The NHL has announced the finalists for this season’s Hart Trophy. The list consists of the Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid, the Boston Bruins’ David Pastrnak, and the Florida Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk.
The winner of the Hart Trophy, which is essentially the NHL’s Most Valuable Player award, will be unveiled at the NHL Awards ceremony on June 26.
Connor McDavid is a two-time Hart Trophy winner who finished the 2022-23 regular season with 64 goals and 89 assists while playing all 82 games. McDavid already won Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy for having the most goals and Art Ross Trophy for the most points scored in the season. His 153 points in a single season are the most in NHL since 1995-96 when Penguings’ Mario Lemieux had 161 points.
David Pastrnak is coming off his best season as a pro. Pastrnak had 61 goals and 52 assists, both career highs. The 2022-23 campaign was also the first time that the 26-year-old player surpassed the 100 points mark. He is expected to get major consideration for his role in Bruins’ historic campaign that saw them break NHL records for most wins (65) and points (135) in a single season.
Finally, Matthew Tkachuk produced an impressive campaign in his first year with the Panthers. He earned his second All-Star nod while totaling 109 points (40 goals and 69 assists) in 79 games.
