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

April 22, 2026

Andy's NHL power rankings for the top-10 Hart Memorial Trophy (MVP) candidates for the 2025-26 season. His final top-10 Hart Memorial Trophy candidates for the 2025-26 season include Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, David Pastrnak, and more.

The 2025-26 NHL regular season is finally in the books. After a long winter, the Stanley Cup playoffs are finally underway, and we now have a full season of data to analyze the Hart Trophy race.

Be sure to also check out our final update for the Norris Trophy race!

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

No. 10 - Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning

The lone netminder on our list will sit in the No. 10 spot. Earlier in the season, Andrei Vasilevskiy was near the top half of the Hart Trophy rankings, but he will slide a bit following his decline in the season.

Over his last 10 games, Vasilevskiy posted a 6-3-1 record while holding a 2.42 GAA and a .900% SV%. While these numbers are still very strong, this was a drop from the elite level he showed earlier in the campaign.

Before this brief skid, Vasilevskiy would post an incredible 33-9- 1 record over his last 43 games while holding a .917% SV% and a 2.15 GAA. Overall, the Big Cat led the sport in games won during the regular season with 39 and posted a .912% SV%, the highest among netminders who played in at least 30 games.

In terms of advanced metrics, Vasilevskiy tallied the fourth-most Goals Saved Above Expected (24.7) with a 4.12 WAR, which placed him alongside Logan Thompson, Jeremy Swayman, and Ilya Sorokin as the only goalies in the sport with a WAR above 4.0. He remains the favorite to win the Vezina.

No. 9 - Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres

The first defender we will spotlight is Rasmus Dahlin of the Sabres. Dahlin was not in the MVP (or Norris) radar in the first half, but has put himself in both conversations after an outstanding second half. While leading the Sabres to an Atlantic Division championship, Dahlin was by far the club's most impactful player.

Over his last 41 games of the season (as of January 8), Dahlin tallied 46 points with 15 of them coming as goals. During this stretch, the former first overall pick logged 97 shots on goal while adding 39 hits, 37 blocked shots, and posting a +28 rating. Among defensemen during this stretch, Dahlin tallied the second-most points, trailing only Evan Bouchard (by 10).

Among blueliners who logged over 1,000 minutes, Dahlin generated a 56% Corsi% (15th highest) with a stellar 13.0% Relative Goals%, putting him sixth at the position. Additionally, when off the ice (Off-Ice% xGoals%), Dahlin posted a low 44.2% mark in this category, suggesting how impactful his presence is, especially when driving the offense.

Rasmus Dahlin, 2-1 PPG #LetsGoBuffalo #Sabrehood #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/HbatB3mG0V

— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) March 28, 2026

No. 8 - Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets

Sitting just above Dahlin on our list is the other blueliner, Zach Werenski. Had the Blue Jackets made the postseason, Werenski would likely be in serious consideration for this award. However, given his less-than-stellar play down the stretch, he will remain in the back half.

Werenski was single-handedly carrying this Blue Jackets team into the postseason picture and enjoyed a dominant stretch in January through March. From the start of the New Year through March 24, Werenski tallied an impressive 37 points in just 29 games, logging 93 shots on goal with 26 blocked shots. However, over his final 11 games, Werenski tallied just four points (one goal) and held a modest -5 rating, which brought him down our ranking.

Despite the sluggish conclusion to his season, Werenski projects to be the favorite for the Norris. At his position, Werenski posted a strong 1.08 P/GP, which put him second among blueliners, trailing only Bouchard. He led defenders in Rebounds Created Above Expected (11.2) and posted an elite 54.6% On-Ice xGoals% and a low 44.3% Off-Ice Expected Goals%.

If he maintained this level of play over the final two weeks, Werenski may have made a strong case to enter the top five.

No. 7 - Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild

The first forward we will spotlight is Kirill Kaprizov of the Wild. Kaprizov finished his regular season with 45 goals, placing him fourth among skaters, trailing only the names above him on our list. He added 44 helpers, bringing his point total to 89, the third highest of his career. He has carried a +10 rating with 268 total shots on goal.

Kaprizov helped his MVP case down the stretch as he enjoyed a dominant goal-scoring streak that nearly earned the Wild the No. 2 seed in the tough Central Division. Over his last nine contests, Kaprizov found the back of the net eight times and added another five helpers. Before this stretch, he scored only six goals in his previous 14 contests.

Under the hood, Kaprizov boasts elite metrics, including a 60% Fenwick% (On-Ice Unblocked Shot Attempt%), a 63.0% On-Ice xGoals%, and an 18.0% Relative Expected Goals%, all of which are well above the average marks.

Kaprizov ➡️ Zuccarello ➡️ Kaprizov ➡️ Back of the net pic.twitter.com/MzL02Bv7Qv

— NHL (@NHL) April 3, 2026

No. 6 - Cole Caufield, Montreal Canadiens

Cole Caufield sits alongside Kaprizov in our rankings in the same "tier," making them nearly interchangeable at the No. 6 and No. 7 spots. Caufield gave Nathan MacKinnon a tough test for the Rocket Richard Trophy as he joined MacKinnon as the only other skater this season to score 50 goals. However, his impressive 51-goal campaign fell just short of MacKinnon's 53.

The former 15th overall selection enjoyed a massive breakout campaign, totaling a career-best in goals and assists (57) with a strong +29 rating (best of his career) and an impressive 258 shots on goal.

While his goal total is enough of a reason to put him above Kaprizov on our list, his underlying metrics are also slightly higher, giving the budding 25-year-old superstar the nod for the No. 6 spot. Per MoneyPuck.com, Caufield has generated an elite 20% Relative Expected Goals%, placing him fourth highest in the sport.

