Oilers’ McDavid Should Be Clear-Cut Hart Trophy Favourite

These types of numbers from McDavid are pretty well expected at this point, making it no surprise to see what he’s been able to do as of late. That said, it’s worth noting that up until just a few weeks ago, the Oilers were at serious risk of missing the playoffs, proving just how much value McDavid is providing. If it weren’t for his dominance, this team could be in a draft lottery position.

What’s also important to remember is that over the past few weeks, McDavid has been forced to be without his right-hand man in Leon Draisaitl. In the 11 games Draisaitl has missed, the Oilers captain has put up 10 goals and 19 points. Put all of that together and you have what would seemingly be a lock to win the Hart Trophy. However, that doesn’t appear to be the case.

McDavid Being Overlooked Due to Consistent Dominance

With McDavid, it seems we are beginning to run into what some call voter fatigue. Though everybody recognizes how dominant McDavid is year in and year out, it can be fun to see different players get their share on these awards. That, of course, isn’t how any awards, and particularly the Hart, are meant to be given out.

The perfect example of this came less than a week ago, when the NHL tweeted out a poll of the top three Hart candidates. The three listed were Macklin Celebrini, Nathan MacKinnon, and Nikita Kucherov, all three of whom are having superb seasons. That said, McDavid being completely overlooked shows that there are some serious flaws in the system.

Let’s start with Celebrini, who probably has the best argument to win the Hart of the three the NHL listed. The 19-year-old has been better than even his biggest supporters could have imagined with 42 goals and 108 points in 77 games. The next leading scorer on the San Jose Sharks is Will Smith with just 56 points.

The issue when it comes to awarding Celebrini with the Hart is that the Sharks may not even make the playoffs. That isn’t meant to be a dig at Celebrini, as his point totals show just how much he is carrying his team. Unfortunately for him, the Hart is an almost impossible award to win without getting into the postseason. The last time it happened was in 1987-88, where Mario Lemieux won the award for the very first time in his illustrious career despite the Pittsburgh Penguins failing to make the playoffs.

As for MacKinnon, he has once again dazzled for the Colorado Avalanche with 51 goals and 123 points. There is no denying the role he plays in the Avs success, but they are also the top team in league standings by a significant margin. While they’d undoubtedly be a worse team without him in the lineup, most would agree the Avalanche would be a playoff team regardless. That certainly isn’t the case for the Oilers.

Last but not least is Kucherov, who somehow continues to feel underrated despite the ridiculous numbers he puts up each and every year. He’s done the same again in 2025-26 with 127 points through 72 games. That said, he falls into a category similar to MacKinnon, as, once again, most would agree that the Lightning would still be a playoff team without him in the lineup. The Hart Trophy is given to the most valuable player to his team, and based on these write ups, that seems to clearly favour McDavid.

Past Success Can’t Be Used Against a Player

The main point is this: those who vote on these awards can’t simply look past McDavid simply due to his past success. If he’s the most deserving, he’s the most deserving: point blank. And, based on the facts provided above, it’s rather obvious to see why he does deserve to win his sixth Hart Trophy for his effort this season. If it fails to go that way, there will be plenty of frustration from many hockey fans, and rightfully so.