Nathan MacKinnon is my Hart Trophy winner of the quarter mark of the NHL season

ST. PAUL, MINN. – In the voting for the 2017-18 Hart Trophy, Nathan MacKinnon finished in second place, 70 points behind Taylor Hall – 1264 to 1194. Hey, it wasn’t my fault. I had an official vote for that trophy and I voted for No. 29, with Hall as my second-place choice. Go ahead, call me a homer.

The thing is: when I made that vote, I had the same thought in the back of my mind that others probably did, and might have made the final difference in him not getting it: Well, he had a great year. He also has two great linemates, with Mikko Rantanen and Gabe Landeskog.