Aarif Deen
Colorado Avalanche superstar center Nathan MacKinnon has already checked off the Maurice Richard Trophy in 2025-26 as the NHL’s leading goal scorer. He’ll now get an opportunity to win the Hart Trophy as league MVP for the second time in his career.
MacKinnon was named one of the three finalists on Friday, joined by Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov and Edmonton Oilers star center Connor McDavid. All three of them have won it in the past.
As the No. 1 center for the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche, MacKinnon, 30, finished with a career-high 53 goals, along with 74 assists and 127 points. He posted 97 points at even strength, which is the most the NHL has seen since 1991. He also shot a career-best 15.1% and was +57, also a career high.
The only season in his career with more points (140 in 2023-24) was the year he won the Hart.
This is MacKinnon’s fifth time finishing in the top three for the Hart Trophy. He was the runner-up in 2017-18 and 2019-20. He also placed third in 2021 before his 2024 first-place finish.
MacKinnon finished third in the league in points, trailing both Kucherov (130) and McDavid (138). Kucherov is a finalist for the fourth time in his career and third straight season. He won it in 2018-19. McDavid is already a three-time winner, capturing the award in 2016-17, 2021, and 2022-23. This is his seventh time finishing as a top-three finalist.