Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane, Jamie Benn Named 2016 Hart Trophy Finalists

The NHL revealed the finalists for the Hart Trophy—the league's most valuable player award—on Friday, as it will add another winner to a list that began in 1924. 

This year's final three nominees are all forwards: Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks and Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars, per Chris Johnston of Sportsnet. 

Of the finalists, only Crosby has won the award before in 2007 and 2014. 

In the early parts of the season, it would have been considered a long shot that Crosby would have been in the conversation for the Hart. In his first 18 games this year, he had just two goals and seven assists. 

But he managed to turn things around, recording 34 goals and 42 assists in his final 62 regular-season games as Pittsburgh became a force in the Eastern Conference.

Once again, he exhibited the skills that have made him one of the best overall players in the league in this millennium, via the NHL:

A team that fired its head coach Mike Johnston after the first 28 games ended the season as winners of 14 of its final 16 games and currently holds a 3-1 series lead over the Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington Capitals. 

While Crosby and the Penguins are still in a quest for the Stanley Cup, Kane and the Blackhawks are surprisingly out after their first-round exit against the St. Louis Blues. 

But Kane still had one of the most historic seasons by an American in NHL history. 

He was the only player in the league this season to record over 100 points (106) and trailed only Washington's Alex Ovechkin in goals with 46. 

Kane became the first player in league history from the United States to lead the league in points and the first 100-point player since Doug Weight in 1996. 

Dallas' Jamie Benn comes off of an Art Ross Trophy win last season as the league's leading point scorer to move into MVP talks this year. 

In fact, he had an even better year than last season, recording 89 points (41 goals, 48 assists) compared to 87 points in 2014-15. The 26-year-old posted a career high in goals in a high-powered Stars offense that featured Tyler Seguin and Jason Spezza, who both scored over 30 goals. 

A power forward who has some of the softest hands in the league, Benn can deliver a check and score in the same play, via the NHL:

The NHL will reveal the winner of the Hart Trophy after the Stanley Cup Final in June from Las Vegas. 

Stats courtesy of Hockey-Reference.com.