The 2024 NHL regular season is nearly here, and the league’s stars are ready to shine.
It’s never too early to start thinking about who will win the Hart Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL MVP. Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon took home the award last year after registering 140 points, second-most in the league behind Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov (144).
Who will win NHL MVP honors this season? Let’s examine the latest betting odds before delving into a handful of potential candidates.
NHL MVP Hart Trophy Odds 2024
We at The Game Day always track the latest NHL odds for the Hart Trophy:
For my betting tips, I’m using these NHL MVP lines that are current as of Friday, Oct. 4, from BetMGM Sportsbook.
- Connor McDavid (+125)
- Nathan MacKinnon (+550)
- Auston Matthews (+1000)
- Jack Hughes (+1100)
- Nikita Kucherov (+2000)
- David Pastrnak (+2000)
- Leon Draisaitl (+2200)
- Kirill Kaprizov (+2200)
- Cale Makar (+2500)
2025 NHL MVP Prediction
Connor McDavid (+125)
McDavid is widely recognized as the NHL’s best player, so it’s no surprise he’s the preseason favorite in the NHL MVP race.
The Edmonton Oilers captain has won the Hart Trophy three times, each coming in an odd-numbered year (2023, 2021, and 2017). I wouldn’t read much into that trend, but at least there’s no fear of voter fatigue since he didn’t win it last season.
McDavid did capture the Conn Smythe Trophy, the NHL’s postseason MVP award, in June despite the Oilers falling in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final to the Florida Panthers. He finished the playoffs with an NHL record 34 assists to go along with eight goals. Those 42 points rank fourth in NHL postseason history behind Wayne Gretzky (twice) and Mario Lemieux.
McDavid is in elite company. He’s a sure-fire Hall-of-Famer and may only just be entering his prime at 27. If he builds on last season’s stats (32 goals, 100 assists) and the Oilers win the Pacific, he’ll pick up his fourth Hart Trophy.
2025 Hart Trophy Favorites
Nathan MacKinnon (+550)
There has only been one repeat Hart Trophy winner this century (Alexander Ovechkin in 2008 and 2009), so MacKinnon is facing an uphill battle from the jump.
Still, there’s no denying the talent of the Colorado captain. MacKinnon is one of three players with at least 250 points over the last two seasons (McDavid and Kucherov are the others), and he set career-bests in goals (51), assists (89), and points (140) last season.
The 29-year-old’s lone concern has been availability. The 2023-24 campaign was the first he played 82 games in since 2018-19. If he stays healthy and continues producing at this rate, he’ll be in the mix.
Auston Matthews (+1000)
Matthews led the NHL with 69 goals last season, the most any player has scored in a single season since Lemieux netted the same number in the 1995-96 campaign.
Given that, it’s slightly concerning that Matthews finished fourth in Hart Trophy voting behind MacKinnon, Kucherov, and McDavid, receiving just two of 194 first-place votes.
Still, the 26-year-old has the potential to continue building his all-around game. His assist total dropped off slightly last season from the mid-40s to 35 despite playing more games.
Perhaps being named captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs this offseason will be the spark Matthews needs to take on additional responsibility and become more than just an elite goalscorer.
2025 NHL MVP Race: New Hart Trophy Candidates
During the season, I’ll use this section to mention new candidates who are playing their way into the race.
For now, I’ll spotlight some players who weren’t in the race last season but could make a solid case this campaign.
Jack Hughes (+1100)
The Devils have lofty preseason expectations for the second straight year, and it’s on Hughes to help New Jersey deliver on them this time around.
The 23-year-old endured an injury-hit 2023-24 campaign, finishing the year with 74 points (27 goals, 47 assists) in 62 games. The season prior, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft netted 43 goals, dished out 56 assists, and played all but four contests.
New Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe, who spent the last few years with Matthews in Toronto, should enable Hughes to have a massive offensive impact for New Jersey.
If Hughes and his team have bounce-back years, he could contend for the trophy. Still, it’s probably a season too soon.
Connor Bedard (+4000)
Bedard picked up his first piece of NHL hardware last season, earning the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie after racking up 22 goals and 39 assists in 68 games.
Putting up those numbers as an 18-year-old on a terrible hockey team shows the level of talent Bedard possesses. Then again, he was the most-hyped NHL Draft prospect since McDavid, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise.
If he wants to live up to that comparison, winning the Hart Trophy in his sophomore season would go a long way. McDavid accomplished as a 20-year-old while leading the Oilers to the postseason after an 11-year absence.
Chicago has been dreadful for most of the last decade, so there’s an opportunity here for Bedard to bring the Original Six franchise back to prominence and reap the individual rewards in the process.
