A single player's performance will be chosen as the NHL's most valuable for 2025–26, with voters deciding who earned the Hart Memorial Trophy.
The winner gains major prestige, increased contract leverage and a place in award history; voters balance raw stats, team impact and narrative when deciding the recipient.
Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Auston Matthews and Kirill Kaprizov are among the frontrunners based on scoring and team impact.
Elite defensemen and goalies such as Cale Makar, Igor Shesterkin and Andrei Vasilevskiy also figure if their seasons and team outcomes stand out.
Statistics — goals, assists, points and advanced metrics — combined with team success and visible on-ice impact drive candidacies.
Media narratives, award-season momentum, injuries and playoff qualification timing shift voter perceptions; late-season hot streaks often alter vote shares.
Late-season scoring paces, injury reports and whether a contender's team clinches a playoff spot are immediate signals to track.
Specific milestones to monitor include point totals near career highs, All-Star selections, multi-week hot streaks, and the NHL Awards announcement window in spring.
Jun 16, 2026PolymarketKalshi
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$1,083,372 Vol.Jun 16, 2026
