2025-26 NHL Hart Trophy Odds: Connor McDavid favoured to win fourth career MVP

Arguably the most prestigious individual award in the NHL is the Hart Trophy, given to the league’s regular season MVP.

While Connor McDavid is an early Hart favourite for a reason, I have a couple other value picks you should consider heading into the 2025-26 season.

Let’s jump in.

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Hart Trophy favourite: Connor McDavid

It’s no shock to see Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid enter the year as a +190 favourite to win the Hart Trophy. McDavid already has three Harts to his name to go along with a plethora of individual hardware.

The elephant in the room, however, is the Stanley Cup ring missing from McDavid’s hand. He has a ridiculous 613 points in 361 games over the last five seasons, but now more than ever it’s about finding team success for the game’s best player.

While McDavid could win this award and no one would bat an eye, I think he’s too focused on winning a Stanley Cup to care about individual awards like the Hart Trophy. That’s why my value lies further down the list.

Hart Trophy value pick: Nikita Kucherov

I like Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov to win the Hart at +1000 simply because of the defintion of the award. It goes to the player most valuable to their team. Kucherov led the league with 121 points last season, which is 31 more points than the next closest player on his team. That kind of value is off the charts.

Kucherov is just as danergous of a threat to score as he is a setup man. He has multiple 40-goal seasons on his resume while also leading the NHL assists in each of the last two seasons.

With teammates capable of finishing like Brayden Point and Jake Guentzel, I think Kuch is in for another big season.

Hart Trophy dark horse: Auston Matthews

My dark horse pick for the Hart Trophy is Toronto Maple Leafs sniper Auston Matthews at +1800. This will be the first year he plays without Mitch Marner as his setup man, but I think that will drive him to prove he can score with anyone on his wing.

Matthews is also presumedly healthy for the first in a while, so I expect a hot start, especially as he gears up for the Olympics. This is a former 69-goal scorer, who tends to yo-yo from down year to spectacular year. Based on his past, this will be a spectacular year.

Last 10 Hart Trophy winners

While one look at this list shows you how hard it is for a goalie to win the Hart Trophy, it’s even tougher for defenceman. A blueliner hasn’t the Hart since Chris Pronger 25 years ago.