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

February 20, 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 candidates of February 2026 include Macklin Celebrini, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, more.

With the Olympic break almost complete, hockey fans will begin shifting their attention back to the NHL. With just under two months of the regular season remaining, the MVP race is beginning to take shape.

In this piece, we will spotlight the current top-10 favorites for the Hart Memorial Trophy heading into the final stretch of the season. Since our last update in January, several players have entered the conversation, while others have taken a significant step forward in our ranking.

Who are the top-10 favorites for the Hart Trophy? Let's dive in!

Honorable Mention - Mikko Rantanen, Dallas Stars

The first Dallas forward we will spotlight is Mikko Rantanen. Rantanen currently sits eighth in total points with 69. He has found the back of the net just 20 times but has been effective as a playmaker, totaling 49 helpers, which ties him alongside David Pastrnak for the seventh most among skaters.

The 29-year-old has been a workhorse for the Stars, logging the highest 33.2% share of possible ice time among forwards on the roster. Additionally, his 63.1% On-Ice Expected Goals place him first among all Dallas forwards who have logged at least 800 minutes of total ice time, according to MoneyPuck.com. The forward also sits 10th at the entire position in Relative Expected Goals% (18.9%).

What keeps him outside of the top 10 is his lower goal totals. If Rantanen can turn in a scoring surge in March, expect the Dallas forward to earn a sizable jump in the next rankings update.

No. 10 - David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins

The leader of the Boston offense will take the first spot on our list. Pastrnak currently sits sixth in total points with 71 across 52 games. Pastrnak has found the back of the net 22 times and took on an impressive 49 helpers, which places him seventh among all skaters.

The 29-year-old has seen his offensive production surge over the last month, which has pushed him into the sleeper range of the MVP race. Since December 31 (his last 17 contests), Pastrnak has punched in seven goals and tacked on 23 assists, placing him tied for second among all skaters, alongside Mark Stone, and only trailing Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov.

Under the hood, the winger has generated a strong 62.9% On-Ice Goals% with a 57% Corsi% (On-Ice Shot Attempt%), according to MoneyPuck.com.

No. 9 - Jason Robertson, Dallas Stars

Joining Rantanen in our rankings is his teammate, Robertson. Robertson has been among the game's top goal scorers this season as he has found the back of the net 32 times, tying him for third in the game, alongside Boston's Morgan Geekie, Montreal's Cole Caufield, and Minnesota's Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy.

Since the start of the new year, Robertson has found the back of the net nine times and added 11 goals over a 17-game stint. Over his last eight, he has scored five goals.

However, where the 26-year-old shines is in his underlying metrics. Per MoneyPuck.com, the 26-year-old American winger has generated the highest Relative Expected Goals% among all forwards who have logged at least 800 minutes of ice time. Robertson also stands as the top among all forwards with an incredible 72.9% On-Ice Goals%, suggesting how impactful his presence is when he is on the ice.

No. 8 - Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning

The first goalie on our list will be Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning. In our January version, Vasilevskiy was the lone netminder on our list, but another has not only joined the list but has surpassed him on our power ranking.

Vasilevskiy had a slow start to the season when he posted a modest .892% SV% with a 2.92 GAA over his first 12 games. During this stretch, he held a 5-5-2 record. However, "The Big Cat" has since returned to his Vezina level of play and been among the sport's top players.

Since November 15 (his last 25 outings), the two-time Stanley Cup Champion has posted an incredible 22-2-1 record with a .932 SV% and a 1.74 GAA. During the Olympic break, the 31-year-old was riding an eight-game winning streak, posting an even better .938% SV% with a 1.58 GAA.

Per MoneyPuck.com, Vasilevskiy sits second at the position, posting a dominant 21.1 Goals Saved Above Expected, trailing only the other goaltender on our list. His 3.51 WAR also places him second at the position.

*Heroes

Vasy and Jake clutch in OT 🤯 https://t.co/Y3ceTA04sZ pic.twitter.com/bbO2U5O4FR

— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) November 21, 2025

No. 7 - Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild

Minnesota's Kaprizov will sit just outside the top five on our list. The 28-year-old has played a major role in the team's game plan, logging the second-highest possession time among forwards (36.5%), trailing only Connor McDavid.

Kaprizov has scored 32 goals across 58 games, which puts him on pace to score 45 goals and would place him just behind his career-high of 47, which he scored back in 2021. Additionally, Kaprizov has recorded 38 assists, ranking him seventh in the entire sport with 70 points.

Kaprizov has been highly effective on the man-advantage, scoring 13 of his goals on the man-advantage, tying him for third most in the league and only one behind Pavel Dorofeyev's 14, who sits second. The Russian winger has also generated an above-average 59% Fenwick (On-Ice Unblocked Shot Attempt%) and 58% Corsi%.

KIRILL THE THRILL CALLS GAME IN OT 🔥🚨 pic.twitter.com/DdFGX4mIKE

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) February 3, 2026

No. 6 - Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers

Draisaitl was one of the hottest players in the sport heading into the Olympic break, scoring four times and recording nine assists over six games.

Overall, the 30-year-old German has scored 29 goals and added 51 assists across 55 games. His points place him fifth in the entire sport, trailing only the four players above him on our list. Draisaitl has been elite on the man-advantage, tallying the second-most power-play points (34) in the league, trailing only his teammate, McDavid.

