B/R NHL Hart Trophy Heat Check: Updating Early Candidates for League MVP
Before the start of the 2023-24 NHL season, we published our way-too-early ranking of the 10 players we considered the early-season favorites for the Hart Memorial Trophy.
A month into the regular season, it's a good opportunity to revisit and revise our list.
Several players from our original ranking, such as Edmonton Oilers' stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, are absent from this list. They've been outshone by others during the opening month, but don't be surprised if they play their way into contention again as the season rolls along.
Some on this list, such as Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak, are longtime superstars off to strong starts to this season. Others, such as New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes, are talented young players carving out their place among the league's elite talent.
On-ice performance, stats (as of Nov. 9) and value to their respective teams factored into this compilation. You can weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.
Honorable Mention
1 of 11
Alex DeBrincat, Detroit Red Wings. His offense has cooled in recent games but DeBrincat still sat among the early goal leaders with nine as of Nov. 9.
Thatcher Demko, Vancouver Canucks. Now healthy after being hampered by injuries last season, Demko's solid goaltending is among the reasons behind the Canucks' hot start.
Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs. The league leader in goals with 13, he's had three hat tricks so far this season.
Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche. The Avs' leading scorer with 18 points, the 27-year-old right winger remains a dangerous offensive threat.
Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers. Despite an injury-depleted roster, the Panthers remain competitive this season thanks to Reinhart's team-leading nine goals and 15 points.
Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins. One half of the Bruins' dynamic goaltending duo along with Linus Ullmark, Swayman leads the league with a 1.49 goals-against average and .952 save percentage.
10. Mason McTavish, Anaheim Ducks
2 of 11
The rebuilding Anaheim Ducks weren't expected to get within sniffing distance of a playoff berth this season. However, they've exceeded expectations through the opening month of the season. With seven wins and five losses for 14 points after 12 games, they were sitting among the top eight teams in the Western Conference.
One reason behind their surprising early start is the play of Mason McTavish. The 20-year-old center enjoyed a solid rookie campaign in 2022-23, finishing fourth among Ducks scorers with 43 points in 80 games. This season, he's burst from the gate with a team-leading 13 points in 12 contests centering their second line with Frank Vatrano and Ryan Strome.
With franchise player Trevor Zegras struggling since missing training camp due to contract negotiations, McTavish has stepped up to fill the void. His efforts are garnering attention, as he finished as the NHL's third star for the week ending Nov. 5.
The Ducks are still a rebuilding club and could struggle to remain in playoff contention as the season rolls along. Nevertheless, McTavish's performance indicates better days are ahead for this franchise.
9. Shea Theodore, Vegas Golden Knights
3 of 11
The defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights aren't showing any signs of a letdown. With a record of 11 wins, two losses and one overtime loss, they're on top of the Western Conference standings with 23 points.
It's been very much a team effort thus far, but Shea Theodore has been a standout for the Golden Knights through the early going. With 12 points in 14 games, he's fourth among their leading scorers and one of the scoring leaders among NHL defensemen.
Theodore has blossomed into an elite puck-moving defenseman since landing with the Golden Knights during their inaugural season in 2017-18. However, he's often been overshadowed by two-way blueliner Alex Pietrangelo since the latter came to Vegas as a free agent in 2020.
With Pietrangelo sidelined for five games in October, Theodore stepped up in his absence. Without Theodore patrolling the blue line during that period, the Golden Knights probably wouldn't have started the season with seven straight wins and points in their first dozen games.
.png?w=256 "Stanley Cup Playoffs Predictions")
8. Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings
4 of 11
After several seasons of rebuilding, the Detroit Red Wings finally appear ready to become a playoff contender. They're off to a solid start with seven wins, five losses and two overtime losses in their first 14 games to sit fourth in the Eastern Conference.
Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin has played a key role in his club's performance. Teamed up with offseason acquisition Alex DeBrincat, the duo quickly meshed as a scoring tandem. Larkin leads the Wings with 17 points in 14 games while DeBrincat is their goals leader with nine.
Larkin has led the Wings in scoring in five of the past six seasons, including a career-best 79-point performance in 2022-23. For the first time in his career, he finally has a reliable sniper on his wing. However, that doesn't detract from his value to the Wings as a leader, a first-line center, a scoring presence and a two-way forward.
Sitting among the league's top 15 scorers, Larkin is on pace to exceed last season's stats. His presence in the lineup is crucial to the Wings' hopes of reaching the postseason for the first time since his rookie season in 2015-16.
7. William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs
5 of 11
Auston Matthews started the season with back-to-back hat tricks and has three hatties on the season. While he's taken over the league's goal-scoring lead with 13, William Nylander has played with more consistency through the opening month for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
With 18 points in 13 games, Nylander sat just one point behind Matthews among the Leafs' leading scorers. He also has points in each of those games while Matthews has been held scoreless in four of his 13 contests.
It's not just on the scoresheet where Nylander has made his presence felt. The 27-year-old winger has also been a more reliable and energetic player this season. He's been dominant with the puck, creating scoring chances for himself and his teammates.
Nylander is in his contract year with free agency beckoning next July unless he and the Leafs reach an agreement on a contract extension. If he maintains his MVP-level performance throughout this season, he's guaranteed to land a lucrative new deal with the Leafs or another NHL club.
6. Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning
6 of 11
Winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Art Ross Trophy in 2018-19, Nikita Kucherov has remained among the NHL's top players. He's been the Lightning's leading scorer twice over the past four seasons as well as the playoffs scoring leader during the Bolts' back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021.
