Connor McDavid goes to win the Hart Trophy this season.
They actually ought to simply listing his identify thrice because the winner and the finalists. Nobody else ought to even be within the dialog. For instance, Matt Larkin of The Hockey Information famous that by way of April 26, the Edmonton Oilers have been a plus-88 in scoring possibilities when McDavid was on the ice at even energy.
With out him? They have been a minus-183! That is ridiculous!
Even with that form of case, it will not be a unanimous vote. There’s all the time a caveat. There’s going to be the Pittsburgh author who votes for Sidney Crosby, the “Nathan MacKinnon is due” voter who places the Avalanche middle first, and the Boston author who feels the one approach to give the criminally underrated Brad Marchand his due is to criminally overrate him as being extra invaluable to the Bruins than McDavid is to the Oilers.
But it surely additionally will not be unanimous as a result of there’s this widespread notion that the division in which McDavid plays — for lack of a extra nuanced time period — completely stinks.
Usually, this would not be a difficulty. The Pacific Division has, in a few years, additionally stunk. However the North Division is completely different, as a result of McDavid has confronted solely these groups again and again on this truncated pandemic season, because of intradivisional schedules.
McDavid has racked up a 1.76 points-per-game common towards two good groups (Toronto and Winnipeg), two woefully inconsistent groups that fired their coaches (Montreal and Calgary), the worst group in anticipated targets towards per 60 minutes (Vancouver, three.06) and the second-worst defensive group within the league in goals-against common (Ottawa, three.47).
But we’ll hear reward for Crosby and Marchand even though they play in a division with three of the 4 worst groups in goals-against common (Buffalo, New Jersey and Philadelphia).
Is the East worse than the North? And is the North actually that dangerous? With the common season nearing its finale, we all know sufficient about these divisions to each quantify and outline them. We all know what they’re, and what they don’t seem to be.
Presenting your official information to the 4 realms of NHL divisional play this season.