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Todd Cordell
Connor McDavid.
Last season he led the league in 5v5 goals, points, scoring chances, and posted a plus-20 goal differential on a team that finished minus-13 during that game state. I think he was clearly the best player in the league. The reason he didn't take home the Hart Trophy is a lack of team success (imagine missing the playoffs by 17 points with McDavid).
While the Oilers' off-season moves, or lack thereof, don't have me overly optimistic they'll get back to the playoffs, I think they'll at least be in the conversation.
If that's the case, and McDavid is again in a class of his own statistically, I think voters will have no choice but to give him the hardware.
Honorable mention goes to Auston Matthews. If healthy, I see him putting up 40+ goals and 90+ points on what should be one of the better teams in the league. That'll get him some recognition.
Sean Maloughney
Connor McDavid. While Taylor Hall was certainly deserving of the award last season I still feel McDavid should have been chosen. The definition of "most valuable to a team" is such a vague statement with plenty of room for interpretation.
Taylor Hall had a 93 point season, outscoring the next best player on his roster by 39 points, McDavid had a 108 point season outscoring the next best player by 38 points. There is much uncertainty to whether or not the Oilers will make the playoffs this season but I do not think there is much debate that McDavid is the most valuable player to his team.
And in case everything I just said is wrong I will pick Mark Scheifele.
James Tanner
The Hart Trophy is almost certainly going to be Connor McDavid's to lose. If he plays close to a full season, he's a near lock. He's just so much better than everyone else. He was nearly 20 even-strength points ahead of anyone in the NHL last year and was completely robbed of his rightful trophy because of a dumb unwritten rule that the best player in the league has to come from a playoff team. It's idiotic.
Anyways, in the interest of at least a somewhat interesting hotstove, I'll say that Auston Matthews can take the award in the instance that Edmonton either misses the playoffs (they won't) or McDavid disappoints (he won't). Matthews 5v5 goal scoring numbers are insane. It should be one of the most talked about things, but people care about totals and not specific situations. Bad powerplay luck robbed Matthews of the title "Best Goal Scorer in the NHL" and this year he'll score 60. If he does, maybe he can also win the Hart.
Peter Tessier
Let's see the obvious easy pre-season puck for contention is Connor McDavid, but like last year there could be surprises out of nowhere but I don't expect it to happen, not after McDavid's recent comments. Nathan MacKinnon is a very real possibility as could be Auston Matthews but what about Nikita Kucherov? Perhaps a bounce-back season for Crosby after a summer of rest?
However, this seems to me like it's McDavid's to lose if he comes in motivated and with a chip on his shoulder-something he should get and use.
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