NHL Power Rankings: Hart Memorial Trophy Rankings (January Update)

January 15, 2026

Andy's NHL power rankings for the top-10 Hart Memorial Trophy (MVP) candidates for the 2025-26 season. His top Hart Memorial Trophy Trophy candidates of January 2026 include Macklin Celebrini, Nathan Mackinnon, Connor McDavid, more

We have officially passed the halfway mark of the 2025-26 season, which means it's time to start looking ahead to the end-of-season awards. The MVP race is already beginning to take shape, and some unexpected names sit near the top.

Last year, we saw Connor Hellebuyck become the first goalie to win the MVP award since Carey Price in 2015.

In this ranking, we will spotlight the top-10 current favorites to take home the Hart Memorial Trophy and highlight some additional honorary mentions who are on the verge of joining this list. All statistics references are updated as of January 14.

No. 10 - Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning

The lone ntmerinder on this list will take the No. 10 spot. While Colorado's Scott Wedgewood makes a strong case for consideration, he sits in the honorable mentions section. Instead, Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy will take a spot on this list.

The Big Cat had a bit of a slow start to the season, but has been elite ever since. Over his first five starts of the season, Vasilevskiy posted a 0-3- 2 record with a 3.41 GAA and a .885% SV%. However, since then, Vasilevskiy has won 19 of his 23 starts while posting an impressive 2.03 GAA and a .921% SV%.

During Tampa Bay's 11-game win streak (as of January 14), Vasilevskiy has picked up eight of those wins and posted a .911% SV% over this stretch. In his most recent outing, he shut down the Pittsburgh Penguins, stopping 27 of the 28 shots he saw.

His underlying data looks just as dominant, as the 31-year-old has saved 14.6 Goals Above Expected, placing him third among netminders who have appeared in at least 20 games.

A BIG SAVE ONE WAY, AND A BIG GOAL THE OTHER WAY!! ⚡

Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jake Guentzel help the @TBLightning win in @Energizer overtime! pic.twitter.com/xnQ72ehKiZ

— NHL (@NHL) November 21, 2025

No. 9 - David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins

The 29-year-old has been the focal point of the Boston offense and is one of the major reasons this team has remained in the Wild Card race.

Through 42 games, Pastrnak has scored 19 goals and added 37 helpers, which is on pace to smash his previous career-high assist total of 63, which he set in 2023 and 2024.

However, recently, Pastrnak has seen his level of play surge as of late, as Boston is currently enjoying a four-game win streak and has won six of their last contests. During this seven-game stretch, Pastrnak has scored four goals and tacked on 11 helpers. Six of his assists came during their massive 10-2 victory over the Rangers on January 10.

Currently, Pastrnak is second among forwards in shot attempts per 60 minutes and has generated an impressive 58% Corsi% (On-Ice Shot-Attempt%).

No. 8A - Mikko Rantanen, Dallas Stars

Mikko Rantanen has fit in quite well during his first "full season" in Dallas. Through 46 games, the former Avalanche star has found the back of the net 18 times and tallied 44 helpers. His 62 points currently place him sixth among all skaters.

Over the last 14 games, the 29-year-old has only been held off the score sheet twice and tallied 20 points over this stretch. Last season, Rantanen finished with just 88 points through 82 games, and as of now, he is on pace to return to his 100+ point production he averaged during the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

His underlying data backs up his resurgent campaign, as he has generated a 65.8% On-Ice Goals% according to MoneyPuck, well above the average marks.

No. 8B - Jason Robertson, Dallas Stars

Sharing the No. 8 spot on the list will be Ranten's teammate, Robertson. Given Robertson's and Rantanen's current production, it seemed unfair to put one of them in the honorable mentions section, as they are still a level above the names on the outside. Robertson, who is tied for third in goals scored this season, may not have the point total as the others do, but his efficiency as a scorer puts him in MVP consideration.

According to MoneyPuck, Robertson sits third in xGoals, trailing only the top two players on this list. Additionally, he has generated a stellar 65.5% One-Ice Expected Goals%, further showing his importance and impact in the offensive zone.

Since December 19, Robertson has found the back of the net seven times (in 12 games) and logged 37 total shots on goal.

JASON ROBERTSON RIPS ONE TO TIE THINGS UP 😤 pic.twitter.com/gt2Ktjawty

— NHL (@NHL) November 12, 2025

No. 7  - Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche

The lone defender and the clear Norris favorite, Cale Makar, will take the next spot on the list. Makar is the only defender to have eclipsed the 50-point mark this season. He has scored 14 goals and added an eye-catching 39 helpers while playing top minutes for the best team in the sport.

Makar has already tallied 19 power-play points and could be within reach of matching his previous career-high of 39 power-play points, which he set back in 2023.

The 27-year-old has generated an elite 62% On-Ice Expected Goals% and a 4.43 One-Ice Expected Goals Per 60 Minutes according to MoneyPuck, both of which place him at the top of the position among defenders who have logged at least 900 minutes of ice time.

No. 6 - Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild

While his teammate Matthew Boldy made a strong case, Kirill Kaprizov will get the slight edge on this list. Entering January 14, Kaprizov currently sits 12th in total points in the league but boasts elite underlying metrics suggesting he is due for a major surge.

According to MoneyPuck, he sits sixth in xGoals (21.4) among all skaters who have logged at least 500 minutes of ice time and has generated high-quality scoring chances for his team.

Per MoneyPuck, the 28-year-old has generated the third-most rebounds in the sport, and his 166 total shots place him fifth among skaters. Under the hood, he carries a stellar 60.2% On-Ice Expected Goals%, which is not only the highest on his team (over Boldy) but also trails only four players in the entire sport, among forwards who have logged more than 950 total minutes (Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, and Nick Suzuki).

Expect the former fifth-round pick to enjoy a scoring binge in the coming weeks.

No. 5 - Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers

Draisaitl is a familiar name on these rankings and will be in the MVP race once again this season. Through 47 games played, Draisaitl currently sits fifth in total points scored this season with 67. Draisaitl has found the back of the net 25 times, tying him alongside Kaprizov, Morgan Geekie, and Wyatt Johnston for the fifth-most in the NHL.

Since the start of December, the 30-year-old has been even more impressive, tallying the third-most points in the league (36), trailing only the two skaters who hold the top-2 spots on our list.

No. 4 - Macklin Celebrini, San Jose Sharks

The most surprising name on this list sits just outside the top-3. Macklin Celebrini may be the single reason why the Sharks have remained in the playoff picture throughout the first half. The former first-overall pick currently ranks third in the league with 70 points (24 goals, 46 assists).

After tallying just 63 points during his entire rookie season, Celebrini has smashed that mark through the halfway point in his sophomore campaign and could even flirt with a 120+ point performance.

His Relative Expected Goals% (21.5%) places him sixth among skaters who have logged at least 750 minutes of ice time, according to MoneyPuck. If the Sharks reach the postseason, Celebrini will have quite the resume that will push him into legit MVP talks.

Macklin Celebrini’s goal in slo-mo is pure perfection 😍🦈 pic.twitter.com/F8CVqOxazH

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) January 8, 2026

No. 3 - Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning

Sitting just above Celebrini is the two-time Stanley Cup winner, Nikita Kucherov. While Kucherov has tallied only 67 points (fourth-most in the league) and is sitting just behind Celebrini on the overall scoring leaderboard, his recent play pushes him into the top-3.

Since the start of December, Kucherov trails just McDavid, MacKinnon, and Draisaitl in total points. During Tampa Bay's current 11-game winning streak, Kucherov has tallied an eye-catching 25 points (10 goals) with nine total power-play points. Kucherov's 5.49 On-Ice Expected Goals Per 60 Minutes is the top mark in the league, per MoneyPuck, further showcasing his impact on the Tampa Bay offense.

No. 2 - Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

The current top-2 are in a class of their own. McDavid is currently in one of the most dominant stretches of his career, and the case can be made that he is playing better than ever. The 29-year-old is currently riding a 20-game point streak, which is already a career-high, surpassing his previous high of an 18-game point streak.

During this ridiculous stretch, McDavid has scored 19 goals and taken on 27 helpers. If tallying a point-per-game over your last 20 games wasn't hard enough, McDavid is averaging nearly a goal per game.

His 23.5% Relative Expected Goals% per MoneyPuck is the second-best in the league. If this pace continues through January, he will be moved to the top spot.

No. 1 - Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche

Holding the top spot is the leader of the sport's most dominant club. MacKinnon sits just behind McDavid in total points (82 to 81), but MacKinnon leads in goals, as his 36 are six more than McDavid's, who sits behind him on the leaderboard.

Through 45 games, the 30-year-old is on pace to set a new career-high in goals and surpass the 51 mark he set back in 2023. When looking at his underlying metrics, there is no doubt that MacKinnon deserves the MVP.

The superstar has generated a 68.3% On-Ice Expected Goals%, the highest in the sport according to MoneyPuck. Additionally, MacKinnon is the only skater in the league who has tallied over 200 shots on goal. MacKinnon is the engine for the Avalanche, who currently boast a 33-4-8 record and could put themselves in the history books as one of the most dominant teams in the history of the league.

22nd goal of the season for Nathan MacKinnon! 🤩

Yes, you read that right. pic.twitter.com/ZanUoUAfTR

— NHL (@NHL) December 3, 2025

On the Outside Looking In

• Matt Boldy, MIN
• Tage Thompson, BUF
• Sidney Crosby, PIT
• Connor Bedard, CHI
• Zach Werenski, CBJ
• Ilya Sorokin, NYI
• Scott Wedgewood, COL

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