Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Most seasons there is a legitimate debate about the worthiest Hart Trophy candidate. This should not be one of those, since McDavid is not only the most valuable player to his team, he's the most dominant player in the NHL. The 24-year-old Oilers captain has scored 102 points (33 goals, 69 assists) in 54 games, has a 21-point lead in the scoring race on Draisaitl and is 33 points ahead of Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand. There have been plenty of stellar performances this season, but none match McDavid's impact or the engine he provides the Oilers. He has scored points in 43 of 54 games and scored or assisted on 57.3 percent of Edmonton's goals. With skill and speed that is pushing the boundaries of what's possible on the ice, the fourth 100-point season in McDavid's NHL career is his most impressive. -- Tim Campbell, staff writer
Video: EDM@MTL: McDavid buries overtime winner on breakaway
Mark Stone, Vegas Golden Knights
Stone isn't the flashiest scorer in the NHL, even though he leads Vegas with 61 points (21 goals, 40 assists) in 54 games. With an average of 1.13 points per game, he's one of 11 NHL players this season to average at least 1.10 points playing at least 50 games. Stone averages 19:06 of ice time per game, including 1:22 shorthanded, on a penalty kill that's first in the NHL (86.7 percent). He's as good at helping prevent goals as he is at scoring them. He's been on the ice for 45 more goals scored than allowed, including plus-27 at even strength, which is tied for second among NHL forwards behind Draisaitl (plus-32), and his 57 takeaways are first. There isn't an element of the game that Stone doesn't affect for the Golden Knights, the first-place team in the Honda West Division -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor
Video: VGK@MIN: Stone buries a wrist-shot past Talbot
Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
Yes, I am an unapologetic member of the goaltending union and I also know that there have been seven goalies to win this award since it was first handed out in 1924, including Dominik Hasek for the Buffalo Sabres in back-to-back seasons (1996-98). So the odds of Vasilevskiy winning the award are minuscule, but it won't stop me from making the argument that he should be the first goalie since Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens in 2015 to win the Hart. Vasilevskiy has dominated at his position for the defending Stanley Cup champions and may be the primary reason why Tampa Bay battled for the Discover Central Division crown into the last week of the season. His 31 wins are first among goalies who have played at least 25 games. He's made the second-most saves (1,144) behind Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets (1,165) and has the fourth-best save percentage (.925). Price had a .933 save percentage when he won the Hart, but more importantly than the raw numbers, Vasilevskiy gave the Lightning confidence while they endured a Stanley Cup hangover, the season-long absence of forward
Nikita Kucherov
and the end-of-season injury to forward Steven Stamkos. That, to me, is a deserving resume to be in Hart conversation.-- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial
