The latest 2024-25 Hart Trophy odds have another Oiler in line for the win. Leon Draisaitl (-160) is the current MVP favorite, set to his buddy Connor McDavid as a multi-time Hart winner.
But, could we see the first goalie in over a decade win the NHL's MVP and Hart Trophy instead? Connor Hellebuyck certainly has a shot at +135, per Sportsbook's odds:
2024-25 Hart Trophy Odds
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Leon Draisaitl | -160 |
| Connor Hellebuyck | +135 |
| Nathan MacKinnon | +750 |
| Nikita Kucherov | +1900 |
| Connor McDavid | +3800 |
| Zach Werenski | +4100 |
| Jack Eichel | +8000 |
Odds as of March 6th at Sportsbook
2024-25 Hart Trophy Odds Favorite: Leon Draisaitl
If Draisaitl didn't play another game all season, he'd finish with 45 goals and 92 points. That's an insane season as is, but the Oilers' star still has 20 games left to pad his totals even further.
With Connor McDavid missing a few games and having a 'down' year by his standards (only on pace for 105 points), the door has opened for Drai to add another MVP. However, I'm not sure he deserves to be this big of a favorite. Draisaitl 'only' leads hockey in goals right now (and game-winning goals), but he doesn't have the runaway resume his line suggests.
Nathan MacKinnon currently has him beat in points and Nikita Kucherov is just a couple back. Plus, Connor Hellebuyck is putting up a real MVP season in net for Winnipeg. I wouldn't be buying in on Drai at minus money, even with his impressive goal total.
Can Connor Hellebuyck Win The Hart Trophy?
A goalie hasn't won the Hart Trophy since Carey Price in 2014-15 when the now-retired goalie picked up 44 wins on the year and averaged an incredible 1.96 goals against average and 0.933 save percentage. Hellebuyck is very close to those numbers.
With 20 games left in the season, Hellebuyck leads the NHL in wins (36), save percentage (.926), and goals against average (2.01). Assuming he plays 60-66 games (as he's done the last three years), Helle is on pace for a very similar season to that Price masterclass in 2015.
The one thing hurting Hellebuyck is there are some other studs on the Jets getting recognition this year. That 2014-15 team that Price won the Hart with didn't have a single 70-point player and just one guy score more than 26 goals. However, if he can end up leading the league in wins, GAA, and Sv%, it'll be hard to keep Hellebuyck off MVP ballots.
Previous 10 Hart Trophy Winners
| Year | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Nathan MacKinnon | Colorado Avalanche |
| 2023 | Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers |
| 2022 | Auston Matthews | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 2021 | Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers |
| 2020 | Leon Draisaitl | Edmonton Oilers |
| 2019 | Nikita Kucherov | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| 2018 | Taylor Hall | New Jersey Devils |
| 2017 | Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers |
| 2016 | Patrick Kane | Chicago Blackhawks |
| 2015 | Carey Price | Montreal Canadiens |
Connor McDavid’s entrance into the NHL brought an era of playmaking ability to the Edmonton Oilers that continues to leave its mark across multiple awards, with the Oilers taking home 4/10 of the last Hart trophies.
Oh yeah, you probably recognize some of those other guys too – they’re pretty good. The odd one out on this list is Carey Price, the first goaltender to win the Hart since Jose Theodore brought it home for the Montreal Canadiens in 2001. They know how to tend the net in MTL.
who has won the Most Hart Trophies?
| Players | Hart Trophies | Years Won |
|---|---|---|
| Wayne Gretzky | 9 | 1980-1987*, 1989 |
| Gordie Howe | 6 | 1952, 1953, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1963 |
| Eddie Shore | 4 | 1933, 1935, 1936, 1938 |
| Howie Morenz | 3 | 1928, 1931, 1932 |
| Bobby Orr | 3 | 1970, 1971, 1972 |
| Mario Lemieux | 3 | 1988, 1933, 1996 |
| Alexander Ovechkin | 3 | 2008, 2009, 2013 |
| Connor McDavid | 3 | 2017, 2021, 2023 |
*Won it every year between 1980 and 1987.
No surprises at the top of this list – with eight consecutive wins, the Great One has the most back-to-back Hart Trophies of any player in NHL history. With legends like Gordie Howe and Eddie Shore trailing at six and four wins, it’s a collection of the best skaters to ever lace them up.
Ovechkin and McDavid are the only players on this list still active in the NHL, and while Ovi is nearing the end of his career, McDavid should only climb higher on the Hart trophy wall.
NHL Teams with the most hart trophy winners
| Team | # Hart Trophies Won | Most Recent Winner |
|---|---|---|
| Montreal Canadiens | 17 | Carey Price (G) - 2015 |
| Edmonton Oilers | 13 | Connor McDavid (C) - 2023 |
| Boston Bruins | 12 | Joe Thornton (C) - 2006 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 9 | Sergei Fedorov (C) - 1994 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 7 | Patrick Kane (RW) - 2016 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 7 | Sidney Crosby (C) - 2014 |
| New York Rangers | 4 | Mark Messier (C) - 1992 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 4 | Eric Lindros (C) - 1995 |
| Colorado Avalanche | 3 | Nathan MacKinnon (C) - 2024 |
The Canadiens take the record for most Hart Trophies through their domination of the league during the 20s and 30s. The Edmonton Oilers stand in second place with 12 trophies coming from Wayne Gretzky and Connor McDavid combined -- the Boston Bruins round out the standings at an impressive 12.
NHL Teams that have never had a player win the Hart Trophy
Twelve teams have never had a Hart winner on their roster – with the trophy tending to go to elite players year-over-year, it’s understandable a decent number of teams with incredible players of their own would be skipped over.
NHL Hart Trophy Betting Trends
Choosing the MVP in the NHL is a tad easier for sports bettors, as we know it tends to go to the flashy, high-scoring players who have earned points year after year.
Here are a few trends from past years that can help you analyze the board and pick a smart future for the Hart Trophy:
- Carey Price is the only goaltender to win the Hart in the past ten years – before him, it was Jose Theodore in 2001.
- Centers have been favorites in recent years, winning six of the last ten trophies.
- Defensemen, on the other hand, are a tougher sell – the last D-man to win the Hart was Chris Pronger in 2000.
- Repeats aren’t as common as you’d think, with the last one being Ovechkin in 2008 and 2009 – McDavid’s trends might make this stat look different in the years to come though.
- The last Hart Trophy winner to miss the playoffs was Mario Lemieux in 1988. Don't bet on an elite player on a team destined to miss the postseason.
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