5 players who should be serious Hart Trophy candidates but won’t

Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

Let’s be honest: The Pittsburgh Penguins had such little hope remaining back in March that they moved Jake Guentzel at the trade deadline, signifying no playoffs for 2024. Then they embarked on a late-season run, and despite his age and the fact Pittsburgh’s scoring was hopeless for most of the season, Sidney Crosby was the man who fueled the Pens.

With a game to go in the 2023-24 season, Crosby is easily pacing the team with 92 points and 42 goals, plus a 15.3 shooting percentage. Pittsburgh’s scoring has picked up since the trade deadline, with Crosby lighting the way with 29 points and 10 goals between March 9th and April 15th. 

While he hasn’t scored any game-winners in that span, Crosby has also converted 19.2 percent of his shots into goals, one of the best marks in the NHL in that frame. And in some crucial outings between April 1st and April 15th, eight games total, Crosby played his best hockey overall, with seven goals and 13 points. 

Going back to March 24th, when Pittsburgh started to climb back into the hunt in an overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche, Crosby has 23 points and nine goals, plus a 25.7 shooting percentage in those 12 games. If he’s proven anything this season, it’s that he is still one of the game’s best when the season is on the line, making him worthy of some Hart votes.