The Hart Memorial Trophy is an annual award given to the most valuable player in the NHL. According to hockey betting sites, Connor McDavid is the runaway favorite right now.
But if you’re looking for value, you’ll have to look outside of McDavid.
2022-23 NHL Hart Trophy odds
The favorites
Connor McDavid
Connor McDavid is tearing up the National Hockey League right now with 59 points in 30 games. He’s on pace for an astonishing 161 points, which would easily be a career-high for the center.
Only five players in NHL history have scored 150+ points, including Wayne Gretzky, who did it nine times. If McDavid keeps this pace for the season’s entirety, he’ll win the Hart. But that’s a big if. With 52 games left in the campaign, anything can happen.
With so many variables in play, the paltry odds you’re getting for McDavid aren’t that inviting. Even if he wins the scoring title, it’s no lock that he wins the Hart. The Richmond Hill product has led the league in points four times but has just two Hart Trophies.
Jason Robertson
If last year was his breakout season, this year has launched Jason Robertson into superstar status.
The fourth-year pro has followed up his 79-point season with a blistering start that has him on pace for 118 points. J-Rob’s year has been highlighted by an 18-game point streak that saw him shoot up the Hart Trophy standings.
Unlike McDavid, Robertson’s team is a first-place squad. How much that actually matters is up for debate.
Remember that the award is intended for the player most valuable to his team. If you took Robertson out of the equation for the Dallas Stars, they probably wouldn’t be leading their division.
The Oilers, on the other hand, would still have the league’s second-leading scorer (Draisaitl, 51 points) if McDavid went down.
Auston Matthews
Last year’s Hart Trophy winner is getting a lot of respect with these odds. They should be much longer for Matthews right now, who has gotten off to a sluggish start compared to last year.
While 35 points in 30 games is nothing to sneeze at, AM34 isn’t even the best player on his team at the moment. It will surprise no one if Matthews gets hot and starts scoring in chunks, but these odds don’t compute right now.
It’s a good idea to wait for a better number or look elsewhere for value.
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Sleepers bursting with value
Tage Thompson
It’s hard to wrap your head around how good the value is on Tage Thompson right now.
At +5000, you’re getting 50-1 odds. That means if you took this bet 50 times, all you’d have to do is win once to break even. It’s the epitome of a no-brainer, considering how wide open this race is just 30 games into the season.
Thompson has lit the league on fire this year and currently has the third-most points (44) in the NHL. The 6’7 scoring machine already has an astounding 13 multi-point games, including a pair of six-point outings.
The 25-year-old had a mini-breakout last season with 68 points but has catapulted to a different stratosphere this year. Playing in Buffalo has provided the rising star a degree of anonymity, but that’s all about to change.
It would only take a McDavid-mini-slump to see Thompson’s bloated odds disintegrate into something far less favorable for bettors.
Mitchell Marner
If any Maple Leaf should be in the MVP conversation right now, it’s Mitch Marner.
The Leaf’s winger continues to make history with his torrid 23-game point streak. Marner now has 37 points on the year and has only played in two contests where he didn’t register at least one point.
The former fourth-overall pick has found a new gear this season. Now’s the time to get on the M-train because the price won’t get any cheaper.
David Pastrnak
There’s something to be said about the best player on the best team. The Boston Bruins are the class of the NHL this season, and David Pastrnak is a big reason why.
Pastrnak has 39 points on the year, which is 16 more than his closest teammate. Talk about being valuable to your team.
The 26-year-old Czech is on schedule for a 114-point season, which would shatter his previous high of 95. The +2300 odds at FanDuel sportsbook look a little inflated.
Previous Hart Trophy winners
2022: Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
2021: Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
2020: Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
2019: Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning
2018: Taylor Hall, New Jersey Devils
2017: Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
2016: Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
2015: Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens
2014: Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
2013: Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
2012: Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins
