The Hart Trophy is given to the National Hockey League player “adjudged to be the most valuable to his team.” Last year’s winner, Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid, is the overwhelming favorite to win again and collect his fourth Hart Trophy.
Here are the latest Hart Trophy odds across top sports betting apps.
There is troubling news for McDavid. The Edmonton star will be out for at least two weeks with what the team said was an “upper-body injury.” As of Oct. 23, the best odds we found for the Oilers to win the Stanley Cup is +1200 at Bet365.
McDavid was the league leader in goals, assists, and points last season. He scored 64 goals and 89 assists for 153 points. Teammate Leon Draisaitl was second in scoring with 128 points.
The Oilers advanced to the Western Conference semifinals before being eliminated by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights.
The National Hockey League presents many end-of-the-season awards and most sportsbooks offer odds on who will win.
Throughout the season, we will monitor the odds on the Stanley Cup, plus odds to win individual awards. We will write about the favorites and contenders for each award and what news affects the odds.
Hart Trophy Facts
The Hart Memorial Trophy has been presented since 1924. Making the playoffs is practically a prerequisite for winning the Hart Trophy.
Only four players have won the Hart Trophy when their team didn’t make the playoffs. Pittsburgh center Mario Lemieux was the last to win the Most Valuable Player award in 1988 when his team missed the playoffs.
Hart Memorial Trophy winners are often forwards. In the last 15 years, only Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price was the only non-forward to take home the Hart.
Hart Trophy Odds
Hart Trophy Longshots
There are several interesting longshots to consider if you’re interested in a long-term play on the Hart Trophy.
Jack Hughes scored 99 points (43 goals, 56 assists) for the Devils. Hughes is a dynamic offensive player on a rising team. New Jersey is a contender for the Eastern Conference championship. If Hughes leads the Devils’ charge, the forward will attract major interest for the Hart Trophy. Hughes has the seventh-best odds at +1700 (Best Live Odds: ).
Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson was seventh in goal scoring last season with 46. He also had 63 assists for 109 points. His Hart Trophy odds are +4000 (Best Live Odds: ). Robertson’s situation is similar to Hughes and the Devils.
Dallas made the Western Conference Finals last season and is expected to make a similar run this season. Should Robertson put up big numbers, his name will be prominently mentioned among Hart Memorial Trophy candidates.
Another longshot to consider is Colorado defenseman Cale Makar. His odds are +2000 (Best Live Odds: ). The Avalanche, the 2022 Stanley Cup champion, were knocked out in the first round by upstart Seattle last season. Colorado is among the favorites to make a Stanley Cup run.
If they do, Makar likely will be in the middle of Colorado’s success. In 2021-22, Makar won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman and he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the best player in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Chicago Blackhawks rookie phenom Connor Bedard is +4400 (Best Live Odds: ). This might be the longest of longshots for an 18-year-old, but Bedard scored a goal and an assist in the Blackhawks’ first two regular-season games.
Last 10 Hart Trophy Winners
- 2022-23: Connor McDavid, Oilers (64 goals, 89 assists, 153 points)
- 2021-22: Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs (60 goals, 46 assists, 106 points)
- 2020-21: Connor McDavid, Oilers (33 goals, 72 assists, 105 points in 56 games in Covid-shortened season)
- 2019-20: Leon Draisaitl, Oilers (43 goals, 67 assists, 110 points)
- 2018-19: Nikita Kucherov, Lightning (41 goals, 87 assists, 128 points)
- 2017-18: Taylor Hall, Devils (39 goals, 54 assists, 93 points)
- 2016-17: Connor McDavid, Oilers (30 goals, 70 assists, 100 points)
- 2015-16: Patrick Kane, Blackhawks (46 goals, 60 assists, 106 points)
- 2014-15: Carey Price, Canadiens (1.96 GAA, .933 SV%)
- 2013-14: Sidney Crosby, Penguins (36 goals, 68 assists, 104 points)
For more evidence of how dominant Wayne Gretzky was, he won the Hart Trophy a record nine times, including in eight consecutive seasons from 1980-87.
The winner will be selected in a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers Association in all NHL cities at the end of the regular season.
Stanley Cup Odds Update
With the NHL season only one week old, it’s obviously prudent to not read too much into such early results. But there were two developments worth noting for what happened and for what they mean.
- Edmonton lost a home-and-home set with Vancouver, falling 8-1 on the road and 4-3 at home. The Oilers’ one weakness coming into the season was perceived to be goaltending. Through the summer, trade rumors floated about the Oilers acquiring a goaltender. Giving up eight goals in one game might expedite those rumors. One trade rumor that persisted through the offseason was the Philadelphia Flyers’ Carter Hart going to the Oilers. The Flyers are in a rebuild and might be open to dealing their top goalie for draft picks. Of note, Hart is from a suburb of Edmonton.
- Toronto forward Auston Matthews, the 2021-22 Hart Trophy winner, scored three goals in each of the Maple Leafs’ two games. Toronto scored 13 goals in the two games, both victories. No one will continue at this pace, but Matthews’ start could portend a big season for him and the Leafs.
Calder Trophy Odds Update
Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard is the overwhelming favorite to win the Calder Trophy at -120 (Best Live Odds: ). The next odds pick is the Devils’ Luke Hughes at +700 (Best Live Odds: ) to win the Rookie of the Year. In his first game, Bedard had an assist and he scored his first NHL goal in his second game.
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