The winger has also posted the fourth-highest Goals% (70.7%) and a 42.7% Off-Ice Expected Goals%, which trails just three names on our list (all of whom are just above), showing how impactful he was to this Montreal offense this season.

No. 5 - David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins

Leading off the top five in a tier of his own is David Pastrnak. Pastrnak put together another dominant comparison to the other 100 points (29 goals). His 81 helpers placed him fifth among all skaters. In addition, the Czech native logged 261 shots on goal while adding 86 hits with 32 blocked shots.

Down the stretch, Pastrnak played at an elite level, nearly carrying the sluggish Boston offense to the postseason. Since March 7 (the last 22 games), Pastrnak has found the back of the net eight times while adding another 23 helpers. Among forwards during this stretch, Pastrnak tallied the fifth-most points and was tied for second in terms of assists.

When looking at advanced metrics, Pastrnak's elite 41.8% Off-Ice Expected Goals% places him tied with McDavid for the second lowest among skaters on this list. This statistic shows truly how impactful Pastrnak is to Boston's offense, as he did not have a bona fide "star" sharing the ice with him.

No. 4 - Macklin Celebrini, San Jose Sharks

Sitting at the back end of the top tier is Macklin Celebrini of the Sharks. In most years, Celebrini's production may have won him the Hart Trophy, but he has three candidates just above him with slightly more impressive results.

In his second NHL season, the 19-year-old finished fourth in league points (115) and was one of just six skaters to total over 100 points this season. Celebrini found the back of the net 45 times and tacked on 70 helpers.

As with Pastrnak and the No. 2 name on our list, the term "value" is emphasized in Celebrini's case for the Hart Trophy. Even though ice hockey is a team sport with five players on the ice at once, Celebrini was a one-man wrecking crew for the Sharks. On his roster, the No. 2 point scorer was Will Smith, who tallied just 59 points, less than half of Celebrini's total. Celebrini's 70 helpers were also twice as many as Smith's (35).

As expected, Celebrini's 40.8% Off-Ice Expected Goals% places him at the lowest among the skaters in this list, truly showing the impact he had on his team. Even though the Sharks fell short of the postseason picture, they would likely be a lottery team without Celebrini on the roster.

MACKLIN CELEBRINI YOU HAVE DONE MIRACLES ON US 🙌 pic.twitter.com/GHa7wLRIOd

— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) March 4, 2026

No. 3 - Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche

The Rocket Richard winner will hold the next spot on our list. Nathan MacKinnon finished his dominant campaign with 53 goals and 74 helpers, bringing his total to 127 points. This placed him third among skaters, trailing only the name above him on our list.

MacKinnon was the focal point of the game's No. 1 offense and made a strong case to sit at the top of this list. His 350 shots on goal led the sport by nearly 40 shots, and his +57 rating was the highest among all skaters.

Per MoneyPuck.com, MacKinnon generated an elite 63% Corsi% with a league-high 71.0% On-Ice Goals%, which placed him tied alongside Martin Necas (his teammate) for the highest mark among skaters. His 64.6% On-Ice Expected Goals% was just as stellar, putting him seventh among all forwards.

However, the lone "knock" on his profile is the Avalanche, where he was still very productive off the ice, which puts him below the top two names on our list. Per MoneyPuck.com, MacKinnon's 50.1% Off-Ice Expected Goals% put him at the lowest among the forwards referenced in this ranking.

No. 2 - Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

Coming in just shy of the top spot is Connor McDavid of the Oilers. While in most seasons McDavid plays alongside fellow superstar Leon Draisaitl, this season was quite different, as Draisaitl missed nearly the final month. However, with his No. 2 option off the ice, McDavid was even more dominant and put together another MVP-worthy season.

From March 16 on (since Draisaitl hit the shelf), McDavid would score 11 goals and add 13 helpers over a short 14-game stint. Among forwards, his 11 goals tied him for the second most at the position, while his point total placed him tied for second, trailing only Jack Hughes' 29.

CONNOR MCDAVID WE ARE NOT WORTHY WHAT A GOAL!!!! 🤯🚨 pic.twitter.com/ij084sqcCZ

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 8, 2026

Overall, McDavid tallied the most points in the net sport (138) with 48 of them coming as goals, which is the second-highest mark in a single season.

Under the hood, the future Hall of Famer generated a 62.5% On-Ice Expected Goals% and a low 41.8% Off-Ice Expected Goals%, which tied him alongside Pastrnak for the second-lowest mark among these MVP candidates (behind only Celebrini).

No. 1 - Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning

Sitting in the No. 1 spot is Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov. Kucherov sits second among skaters in total points (130), but was far more efficient on a per-game basis, posting a league-high 1.71 P/GP.

Following a somewhat sluggish start (to his standards), tallying only 14 points over his first 14 games, Kucherov would go on to enjoy one of the most dominant stretches in recent history. Over his last 63 games played, Kucherov would score 37 goals and tack on 81 helpers, bringing his total to an impressive 118 points.

During this stretch, Kucherov's point total led the sport and was tied with McDavid as the only skaters with more than 100 points.

When looking at his underlying marks, the Russian winger sits at the top of nearly all advanced statistics. Kucherov has generated a 64% On-Ice Expected Goals%, tying him for the sixth highest, while his 20.0% Relative Goals% places him third. His 63% Corsi% is also four points higher than McDavid's and is equal to MacKinnon's.

While the top-4 candidates all have impressive resumes worthy of the Hart Trophy, Kucherov's near two-point-per-game streak for most of the season pushes him just above the other names.

On the Outside Looking In

• Matt Boldy, MIN
• Wyatt Johnston, DAL
• Jason Robertson, DAL
• Ilya Sorokin, NYI
• Jack Eichel, VGK
• Nick Suzuki, MTL

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