However, what puts him in the back half of this top group is his lower 61% Fenwick% (which is still well above the average) and his 62% On-Ice Expected Goals%.

No. 5  - Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders

Sitting at the No. 5 slot is New York's Ilya Sorokin. Sorokin has played a major role in the Islanders' resurgence this season and has also kept them afloat in the Eastern Conference.

Sorokin entered the break carrying a 20-13-2 record (across 35 games) with a 2.44 GAA and a .916% SV%. His six shutouts stand as the clear lead in the sport, as John Gibson, Jesper Wallstedt, and Joel Hofer sit far behind as distant seconds with only four shutouts to their name.

As noted prior, while Vasilevskiy's underlying metrics are elite and worthy of the Vezina and serious MVP talks, Sorokin's are even more impressive. Per MoneyPuck.com, the 30-year-old sits first at the position in terms of Goals Saved Above Expected by a wide margin, as his 27.8 stands alone compared to Vasilevskiy's 21.1.

Sorokin is also the only 4.0 WAR netminder in the sport, according to MoneyPuck.com. The Islanders netminder needs to be seriously considered for this trophy, as he is putting the team on his back on most nights.

No. 4 - Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

Draisaitl's teammate will be listed just above him on our list. McDavid currently leads the league in points (96), but given Edmonton's inconsistent stretch and that he plays alongside another MVP candidate, he will hold the No. 4 spot in our update.

When looking at its statistics, the 29-year-old stands out in almost every metric. After needing 67 games to hit the 100-point plateau last season, McDavid has already totaled 96 points in just 58 games and could very well hit this mark before he plays in game No. 60.

As noted before, his power-play points (39) are the most in the sport and five more than the No. 2 player (Draisaitl).

McDavid sits 15th among forwards (who have logged more than 800 minutes of ice time) in On-Ice Score Adjusted xGoals% but sits first among forwards in Flurry Adjusted xGoals (30.7), suggesting that McDavid has generated the most xGoals when removing the "flurry" events, which are particularly classified as late-game empty-net attacks.

While he's the most talented player in the sport, he has not been the most valuable compared to the remaining top-3 players.

No. 3 - Macklin Celebrini, San Jose Sharks

When discussing value, there may not be a player who fits that bill more than Macklin Celebrini. Celebrini is single-handedly keeping the Sharks in playoff contention while playing as a 19-year-old in his second NHL season.

After totaling 62 points over his 70-game debut season, the former first overall pick has emerged as one of the game's top players. Across 55 games this season, Celebrini has found the back of the net 28 times and added 53 helpers. He sits fourth in total points (81) and sits tied for fourth in even-strength goals (23).

The Sharks' second-highest scorer is Will Smith with only 39 points, significantly lower than Celebrini's. Additionally, Celebrini has 11 more goals than San Jose's No. 2 goal scorer, Smith (17 goals).

Despite having a weaker supporting cast than the other MVP candidates, Celebrini has generated an elite 62.8% On-Ice Goals% with an impressive 20% Relative Expected Goals%, which sits just 3.8% behind Robertson for the highest mark, according to MoneyPuck.com.

If the budding superstar can bring the Sharks back into the postseason, he could emerge as the favorite.

No. 2 - Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning

Sitting just behind our No. 1 player is Nikita Kucherov. The case can be made that Kucherov should be the favorite, and if he continues his current trajectory, he may take home the hardware.

Since January 1, Kucherov has been borderline unstoppable, tallying 11 goals with 29 helpers over a 16-game stint. In fact, he is the only skater who has tallied more than 30 points during this stretch and is among just nine forwards who have found the back of the net at least 11 times.

Overall, Kucherov has scored 29 goals while adding 62 assists, which places him tied with McDavid for the most in the league.

According to MoneyPuck.com, Kucherov has generated a 63% Corsi%, which is the highest among the players on this list. The 32-year-old has also posted a 66.7% On-Ice Expected Goals%, which trails Robertson by only 0.2%, per MoneyPuck.com.

NIKITA KUCHEROV TIES IT UP WITH A ROCKET ☄️

It's the 10th goal of the night 😳

Watch the end of Bruins-Lightning on ESPN and the ESPN App 🏒 pic.twitter.com/s6X8B5Xq0A

— ESPN (@espn) February 2, 2026

No. 1 - Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche

Even though Colorado has been taking a dip in the standings and has not been as dominant compared to the first three months of the season, MacKinnon will still take the top spot in our rankings. Through 55 games played, the 30-year-old center has scored an eye-catching 40 goals, which is six more than the No. 2 player (McDavid).

MacKinnon's 93 total points place him second in the sport, trailing only McDavid, while his 1.69 P/GP is also second in the league, trailing only Kucherov by 0.9.

Per MoneyPuck.com, the former first overall selection has generated an elite 63% Corsi% (tying him alongside Kucherov) but has a slightly higher 25.1 Flurry Adjusted xGoals, compared to Kucherov's 24.7. MacKinnon also sits 0.1% behind Robertson's league-leading On-Ice Goals%, further showcasing the massive impact he has on the Colorado offense.

While Kucherov has begun to make a strong push, MacKinnon will still narrowly hold the top spot heading into the final stretch of the season.

On the Outside Looking In

• Sidney Crosby, PIT
• Cale Makar, COL
• Moritz Seider, DET
• Jack Eichel, VGK
• Zach Werenski, CBJ
• Matt Boldy, MIN
• Rasmus Dahlin, BUF
• Seth Jarvis, CAR

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