The 2024-25 Hart Trophy odds are rightfully making Kirill Kaprizov the favorite at +115 odds. But, three-time winner Connor McDavid is hot on Kirill the Thrill's heels with +305 odds, although with Leon Draisaitl scoring at McDavid's pace this has to be Kirill's award to lose.
Let's dive into who's got the best chance to win the NHL's MVP award in 2024-25 and why Kaprizov is an excellent candidate to win.
2024-25 Hart Trophy Odds
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Kirill Kaprizov | +115 |
| Connor McDavid | +305 |
| Nathan MacKinnon | +640 |
| Nikita Kucherov | +730 |
| Leon Draisaitl | +2100 |
| Jack Eichel | +2400 |
| Martin Necas | +2500 |
| Connor Hellebuyck | +3300 |
| Sam Reinhart | +3500 |
| Cale Makar | +4000 |
Odds as of December 19 at BET99
2024-25 Hart Trophy Odds Favorite: Kirill Kaprizov
Kaprizov's 48 points in 31 games are putting him on pace for an incredible 127 points on the season. But more importantly, when it comes to the Hart Trophy, Kaprizov's Herculean production is 18 points better than the next-best player on his team (Matt Boldy). At this pace, Kirill is on pace to end the year with a 50-point cushion in Wild scoring. I don't care what you think, he is easily the most valuable player on his team, which if you aren't aware, is the exact definition of this award.
The Russian forward has always produced but has never been considered one of the truly outstanding offensive talents in the league finishing in the top five in scoring only once. To win this award he'll have to outscore his teammates and keep up with elite scoring talents like McDavid, MacKinnon, and Kucherov, three players who scored over 130 points last year.
At his current rate of production, Kaprizov is on pace to score 127 points so if he keeps up his production through the rest of the season he'll be an excellent candidate to win, but if he falters even a little he'll be overlooked again.
2024-25 Hart Trophy Odds Value Pick: Martin Necas
The Carolina Hurricanes forward is having a breakout year with 44 points in 31 games, a pace of 116 points he's to smash his previous career high of 71 points.
But again, when it comes to this award it's not just about leading the league in scoring, that's what the Art Ross Trophy is for, the Hart is about producing at an elite pace, which Necas is doing, and being well above your teammates in terms of production, something Necas is also doing.
His 44 points are well ahead of every other Canes player holding an 11-point cushion on his next-best teammate (Sebastian Aho). And with five game-winning goals you can tie at least a quarter of Carolina's points directly to Martin Necas's stick, that's MVP-type behavior.
Previous 10 Hart Trophy Winners
| Year | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Nathan MacKinnon | Colorado Avalanche |
| 2023 | Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers |
| 2022 | Auston Matthews | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 2021 | Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers |
| 2020 | Leon Draisaitl | Edmonton Oilers |
| 2019 | Nikita Kucherov | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| 2018 | Taylor Hall | New Jersey Devils |
| 2017 | Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers |
| 2016 | Patrick Kane | Chicago Blackhawks |
| 2015 | Carey Price | Montreal Canadiens |
Connor McDavid’s entrance into the NHL brought an era of playmaking ability to the Edmonton Oilers that continues to leave its mark across multiple awards, with the Oilers taking home 4/10 of the last Hart trophies.
Oh yeah, you probably recognize some of those other guys too – they’re pretty good. The odd one out on this list is Carey Price, the first goaltender to win the Hart since Jose Theodore brought it home for the Montreal Canadiens in 2001. They know how to tend the net in MTL.
who has won the Most Hart Trophies?
| Players | Hart Trophies | Years Won |
|---|---|---|
| Wayne Gretzky | 9 | 1980-1987*, 1989 |
| Gordie Howe | 6 | 1952, 1953, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1963 |
| Eddie Shore | 4 | 1933, 1935, 1936, 1938 |
| Howie Morenz | 3 | 1928, 1931, 1932 |
| Bobby Orr | 3 | 1970, 1971, 1972 |
| Mario Lemieux | 3 | 1988, 1933, 1996 |
| Alexander Ovechkin | 3 | 2008, 2009, 2013 |
| Connor McDavid | 3 | 2017, 2021, 2023 |
*Won it every year between 1980 and 1987.
No surprises at the top of this list – with eight consecutive wins, the Great One has the most back-to-back Hart Trophies of any player in NHL history. With legends like Gordie Howe and Eddie Shore trailing at six and four wins, it’s a collection of the best skaters to ever lace them up.
Ovechkin and McDavid are the only players on this list still active in the NHL, and while Ovi is nearing the end of his career, McDavid should only climb higher on the Hart trophy wall.
NHL Teams with the most hart trophy winners
| Team | # Hart Trophies Won | Most Recent Winner |
|---|---|---|
| Montreal Canadiens | 17 | Carey Price (G) - 2015 |
| Edmonton Oilers | 13 | Connor McDavid (C) - 2023 |
| Boston Bruins | 12 | Joe Thornton (C) - 2006 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 9 | Sergei Fedorov (C) - 1994 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 7 | Patrick Kane (RW) - 2016 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 7 | Sidney Crosby (C) - 2014 |
| New York Rangers | 4 | Mark Messier (C) - 1992 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 4 | Eric Lindros (C) - 1995 |
| Colorado Avalanche | 3 | Nathan MacKinnon (C) - 2024 |
The Canadiens take the record for most Hart Trophies through their domination of the league during the 20s and 30s. The Edmonton Oilers stand in second place with 12 trophies coming from Wayne Gretzky and Connor McDavid combined -- the Boston Bruins round out the standings at an impressive 12.
NHL Teams that have never had a player win the Hart Trophy
Twelve teams have never had a Hart winner on their roster – with the trophy tending to go to elite players year-over-year, it’s understandable a decent number of teams with incredible players of their own would be skipped over.
NHL Hart Trophy Betting Trends
Choosing the MVP in the NHL is a tad easier for sports bettors, as we know it tends to go to the flashy, high-scoring players who have earned points year after year.
Here are a few trends from past years that can help you analyze the board and pick a smart future for the Hart Trophy:
- Carey Price is the only goaltender to win the Hart in the past ten years – before him, it was Jose Theodore in 2001.
- Centers have been favorites in recent years, winning six of the last ten trophies.
- Defensemen, on the other hand, are a tougher sell – the last D-man to win the Hart was Chris Pronger in 2000.
- Repeats aren’t as common as you’d think, with the last one being Ovechkin in 2008 and 2009 – McDavid’s trends might make this stat look different in the years to come though.
- The last Hart Trophy winner to miss the playoffs was Mario Lemieux in 1988. Don't bet on an elite player on a team destined to miss the postseason.
