As we reach the halfway point of the NHL season, it is a good time to take stock of the Hart Trophy race.
Several players have made strong cases for the MVP award. Here are five of them (listed in alphabetical order):
The 2020 MVP is a scoring machine this season, leading the NHL with 29 goals. Although Draisaitl has benefited from some shooting luck, his 21 expected goals are third most in the league, which is a sign that he is doing the right things offensively.
Draisaitl’s nine game-winning goals are most in the league, and he has had a hand in 17 of the Oilers’ 25 game-winners.
Draisaitl’s clutch play has overshadowed his contributions in other areas. He has won 56.8 per cent of his faceoffs, which ranks 14th out of 94 players who have taken at least 15 per cent of their team’s total draws.
Also of note is Draisaitl’s improved defensive play. The Oilers have allowed 0.72 expected goals per 20 minutes at 5-on-5 with Draisaitl on the ice — 59th out of 435 forwards who have played a minimum of 100 minutes in that situation. (It was 0.82 per 20 last season.)
Eichel has never won (or even been a finalist for) a major individual award during his decade-long career. His performance this season for the league-leading Golden Knights, however, is worthy of recognition.
Vegas’ No. 1 centre is one of the top play-drivers in the league thanks to his elite skating stride. He ranks third in offensive-zone carry-ins per game (7.08), trailing only Edmonton’s Connor McDavid and Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon. His 237 slot-driving plays are fourth most behind McDavid, MacKinnon and New Jersey’s Jack Hughes.
The Golden Knights have dominated during Eichel’s minutes, outscoring opponents 42-21 at 5-on-5. (They have been outscored 58-57 at 5-on-5 with Eichel off the ice.)
Eichel’s impact is not isolated to the offensive zone. The Golden Knights rely heavily on him on the penalty kill, where he averages 1:46 of shorthanded ice time per game (most among Vegas forwards).
Hughes’ recent absence because of injury underscored his importance to the Canucks. Vancouver’s offence sputters without its captain.
The Canucks averaged 5:46 of offensive-zone possession time over the four games Hughes missed — a full minute less than when he has been in the lineup this season (6:50 per game).
Nobody is close to Hughes when it comes to puck-on-stick time. Even after missing four games, Hughes’ league-leading 123:03 of total possession time is roughly 12 minutes more than the next closest player, Colorado’s Cale Makar (111:10). At the holiday break, Hughes led Makar in puck possession by more than 23 minutes.
Few players are as irreplaceable as Hughes, who finished seventh in Hart Trophy voting last season. He has helped the Canucks cling to a playoff spot amid key injuries and dressing room turmoil.
“I think my game has never been better, so I know (the commotion is) not affecting me (on the ice),” Hughes told Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre.
Before suffering a lower-body injury that has kept him out of the past five games, Kaprizov was on an absolute tear. The winger reached 50 points in 34 games, breaking his own franchise record (38 games in 2021-22).
Minnesota has scored 65.5 per cent of the actual goals and generated 56.3 per cent of the expected goals at 5-on-5 with Kaprizov on the ice. Despite having not played since Dec. 23, Kaprizov is tied for the league lead in 5-on-5 points (30) with Draisaitl and Eichel.
The Wild’s strong start to the season after missing the playoffs last year opened a lot of eyes. It would not have been possible without Kaprizov.
Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
It has been more than 15 years since the last repeat Hart Trophy winner (Washington’s Alex Ovechkin in 2008 and 2009), but MacKinnon could change that. MacKinnon, who leads the league with 66 points, remains a dominant force for the Avalanche. Many of his key offensive metrics have held steady year over year.
MacKinnon is as fine-tuned as a dragster, which has allowed him to play 23:07 per game. Ilya Kovalchuk was the last forward to average at least 23 minutes of ice time in an uninterrupted season, doing so with the Devils in 2011-12. (Kovalchuk also played 23-plus minutes per game during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season.)
“You want to be a guy the team can rely on,” MacKinnon told The Denver Post. “I was always kind of hurt (early in my career), which sucked. I felt like I wasn’t being that guy. Obviously, I feel a little better about it now.”
All stats via Sportlogiq
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