Just over one month into the NHL season, some surprising players entered the Hart Trophy discussion.
While the Connor McDavids, Jack Eichels and Kirill Kaprizovs of the NHL are putting up excellent numbers as expected, some other players who aren't yet superstars are playing so well that their teams would be in much worse shape without them. They likely weren't front-runners in many pre-season predictions, but they're here now.
Of course, it's hard to ignore two superstars on the Colorado Avalanche right now when looking at our top five contenders for the Hart Trophy in mid-November.
As a reminder, the Hart Trophy goes "to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team" and is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Here's my top five so far, with odds where applicable coming from BetMGM.
5. Logan Thompson, G, Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals haven’t been as great as they were last year when they went on to clinch the Eastern Conference.
Their offense is problematic, ranking tied for 20th in goals-for per game, but Washington’s goaltending has kept them afloat. In fact, they lead the NHL with the fewest goals against per game, at 2.38.
The Capitals have Logan Thompson to thank for that.
Thompson, 28, has cemented himself as one of the best netminders in the entire NHL. Not only are the Capitals able to maintain a .531 points percentage at the moment, but Thompson’s excellence between the pipes keeps his team in a positive goal differential, one of only two squads that can say that outside of the NHL's top 20.
Thompson leads all NHL goalies with at least five games played in goals-against average with 1.56 and is tied for first in save percentage at .935.
Capitals backup Charlie Lindgren, meanwhile, has a 3.59 GAA and .878 SP in five games. He does have 1.7 goals saved above expected, at least, but Thompson is on an entirely different level, with 12.8 goals saved above expected in 11 games, according to moneypuck.com.
Thompson's numbers in the crease are putting him in a prominent position to be named for Team Canada’s Olympic team.
He's a long shot in the Hart Trophy sweepstakes, but his play deserves this much consideration right now.
4. Macklin Celebrini, C, San Jose Sharks
It’s only his second season in the NHL, but it seems that Macklin Celebrini nearly has it all figured out and is playing an essential part in pushing the San Jose Sharks out of the basement. They're currently 18th in the standings.
Celebrini, 19, is tied with Connor Bedard and Leo Carlsson for the second-most points in the NHL with 26. He’s scored 10 goals and 16 assists in 17 games, and he has a plus-eight rating.
In that span, he’s recorded seven multi-point games, including an incredible performance against the New York Rangers on Oct. 23, when he scored a hat trick and two helpers for a five-point game at Madison Square Garden.
Celebrini leads the Sharks in goals and points, with nine more points than fellow sophomore Will Smith. Celebrini also has 15 more points than third-place Tyler Toffoli in team scoring. There's no question he's driving the team's offense to the point the Sharks are just one point out of a playoff spot. They were five points out at this time last year and 10 points out two years ago.
It won’t be surprising to see Celebrini on this list multiple times this season, as the youngster continues to impress the hockey world and even earn some recognition for a potential Olympics call-up.
BetMGM Hart Trophy odds: 21.00 (+2000)
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𝐀𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫: Macklin Celebrini 🎃
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• Top 💯 21-and-under players
• Features on Celebrini, Bedard, Buium, Kasper and more: https://t.co/smKk3NQL6o3. Connor Bedard, C, Chicago Blackhawks
It was a tough decision to decide on who would get the higher rank between Connor Bedard and Celebrini. However, Bedard gets the edge this time.
Like Celebrini, Bedard is tied for second in league scoring with 10 goals and 16 assists for 26 points,
But for one, Bedard has 11 more points than the next highest scorer on Chicago, Tyler Bertuzzi. Bedard, 20, is also averaging 21:11 of ice time, compared to Celebrini's average of 20:32.
The Blackhawks have one more point than San Jose in the standings, putting them 11th in the NHL and in the second Western Conference wild-card spot.
BetMGM Hart Trophy odds: 23.00 (+2200)
2. Cale Makar, D, Colorado Avalanche
It’s not exactly polarizing to say Cale Makar is the best defenseman in the NHL. But the 27-year-old is also making a case for himself as the best player in the NHL.
Last season, he finished ninth in the NHL with 92 points. Before that, a defenseman hadn’t finished in the top 10 of NHL scoring since Brent Burns' 76 points in 2016-17.
In addition to leading all D-men by seven points so far this season, Makar is tied with Mikko Rantanen for eighth in league scoring, with 23 points in 17 appearances for the Colorado Avalanche. He has six goals, 17 assists, seven power-play points, two game-winning goals and a plus-14 rating.
It’s been 25 years since a defenseman won the Hart Trophy. The St. Louis Blues’ Chris Pronger was the last blueliner to take home that award in 2000, but maybe Makar will end that drought.
BetMGM Hart Trophy odds: 23.00 (+2200)
NHL Power Rankings: Avalanche Thrive As Leafs, Jackets And More FallOne week made a big difference in the NHL power rankings, with injuries continuing to be a big story and lengthy winning and losing streaks standing out.1. Nathan MacKinnon, C, Colorado Avalanche
Nathan MacKinnon won the Hart Trophy in 2023-24, and he's playing like another one awaits him in the spring.
The 30-year-old leads the NHL outright in goals (14) and points (32), and he's tied for first in assists with Evgeni Malkin and McDavid, with 18. He's almost averaging two points per game.
It’ll be a challenge for MacKinnon and Makar to receive the Hart Trophy attention they deserve, considering they are teammates and playing incredible hockey together. The Avalanche lead the NHL thanks in large part to those two.
Nonetheless, MacKinnon is a league-leader in individual categories as well, and he's deservedly our pick as the top Hart Trophy front-runner midway through November.
BetMGM Hart Trophy odds: 2.55 (+155)
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