Nikita Kucherov, Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid Named Hart Trophy Finalists
According to an announcement from the league, Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche, and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers are the three finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy. The award is given annually “to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team.”
Although he hasn’t won the award since the 2018-19 campaign, Kucherov becomes a finalist for the league-MVP for the third consecutive year. Despite not leading the league in scoring this season, it’s hard to argue that Kucherov isn’t deserving of the award. Given the number of injuries the Lightning dealt with this season, especially to the defensive corps, there’s no telling how bad the season could have gone if they didn’t have Kucherov’s point-producing offense (although a significant argument can be made that it was Andrei Vasilevskiy doing the heavy lifting).
Most impressively, Kucherov managed his fourth consecutive season in which he managed to register more than 80 assists. His final scoring line was 44 goals and 130 points in 76 games with a +43 rating, averaging over 20 minutes of ice time per game. In some of the major scoring categories, Kucherov ranked eighth in goals (44), second in assists (86), second in points (130), third in goals created (46.3), fourth in even-strength goals (35), fourth in goals per game (0.58), first in assists per game (1.13), first in points per game (1.71), and second in goals created per game (0.61).
MacKinnon, on the other hand, has a strong case, being the most dominant player on the most dominant team. Like Kucherov, he has become synonymous with the award over the last several years, finishing in the top five in voting for four consecutive years, and winning the award in the 2023-24 campaign.
He’s already won one major award this year, taking home the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the highest-scoring player. MacKinnon finished with 53 goals and 127 points in 80 games with a +57 rating, averaging north of 22 minutes of ice time per game. Compared to the other finalists, MacKinnon finished first in goals (53), third in assists (74), third in points (127), second in goals created (48.0), first in even-strength goals (42), first in goals per game (0.66), fifth in assists per game (0.93), third in points per game (1.59), and third goals created per game (0.60).
Meanwhile, everything that is true of Kucherov and MacKinnon is true of McDavid. The 29-year-old has already won the award three times and has finished in the top 10 in voting every year of his career after his rookie campaign. As incredible as McDavid has been throughout his career, he quietly had the second-highest scoring season of his career, scoring 48 goals and 138 points in 82 games with a +17 rating, averaging nearly 23 minutes of ice time per game.
Taking home the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s highest-scoring, McDavid finished third in goals (48), first in assists (90), first in points (138), first in goals created (50.5), fifth in even strength goals (34), third in goals per game (0.59), second in assists per game (1.10), second in points per game (1.68), and first in goals created per game (0.62).
Despite each of the three finalists having a strong claim for the award, the conversation can’t be had without mentioning youngster Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks. The language used by the NHL regarding the award, along with the writers who make up the PHWA’s interpretation of it, has sparked considerable debate in recent years.
The argument regarding MacKinnon doesn’t seem as convincing, considering how dominant his teammates on the Avalanche were this year. However, there is a valid point that the Lightning and Oilers might not have made the playoffs this season if they hadn’t had either player available, though this is likely less applicable to the Lightning.
Even though the Sharks didn’t qualify for postseason play, there’s little rationality that the team would have been in striking distance of a playoff spot without Celebrini. The second-year forward scored 45 goals and 115 points in 82 games for the Sharks this season, with the next closest player, Will Smith, finishing with 59 points (albeit in limited action due to injuries). Furthermore, the gap between Celebrini’s and Smith’s point totals, 115 and 59, respectively, is significantly more than the gaps that Kucherov, MacKinnon, or McDavid had on their teams this season.
Regardless, the votes have already been cast, and we’ll find out in a few short weeks which one of the trio will ultimately be named the league MVP for the 2025-26 season.
Photo courtesy of Steven Bisig of USA TODAY Sports.
Lightning Notes: Raddysh, Kucherov, O’Reilly
The Tampa Bay Lightning have a pivotal offseason ahead of them as they look to rebound after a fourth consecutive first-round series loss, and one of the key situations they have to manage is the pending unrestricted free agency of defenseman Darren Raddysh. In his exit day media availability, GM Julien Brisebois said (via the Tampa Bay Times’ Eduardo A. Encina) that he has “already reached out to” Raddysh’s agent, Craig Oster of Newport. Brisebois said he and Oster have “been in touch throughout the second half of the year, just sharing concepts, ideas” on what a contract extension might look like.
