won the Hart Trophy because the league’s most useful player. The Hart Trophy race was a really close three-horse battle between Kucherov, Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid, and Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon.