Tomorrow.
Makar or Josi?
#crowdsourcing

So we’re gonna all pretend like Matthews isn’t winning this in a landslide? Ok, cool

51 goals in his last 50 games, highest goal-per-game avg since Lemieux nearly 30 years ago. But yeah, Huberdeau

So many great young players!! Still McDavid for me though.

Let me see:
Gaudreau leads every NHL player at +54
Leads the league with 78 even strength points
Plays an average of 18 minutes per game
McD is +22 and 68 even strength points
Plays an average of 22 minutes per game
- Traveldude

I'm not sure what your hangup is here on even strength performance, yes it's great, but it's also indicative of strong team play (particularly a strong goalie), not necessarily strong individual play. Out of those stats, +/- is purely team stat and should not be considered at all for MVP.

He's tied for 4th in points, 14th in goals, 5th in assists, 1st in even strength points, 8th in even strength goals, 49th in power play points, 81st in TOI/game (18min a game is not a reason to vote MVP) and he's a winger, which is easier to replace than a centre.

He's having an outstanding year, as is the rest of the Flames team, but that does not make him all of a sudden worthy of MVP.

All 3 are great choices. Hard to choose.

Argument for Gaudreau. He leads the league in Even Strength points. His plus minus level hasn't been seen since the early nineties. And not only has he been consistently dominant from game one onward, every time he's on the ice you immediately see it tilt in the flames favor. No matter his pairing.

Matthews has been dominant the later half of the season, and is the main reason his team is where they are. Outstanding year. Though he struggled early, and if the season was flipped with how he started he wouldn't get the same support. Without the highlights in the last few weeks would he even be in contention? Though if his pace continues this strong over the remaining 10 games it may be hard not to vote for him.

Shesterkin, it's hard to argue against his season. It tends to be harder for a Goalie to get the same appreciation when in comes to the Hart. Why? That said, with his name so heavily in the mix it tells you something about his dominance, and it should probably be him.

I'd say it's between Shesterkin and Gaudreau.

The Toronto Derp is absolutely amazing lol

What records are Matthews and Shesterkin setting?
- jmatchett383

Matthews - record for most goals ever in a season by a Toronto Maple Leaf
Matthews - most coals ever by an American player
Matthews - Most consecutive games with a shot on goal (103)
Matthews - 75 goals in his last 85 games (not a record, but damn impressive!)

He could hit 70 goals given his recent pace (12 in 10 games)....a number that has not been seen in 30+ years.

All 3 are great choices. Hard to choose.

Argument for Gaudreau. He leads the league in Even Strength points. His plus minus level hasn't been seen since the early nineties. And not only has he been consistently dominant from game one onward, every time he's on the ice you immediately see it tilt in the flames favor. No matter his pairing.

Matthews has been dominant the later half of the season, and is the main reason his team is where they are. Outstanding year. Though he struggled early, and if the season was flipped with how he started he wouldn't get the same support. Without the highlights in the last few weeks would he even be in contention? Though if his pace continues this strong over the remaining 10 games it may be hard not to vote for him.

Shesterkin, it's hard to argue against his season. It tends to be harder for a Goalie to get the same appreciation when in comes to the Hart. Why? That said, with his name so heavily in the mix it tells you something about his dominance, and it should probably be him.

I'd say it's between Shesterkin and Gaudreau.
- TycoRC

Matthews also had wrist surgery to start the season. Missed the first 3 games and it was probably another 2 weeks before his wrist was a 100%.

Still 58 goals in 67 games this year.

Matthews is a sniper Johnny is a playmaker. Play makers elevate their line mates while snipers are dependent on their line mates, thus making a great play maker more valuable than a great sniper.

Throw in that Johnny has the best +/- in the entire league and it's a no brainer.

I take nothing away from Shesterkin but goalies should not be up for the Hart, that's what the Vezina is for.
- Fan the Flame

LMAO! So Matthews is dependent on Marner? Give your head a shake, man! This guy scores so many goals on his own with that shot! Would he score as many if he played exclusively with Kerfoot and Engvall...of course not! But would Gaudreau rack up this many assists playing with Coleman and Lewis? Not a chance. Each benefit from playing with players of talent whom they have built excellent chemistry with.

Also, while I think there are other more deserving players in terms of individual stats, if you want to talk about a player truly dragging a team along to new heights, and truly being his teams Most Valuable Player, I’d vote for Kaprizov every single day.

Take Matthews, Shesterkin, Gaudreau out of the lineup and their teams LIKELY still make the playoffs. Take Kaprizov out and they are shooting for the lottery.
- Dahlmanyotes

Yah.....this is a good logic and hard to argue with, but unfortunately the MVO award never works that way. By definition it should, but it does not. Still....I like your thinking on this one.

IMO, McDavid should win this hands down, however you rarely see repeat winners. We know damn well the Oilers would be bottom feeders without him. Draisaitl is great, but couldn't carry the Oilers team on his own. The Leaf's without Matthews is still at the very least 6-10th in the east (without him they might actually have cap space to shore up the defensive shortcomings). Because of this, I'm sure they will give it to Matthew this year. He has had an amazing year.

Only the Toronto Media calls the Leafs a contender. They aren't. They will be very lucky to win a series. Until this management group recognizes the folly of 50% of their payroll spent on 4 forwards, they will never have the depth throughout the rest of the lineup to compete in the playoffs, never mind thorough 4 rounds of it.
- Nelson19777

*SIGH* Typical Leafs bashing. So predictable. Fall back on the same lines of cap space folly, blah, blah, blah. Ignore the cheap signings used to fill out the roster very effectively (i.e. Bunting, Kase when he was healthy, Kampf).

They are contenders. The numbers are there....top 4 in the league, playing in an extremely tough division at the top end (I ignore the bottom feeders because the Leafs suck against them).....top-notch specialty teams.

BUT....

This guarantees nothing. They have demons to slay, for sure, and they are going to be in the toughest matchup in the first round, regardless of who they play (unless the Panthers collapse and they win the division). They could very likely wind up losing in the first round.....again. And if so, heads should roll. In the end it will not come down to goaltending. They get November goaltending....look out! They get February goaltending.......FORE! But to say they are not contenders.....assanine.

Josi

Closest Hart & largest field in years if ever. No to goalies winning the Hart they have their Vezina. Has to be a season never seen before like Tony O & 20 SO’s. D same thing they’ve the Norris. To win the Hart they need a Bobby Orr season & win the scoring race & make the entire team better.

Now I’m curious how 1 poster says Selke for Matthews? Easy no all day.

Pretty funny.

If Leaf hatred/envy was a thing denied - this Hart discussion is 100% of its existence!

Every single none Leaf poster has selected Josi, Shesterkin, McDavid or Gaurdreau as who should win the Hart trophy and all have agreed it is not Matthews! LOL

Yet, when the voting is done, Matthews will undoubtedly be the winner.....

But hey, remember, Leafs should have drafted Laine instead!

LMFAO

LMAO! So Matthews is dependent on Marner? Give your head a shake, man! This guy scores so many goals on his own with that shot! Would he score as many if he played exclusively with Kerfoot and Engvall...of course not! But would Gaudreau rack up this many assists playing with Coleman and Lewis? Not a chance. Each benefit from playing with players of talent whom they have built excellent chemistry with.
- bullethead7

These tools don't watch the Leafs. They have no clue what they are talking about.
Matthews can play with 4th liners and he would score 40+ goals in a season.

The Toronto Derp is absolutely amazing lol
- Rev

Ovechkin needs to be in the conversation, Caps would be nowhere near the playoffs without him.

Ovechkin needs to be in the conversation, Caps would be nowhere near the playoffs without him.
- DennisCondu

Ovie has scored nine empty net goals this year. Hell of a career, and certainly still productive, but he wouldn’t crack the top 50 Hart candidates this season

Puleez……Matthews set a goal scoring record on a team that is over 100 years old. He is the 1st player since Mario, in the 1990’s, to get 50 in 50. This isn’t even a discussion.

Ovechkin needs to be in the conversation, Caps would be nowhere near the playoffs without him.
- DennisCondu

OVI, 36yrs old and still incredible. Absolutely love that guy!!

Matthews should win it. 60-goal scorers deserve an MVP. And I’m a Ranger fan

That said, his team won’t make it past round 2 as always. If they lost in 1st round I wouldn’t be surprised. They go out like sauce every year. They’re literally one of the most disgraceful franchises in professional sports.

Sheeeeeeesh if you know you know

These tools don't watch the Leafs. They have no clue what they are talking about.
Matthews can play with 4th liners and he would score 40+ goals in a season.
- Cooshie

Johnny currently sports a league leading plus/minus of +54 and Matthews despite all his goals has +16.

What this means is Johnny has, like the entire Flames team, bought into the value of back checking and defensive hockey. The Leafs, well....not so much.

Actually I would probably watch the Leafs more but they always seem to be gone by the time the second round rolls around.

If the Hart was Most Valuable Player to a franchise, the league, and a country, it would be Matthews. Unfortunately, the Leafs are still contenders without him. Hope he wins the Hart, but it should probably just be Selke, Richard, and Stanley.

There are good cases for 5 players:

McDavid - Still the best player in the world and gets forgotten because he's just that good all the time. Top in points and his team is in the lottery without him.

Matthews - Best scoring season in ages. Lead in goals and has drastically improved defensively (but nowhere near Selke quality). On the other hand, his teammates help him more than any other player on this list, and they still make the playoffs without him.

Josi - Potential 100 point season for a defenseman. It's been even longer for that to happen than the scoring pace Matthews is on. No chance they're in the playoffs without him.

Shesty - Best performance for a goalie in a long time. Compare his game to replacement and you see how much he impacts wins. Likely still a wildcard team without him.

Gaudreau - Best even strength season in a long time. Helps his teammates more than they help him. Fantastic defensively and drives offense. Team would still be in the playoffs without him though.

Hard to make a wrong choice as they all have impressive reasons to vote for them with only minor reasons not to.