Despite reaching 113 points last season, it seemed Kucherov's chances of winning the Hart and Art Ross trophies were behind him with Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid dominating the league. However, he's earned his place among the early Hart favorites with his outstanding play this season.
With 23 points in 14 games, the 30-year-old Kucherov is jockeying for the scoring lead with much younger opponents such as Vancouver's Elias Pettersson, Boston's David Pastrňák and New Jersey's Jack Hughes. His 10 goals have him among the leaders in that category.
The Lightning were expected to decline this season given their aging and depleted roster as well as the early absence of superstar goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. Thanks in part to Kucherov's play, they're among the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
5. Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers
7 of 11
Since joining the New York Rangers as a free agent in 2019, Artemi Panarin has become their leading point-getter. In his four previous seasons on Broadway, he was fourth in total points (341) among all NHL scorers, including three seasons with over 90 points.
Panarin's performances over the past two postseasons, however, were another matter. Following the Rangers' first-round elimination in May, he told reporters he wasn't happy with his play, especially when it came to his puck-handling.
It appears Panarin is using that as motivation to elevate his play this season. He's bolted from the gate with a season-opening 13-game points streak, leading the Rangers with 22 points and sitting third in the league.
Thanks in part to Panarin's efforts, the Rangers (21 points) sit on top of the Metropolitan Division with 10 wins, two losses and one overtime loss. He's well on his way toward his first 100-point campaign.
4. Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks
8 of 11
Since his full-time rookie season in 2019-20, Quinn Hughes has put up impressive offensive numbers. The Vancouver Canucks defenseman had 53 points as a rookie, 41 points in 56 games in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, 68 points in 76 games in 2021-22 and a career-best 76 points in 78 contests last season.
Those stats, however, have led to the perception of Hughes as offensively gifted but lacking defensively. This season, however, could lead to a rethinking of that assessment.
Hughes is still putting up big offensive numbers. The 24-year-old leads all NHL defensemen with 21 points in 13 games and was named the league's first star for the week ending Nov. 5. He's a big reason the Cnaucks are off to their best start in years.
Since being named Canucks captain in September, Hughes has taken his game to a higher level. The Canucks are more dangerous at even strength whenever he's on the ice. Hughes has also done a better job controlling the action as well as managing the play in his zone.
3. David Pastrňák, Boston Bruins
9 of 11
The Boston Bruins appeared to be in serious trouble entering this season following the offseason retirements of longtime stars Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. Thanks to high-scoring winger David Pastrňák, however, the Bruins are sitting atop the Eastern Conference standings through the early going.
Pastrňák, 27, has been an established NHL superstar since his 48-goal performance in 2019-20 earned him a share of the Maurice Richard Trophy with Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin. He enjoyed a career-best performance last season with 61 goals and 52 assists for 113 points as the Bruins set league records with 65 wins and 135 points.
The departures of Bergeron and Krejci have led to Pastrňák taking on more of a leadership role along with new team captain Brad Marchand. He embraced the challenge, finishing as the league's third star for October with eight goals and 14 points in nine games.
With a team-leading 10 goals and 20 points in 13 games, Pastrňák sits among the league's top 10 in both categories. At this pace, another 60-goal, 110-plus point campaign isn't out of the question for the Bruins superstar.
2. Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
10 of 11
The play of Elias Pettersson in 2022-23 was among the few bright spots in another disappointing season for the Vancouver Canucks. With 102 points, he finished among the league's top 10 scorers and became just the sixth player in franchise history to reach the 100-point plateau.
Picking up from where he left off in 2022-23, Pettersson is on pace to exceed last season's stellar numbers. The 24-year-old center was the NHL's second star for October with 16 points in nine games, sitting second to New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes.
Pettersson has since supplanted the sidelined Hughes as the NHL's points leader with 24 in 13 games. A gifted playmaker and winner of the 2019 Calder Memorial Trophy, the Canucks center has played a major role in his club's red-hot start to this season.
The Canucks have the second-best record in the Western Conference with 10 wins, two losses and one overtime loss for 21 points in 13 games. It's one of the best starts in franchise history thanks to Pettersson's outstanding play.
1. Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils
11 of 11
Jack Hughes was among our Hart Memorial Trophy candidates in our way-too-early rankings. The 22-year-old New Jersey Devils center was the best player in the league during the opening month of this season. As of Nov. 3, he was the league's points leader with 20 in 10 games.
On that same date, he suffered a shoulder injury against the St. Louis Blues that sidelined him on a week-to-week basis. The Devils face the daunting challenge of maintaining their place among the league's top teams without their best player.
Before that injury, however, Hughes was tearing up the league. The highly skilled center had six multipoint games during that stretch, including back-to-back four-point performances against the New York Islanders on Oct. 20 and the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 24. His outstanding play made him the NHL's first star for October.
Hughes was poised for a career-best performance this season with a 2.00 point-per-game average before his injury. He will still be the Devils' best player on his return. Depending on how long he's sidelined, it will take a performance for the ages to vault him back on top in the Hart Trophy race.
Stats (as of Nov. 9) via NHL.com.
.png?w=480 "Stanley Cup Playoffs Predictions")
.jpg?w=600 "WWE Raw Results & Grades 🔠")
.jpg?w=600 "NFL Strength of Schedules 👀")
.png?w=600 "NFL Free-Agent Tracker ✍️"){kind=tracking}
