McDavid, Crosby, Vasilevskiy remain favourites in NHLPA poll

Who should win the NHL’s Hart trophy? Elliotte Friedman says it’s a 4-horse race that has no clear winner just yet. Plus, what will happen with Robin Lehner and the Vegas Golden Knights?

Andrei Vasilevskiy is still considered the best goalie, Connor McDavid is still the guy they’d want on their team, and Sidney Crosby remains the player considered the most complete, according to the results of this year’s National Hockey League Players’ Association poll

The poll, which asked more than 500 NHL players 14 hockey-related questions, was almost a mirror image of the previous year’s survey, with the same names garnering attention, albeit in slightly varying degrees. 

A few new questions this year were about what city the players preferred to spend their time in on an off-day (no surprise there; Vegas, baby!) and which rink had the best ice (Montreal, no contest).

Players were also asked “who is the best current women’s hockey player?” Canadian national team captain Marie-Philip Poulin was the overwhelming favourite there, but only 338 players cast a vote on that question, which was one of the lowest levels of response. Only “which player is the best follow on social media” at 287 ballots and “which NHL player could make it in another sport?” at 300 drew fewer. 

Here are some takeaways from the player-related poll results:

Can we trade for McDavid, please?

The Oilers captain remains the hands down favourite when asked: “If you need to win one game, who is the one skater you would want on your team?” McDavid earned 42.4 per cent of the vote, which was almost a six per cent increase from the year before. With 122 points this season, it’s hard to blame players for the choice.

Full results:

1. Connor McDavid, EDM (42.4 per cent of votes)

2. Sidney Crosby, PIT (17.3)

3. Victor Hedman, TBL (6.7)

4. Aleksander Barkov, FLA (3.5)

4. Nathan McKinnon, COL (3.3) 

Respect for Kane’s stick-handling continues to grow

The "best stick-handler" category saw Chicago’s Patrick Kane and the Oilers’ McDavid leading the way, again. But while the latter dropped from 25.7 per cent to 22.8 per cent from the year prior, Kane’s share went from 49.4 per cent to 57.3 per cent. 

Full results:

1. Patrick Kane, CHI (57.3 per cent of votes)

2. Connor McDavid, EDM (22.8 per cent)

3. Nathan McKinnon, COL (5.3 per cent)

4. Aleksander Barkov, FLA (2.4 per cent)

5. Johnny Gaudreau, CAL (1.4 per cent)

5. Auston Matthews, TOR (1.4 per cent)

A little love for Carey Price

Given the choice of a goalie, any goalie, in a game they needed to win, Tampa’s Andrei Vasilevskiy was the top option for players. However, the two-time Cup-winning Russian netminder went from being a majority choice a year ago (54.1 per cent) to just the favourite (37.1 per cent), with a good chunk of the difference going to Montreal’s Carey Price. Recency bias was no doubt in play, after the run Price took his team on a year ago to the Stanley Cup Final. Notably absent from the list? Igor Shesterkin of the Rangers, who some think should win the Hart Trophy this year.

Full results:

1. Andrei Vasilevskiy, TBL (37.4 per cent of the votes)

2. Carey Price, MTL (13.9  per cent)

3. Marc-André Fleury, MIN (6.7 per cent)

4. John Gibson, ANA (3.5 per cent)

5. Jacob Markstrom, CAL (3.1 per cent)

5. Jonathan Quick, LAK (3.1 per cent)

5. Juuse Saros, NSH (3.1 per cent)

The best ice is in Canada, you say?

It’s probably no surprise that Canadian rinks would earn at least 65.5 per cent of the votes when it comes to the best ice to play on. Montreal was the overwhelming favourite, at 39.6 per cent. But T-Mobile Arena in Vegas, often lauded as a great place to watch an NHL game, earned a little respect as a pretty good place to play, too.

Full results:

1. Bell Centre, MTL (39.6 per cent of the votes)

2. Rogers Place, EDM (13.7 per cent)

3. Canada Life Centre, WPG (12.2 per cent)

4. T-Mobile Arena, NEV (5.8 per cent)

4. XCEL Energy Center, MIN (5.8 per cent)

6. Madison Square Garden, NYC (2.8 per cent)

So, who is the best current women’s hockey player?

Canada’s Marie-Philipe Poulin has made it a habit of coming up clutch, scoring the game-winning goal three times to secure gold for her country, including this winter. So, yeah… easy choice.

Full results:

1. Marie-Philip Poulin, CAN (43.2 per cent of the votes)

2. Hilary Knight, USA (20.7 per cent)

3. Amanda Kessel, USA (6.2 per cent)

4. Kendall Coyne Schofield, USA (5.0 per cent)

5. Sarah Nurse, CAN (2.9 per cent)

Sun, fun, and Sin City

Say what you want about Gary Bettman’s expansion plan to the American southwest, but the players are certainly grateful. Las Vegas drew a big number of responses when asked “Where is the best NHL road city to spend an off day? The only temperate-climate city to crack the top five was the Big Apple.

Full results:

1. Las Vegas (30.6 per cent of the votes)

2. New York City (17.0 per cent)

3. Fort Lauderdale (10.4 per cent)

4. Los Angeles (10.0 per cent)

5. Nashville (8.7 per cent)

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