Who should be leading the MVP race?

Who should be leading the MVP race?
March 17, 2017, 11:41 AM ET [104 Comments]
HockeyBuzz Hotstove
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In this edition of the hotstove we share our thoughts on which player should (currently) have a leg up over the rest in this crowded MVP race.

Todd Cordell

There are at least five candidates worthy of serious consideration but if I'm handing out the award today, I'm giving it to Connor McDavid.

McDavid is tied for 1st with 79 points, leads the league in 5v5 points, is 2nd in 5v5 points per 60 minutes played and the Oilers score 61.6% of the goals with him on the ice compared to just 47.9% without McDavid.

Essentially, they're Washington Capitals caliber good with McDavid on the ice and a non-playoff team without him. When you factor in this is his first full season as an NHLer, what he's doing is even more impressive.

Adam French

Brad Marchand, Rocket Richard, Art Ross and Hart winner...hell, give him the Selke too. Let that possibility sink in. Let's make it the weirdest year in decades.

At a time where the Bruins are icing their worst defensive group in a long time led by an aging cavebeast 23 minutes a night that everybody seems keen to say is "done." The Bruins looked to be done. Last year they missed the playoffs and this year they looked to do the same. Rask has been good, but not the Vezina good he was behind some of those stronger Boston squads (.912sv%). Yet here they are, probably going to be in the playoffs and mostly on the back of the most unlikely hero. A Hobbit...named Brad Marchand.

Even with Bergeron a mixture of injured and snake-bitten, Marchand has taken the offensive burden of the squad squarely on his shoulders.

Marchand is undoubtedly the MVP if he wins both the Art Ross and Rocket. He leads the NHL with 37 goals and 79 points. He has 3 SHG's good for a tie for 3rd in the league. He sits 3rd in SHP's with 5. 5th in GWG's. He also leads the NHL in EVG's, though those 4 empty netters help (Hey! Also league leading!).

Matt Henderson

It's McDavid and it will always be McDavid for me. He's the most electric player in the NHL, he was a teenager for half the season and doing unspeakable things to NHL defenders. He is just so ridiculously good and proficient that I think it's impossible to overlook him for this award.

He's having the best season by anyone in the league as far as I'm concerned.

Then you factor into the discussion the basic fact that he's doing this on the Oilers and leading them to the playoffs for the first time in a decade. Most valuable to his team? Who else could it be other than McDavid? Take him away, and the Oilers are sunk.

Peter Tessier

Not Brad Marchand, that would be my vote. But that's not because he's not deserving of recognition but the lobbying by a certain group of Boston media Bruins, errr Boston media has tainted the process.

I could get behind the McDavid argument as well as Crosby too. Would you thrown in goalies into this mix or should they stay with their own award?

There's a strong argument for Patrick Kane as well. But the guy I see is Brent Burns for MVP. He is a stud in so many ways even though he is defence and some might argue that the Norris is their trophy. However like goalies, where would the Sharks be without him? Nowhere near where they are now that's for sure. Give it to Burns and make the right call.