Five Candidates for the Hart Memorial Trophy at the End of November

The second month of the 2022-23 season is coming to a close and already some incredible numbers are being put up award-type numbers. One of the better races early in the season has been the competition for the Hart Memorial Trophy.

The Hart Memorial Trophy is awarded to the most valuable player, and that honor is voted on by the members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

The Hart Memorial Trophy does have a history. The original Hart Trophy was donated to the NHL in 1923 by Canadian David Hart, after whom the trophy would eventually be named after.

The trophy has been awarded 98 times to 61 different players since the 1923-24 season. The player with the most Hart Memorial Trophies is NHL Hall of Fame center Wayne Gretzky with nine. The first recipient of the prestigious award was Frank Nighbor in the 1923-24 season.

Five candidates for the Hart Memorial Trophy at the end of November.

The original trophy was retired by the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1960 when the NHL began awarding the Hart Memorial Trophy. Players from the original six Montreal Canadiens have won the award 17 times.

The Hart Memorial Trophy stands as one of the recognizable trophies today, as well as the biggest trophy for individual play for the season.

The Hart Memorial Trophy is given out at the end of the season at a special awards ceremony. This award is given to a player for his regular-season achievements and has no bearing on postseason accomplishments.

It is the biggest honor a player can have for being the best player in the league, whether it is a forward, defenseman, or goaltender. Seven defensemen have won the award, and seven goaltenders have won the award. 47 forwards have taken home the Hart Memorial Trophy.

Below are the top five candidates to bring home the trophy this season.

Edmonton Oilers star center Connor McDavid will likely be at the top of the scoring list every year until he retires. He has been the most dominant hockey player in the last 20 years. Every time the puck touches his stick, he gets fans out of their seats.

This season is no different as he leads the league in scoring, posting 16 goals and 19 assists for 35 points in only 20 games.  For his career, he has 255 goals and 477 assists for 732 points in 507 games. In his last six games, he has two goals and four assists for six points.

McDavid has led the league in scoring five times, winning the Hart Memorial Trophy in both 2016/17 and again in 2020/21. The Edmonton Oilers currently sit fifth in the Pacific Division.

What makes his offensive numbers so incredible is that the Oilers do not have a lot of offensive talent on their roster. McDavid, night after night, is making something happen that helps his teammates on the ice.

McDavid has been the best offensive player to dominate for this long since Wayne Gretzky and nobody comes close. I expect McDavid to win his third Hart Memorial Trophy this season unless someone catches fire and carries that momentum until the end of the season.

What makes McDavid so special is his blazing speed and his ability to adapt to defenses on the fly, making them look like beer league rookies. Expect McDavid to continue his offensive production throughout the season and be a heavy favorite when the end-of-the-year awards are handed out.

Dallas Stars left winger Jason Robertson is one of the best young forwards in the game today. This season, Robertson has 16 goals and 15 assists for 31 points in 20 games. This brings his career totals to 74 goals and 82 assists for 156 points in 148 games.

In his last five games,  Robertson has six goals and two assists for eight points.

Robertson was special early on in his NHL career, scoring 41 goals in the 2021-22 season. At 23 years old, he is already a superstar and one that is capable of winning some hardware sooner than later. Is the Hart Memorial Trophy one of them?

He is certainly on a good roll and the trophy could be his at the end of the season. Robertson is playing on the top line of the Stars, who are in first place, and he has offensive weapons all around him. Unlike McDavid, Robertson has more scoring depth on his roster.

Robertson is a top-line forward who can create offense in any scenario. His Dallas Stars are in a division where there is plenty of talent within the division, but Robertson is pulling away from the young stars.

He can create separation that gives him space to use his sneaky shot to surprise the defense and goaltender. His speed also creates chances anywhere on the ice, capable of scoring at will.

Robertson is lethal both on a regular shift and on the power play, making it almost impossible to take away his time and space.  Robertson is a special player that is making a serious run at the Hart Memorial Trophy, both this year and for years to come.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson is having one of those seasons where he could win both the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Norris Trophy.

Just when people wrote him off and thought he was washed up, he comes into this season firing on all cylinders. He is showing he can still play an up-and-down offensive game, utilizing his speed to create offense.

This season, Karlsson has 11 goals and 19 assists for 20 points in 22 games to lead defensemen in scoring. He is taking advantage of the space given to him, utilizing that space to find an open teammate or rip one past the goaltender.

Karlsson has been an offensive force from the blueline since his NHL debut, scoring 164 goals and 526 assists for 690 points in 860 games. In his last five games, he has one goal and seven assists for eight points.

While the Hart Memorial Trophy is well within reach this season, Karlsson is no stranger to hardware. He won the Norris Trophy during the 2011-12 season and again in the 2014-15 season.

While the defense is not his strong suit, his offensive ability is second to none. He has a laser from the blue line that he uses frequently as the trigger man on the power play. With defenseman Brent Burns with the Carolina Hurricanes, Karlsson is the main offensive weapon on defense.

Karlsson does not shy away from joining the rush at every opportunity, producing offense every time in the offensive zone. He has the experience to come back to the defensive zone when the offensive opportunity is over.

San Jose, seventh in the Pacific Division, covets Karlsson’s offense as he often leads the offense through the defensive zone. If Karlsson does win the Hart Memorial Trophy, he will be one of the few defensemen to do so.

Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak is an elite sniper. His all-around play makes him dangerous, especially in the offensive zone. This season, He has 13 goals and 17 assists for 30 points. In his career, Pastrnak has 253 goals and 281 assists for 534 points in 530 games.

Not only is he an elite goal scorer, but he is an effective passer as well and is one of the top three scorers in Boston every season. In his last five games, he has four goals and three assists for seven points.

Boston has the best record in both the Atlantic Division and the entire NHL. This allows Pastrnak to play freely and use his shot to his advantage instead of trying to play from behind.

Pastrnak is not only one of the best goal scorers in the league but he uses that shot to set up teammates for rebounds and chances for them as well. A lethal and effective power play weapon, Pastrnak makes the most of his scoring chances when he has little to no room.

He has a sneaky shot that he uses without any hesitation. Pastrnak can win the Hart Memorial Trophy this season if Boston continues to play well and dominate the division.

As a Rocket Richard Trophy winner in the 2019-20 season, Pastrnak is no stranger to putting the puck into the net. He is also playing with a couple of outstanding players like Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, making the entire line one of the best in the league.

If Pastrnak does not win the Hart Memorial Trophy then he certainly has a shot at winning another Rocket Richard Trophy this season.