Connor McDavid is once more the clear and consensus favourite to win the Hart Trophy this coming season.
Though the Edmonton Oilers heart got here up brief within the MVP race in 2023-24, he nonetheless managed to complete third within the voting and the 2 gamers who eclipsed him (Nathan MacKinnon and Nikita Kucherov) every posted 140-plus factors.
That’s the form of effort wanted to win the Hart Trophy with McDavid, who has gained the award thrice since 2017, in his prime.
Bookmakers consider the gamers with the perfect likelihood of stopping McDavid this season are MacKinnon (+500), Auston Matthews (+1000), Jack Hughes (+1100) and Kucherov (+1800).
If tasked to select a kind of 4, I’d think about a punt on Matthews, who’s coming off a 69-goal season for Toronto.
Whereas that illustrious complete won’t get replicated, the brand new Maple Leafs captain ought to nonetheless threaten the 60-goal mark in a wholesome marketing campaign, and he’s additionally top-of-the-line defensive facilities within the league, so he could have extra to his portfolio than simply the objectives.
On the opposite finish of the spectrum for me is Hughes, the New Jersey Devils heart who will possible be a stylish choose by punters and pundits attempting to keep away from selecting the identical gamers as everybody else.
Whereas he’s a stunning participant and inarguably one of many league’s finest offensive forces, that quantity is method too brief for Hughes, who has missed 20-plus video games in two of the final three campaigns.
Beating out McDavid and the elite gamers instantly behind him on the betting board isn’t solely a frightening activity however unlikely to occur, however that gained’t cease us from looking for the perfect longshot worth on this season’s Hart Trophy race.
2024-25 Hart Trophy odds
| Participant | Odds | Participant | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connor McDavid | +160 | Kirill Kaprizov | +2200 |
| Nathan MacKinnon | +600 | Cale Makar | +2500 |
| Auston Matthews | +850 | Connor Bedard | +3300 |
| Jack Hughes | +1100 | Matthew Tkachuk | +3500 |
| Nikita Kucherov | +1800 | Jason Robertson | +4000 |
| Leon Draisaitl | +2000 | Quinn Hughes | +4000 |
| David Pastrnak | +2200 | Artemi Panarin | +4000 |
2024-25 Hart Trophy longshot picks
Mitch Marner, Maple Leafs (100/1, FanDuel)
The noise round Marner is deafening for lots of causes, however when you reduce by means of the media circus you may see why he is smart as a triple-digit punt on this market.
Marner performed to a 110-point tempo in 2021-22, hit 99 factors in 2022-23 and performed to a 101-point tempo in 69 video games final season, so he’s one of many solely gamers on this vary that has a reputable likelihood of placing up the manufacturing essential to be within the combine.
Marner can also be thought of one of many sport’s finest defensive forwards, so that ought to add one other wrinkle to his candidacy.
Mikko Rantanen, Avalanche (100/1, FanDuel)
Like Marner, Rantanen is in a contract yr and performs subsequent to top-of-the-line gamers on the earth, so there’s a recipe for a monster yr from the 27-year-old Finn.
Rantanen has scored 97 objectives and 109 factors within the final two seasons mixed and is a risk to attain 60 objectives if issues break his method.
Connor Hellebuyck, Jets (150/1, BetMGM)
It’s been 10 years for the reason that final goaltender (Carey Worth) gained this award, however that’s not essentially a foul factor for punters in search of a longshot to win the Hart.
The truth that netminders not often win the award means their odds will robotically drift, giving value-hunters an opportunity to purchase low on gamers with successful upside.
Betting on the NHL?
There are different goaltenders who you might additionally circle on this spot, however no staff depends on its starter like Winnipeg does with Hellebuyck, who gained the Vezina Trophy final spring.