Early season candidates for NHL's Hart Trophy

The NHL season is well underway, and with it, several players have shown themselves to be a head above the rest. They are all vying for the league's Hart Trophy, which is given to the player voted most valuable to his team. 

Which players have cemented themselves in this conversation? Let's take a look at the leaders so far.

Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche

MacKinnon, last season's Hart Trophy winner, has once again found himself at the top of the list, as he leads the NHL in points with 34 in just 19 games. His offense has certainly helped Colorado, whose goaltending has struggled with just a .854 save percentage.

MacKinnon is also helping lead the way for the Avalanche's fourth-ranked power play; his 13 power-play points lead all skaters in the NHL. 

Considering the injuries and absences Colorado has to its forwards (captain Gabriel Landeskog has been out since 2022 with a long-term injury, forward Valeri Nichushkin has been in the Player Assistance Program and Ross Colton and Artturi Lehkonen both have missed weeks due to injury), MacKinnon has had to do a lot of heavy lifting for the Avalanche offense, and thus deserves a nod for the Hart Trophy.

Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild

Sitting right behind MacKinnon in points is Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov, who has 33 points in 18 games. After missing the playoffs last season, many assumed the Wild would be a fringe team, but Kaprizov's incredible play has them as the third-best team in the NHL.

Kaprizov also leads the league in even-strength points (25) and is tied for second in plus-minus (+17). Additionally, he's carrying a heavy load for the Wild, as he has a 14-point cushion on their next highest-scoring player, Matt Boldy. 

While Minnesota is helped along by some excellent goaltending, courtesy of Filip Gustavsson (2.07 GAA, .926 SV%), it's evident that Kaprizov is the engine that moves the offense. With the Wild surpassing almost everyone's expectations, he deserves a lot of the credit.

Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights

The former second overall pick in 2015 has put together an excellent season for the Vegas Golden Knights, accumulating 28 points in 18 games, tied for fifth overall. His 23 assists also rank second behind MacKinnon. 

His play has helped lead Vegas to first place in the Pacific Division and eighth overall in the league. His 11 power-play points have helped the Golden Knights to a 34 percent success rate on the man advantage, second in the league.

Eichel's play has helped a resurgent Vegas offense, which has gone from 3.21 goals per game in 2023-24 to a fourth-ranked 4.00 this season. As the team's top center, he's certainly been its most valuable player and could find himself getting a Hart nod at the end of the season.

Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche

Although it's unlikely a defenseman will win the Hart Trophy, Makar has so far had a historic season. He led the NHL in points and assists through the month of October and currently is tied for seventh with 27 points in 19 games.

If Makar keeps up his offensive pace, he would end the season with 117 points, which would be tied with Bobby Orr's 1971-72 season for the eighth-most points in a single season by a defenseman and be the most points ever scored by a blue liner not named Orr or Paul Coffey.

Makar's historic season is certain to turn some heads, and he should get some MVP votes at season's end. Unfortunately for Makar, he'll probably lose some votes to his teammate, Nathan MacKinnon. As a consolation prize, he should add another Norris Trophy to his resume.