Not a surprise by any means: Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon on Friday was announced as a finalist for the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player, as voted by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

MacKinnon on Thursday was announced as a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award, given annually to the NHL’s most outstanding player voted by members of the NHL Players' Association.

New Jersey’s Taylor Hall and Los Angeles’ Anze Kopitar are the other Hart finalists.

The winner will be announced at the 2018 NHL Awards ceremony on June 20 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

You want it and here they are. Your Hart Memorial Trophy finalists are @hallsy09, @AnzeKopitar and @Mackinnon9.

The winner? Find out in @Vegas! #AwardWorthy #NHLAwards pic.twitter.com/9L4cfmk9bX

— NHL (@NHL) April 27, 2018

MacKinnon finished fifth in the league in scoring with 97 points (39 goals, 58 assists) in 74 games and helped the Avalanche make the playoffs for the first time in four years, the second wild card in the Western Conference.

He was second in points per game (1.31) and had 12 game-winning goals, tying him with Tampa Bay’s Brayden Point for most in the league.

Hall helped the Devils reach the playoffs for the first time since 2011-12, the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. He had 93 points (39 goals, 54 assists) in 76 games.

Kopitar had 92 points (35 goals, 57 assists) for the Kings, who were the first wild card in the West.



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