Raddysh has lined himself up to receive a massive pay raise this summer. In a free agent market notably thin on difference-making talent, Raddysh is the best defenseman, and arguably best overall player, set to be available. He took over for Victor Hedman as Tampa’s top power play option and No. 1 defenseman, producing 22 goals and 70 points in 73 games. As a 30-year-old undrafted player, he’s set to receive a life-changing contract at some point this summer. Based on what Brisebois said today, it appears the Lightning are hoping that contract comes from them.
Other notes from Tampa Bay:
- Brisebois also addressed the future of future Hall of Fame forward Nikita Kucherov, who is set to enter the final year of his contract in 2026-27. He said of Kucherov: “I foresee him staying in our organization for a very long time,” and added that he will, “in due time,” engage with Kucherov’s agent on extension talks. Kucherov is repped by Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey. The 32-year-old scored 44 goals and 130 points in the regular season, and produced six points in seven postseason contests.
- Lightning prospect Sam O’Reilly was named the winner of the Red Tilson Trophy today, an honor awarded to the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player. The 2024 first-rounder, 20, scored 71 points in 56 games this season, and had 22 points in 14 playoff games. He was acquired by the Lightning from the Edmonton Oilers this past summer in the deal that sent Ike Howard to Alberta. Brisebois hinted today at a belief that O’Reilly may already be close to NHL-ready, saying the prospect “probably won’t need that much time in order to be able to come here and contribute.”
Macklin Celebrini, Nikita Kucherov, Connor McDavid Named Ted Lindsay Award Finalists
The NHL kicked off award season today, announcing that Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks, Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers have been named finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award.
Although the Hart Memorial Trophy has more name recognition, there’s a concrete argument that the Ted Lindsay Award carries more weight for the players. It’s awarded annually to the most outstanding player of the regular season as voted on by members of the NHL Players Association. Instead of being judged by writers, the winning player receives the award as judged by their peers.
Even if he doesn’t win, Celebrini’s finish as a finalist is a testament to the year he had. The 19-year-old had an outstanding season, scoring 45 goals and 115 points in 82 games, almost single-handedly leading the Sharks to the postseason. It wasn’t enough to crack the top-three in scoring leaders for the NHL, but he led the under-25 group by a long shot. The next closest was Wyatt Johnston (22) of the Dallas Stars, who scored 45 goals and 86 points in 82 games.
It would be a disservice to write about Celebrini’s regular season with the Sharks without also mentioning his performance with Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Despite falling to the United States in the Gold Medal game, Celebrini was unstoppable, scoring five goals and 10 points in six contests throughout the international tournament.
Meanwhile, Kucherov’s spot as a finalist for the award is par for the course. The high-scoring Russian is the defending winner of the award, also winning it in the 2018-19 season after leading the league in scoring. Unfortunately, unlike the past two seasons, Kucherov didn’t lead the league in scoring or the assist category, which has become a common occurrence for him. Regardless, with the amount of injuries the Lightning sustained this season, it’s hard to argue that Kucherov’s play provided the stability the team needed to remain competitive.
Then there’s McDavid. If he hasn’t done so already, the 29-year-old may want to invest in another trophy closet relatively soon. He’s already claimed the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s leading scorer, something he has already done five additional times. Furthermore, regarding the Ted Lindsay Award, McDavid has already had that honor on four occasions.
Given their seasons, it’s hard to argue against any of the finalists. Still, although it’s difficult to remove any of the finalists, it’s surprising that Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche didn’t finish in the top three of votes. MacKinnon was the most dominant player on the most dominant team, scoring 53 goals and 127 points in 80 games with a +57 rating.
East Notes: Lightning, Rangers, Thomson
The Lightning found themselves down a pair of important contributors up front today against Ottawa. Prior to the contest, the team announced (Twitter link) that winger Nikita Kucherov and center Nick Paul were both scratched due to illness. Kucherov entered play today in a share of the league lead in scoring with 121 points, tied with Edmonton’s Connor McDavid. This is now the fifth game this season that he has missed. As for Paul, he has been fairly quiet since returning from the injury midway through the month, recording just one assist in seven games since then, bringing him to 13 points in 41 games on the campaign. Without enough cap space to recall a replacement forward, the team went with just 11 forwards and seven defensemen versus the Sens.
Elsewhere in the East:
- The Rangers will have to wait at least one more game to get veteran goaltender Jonathan Quick back. Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic relays (Twitter link) that Quick won’t dress on Sunday but is still considered to be day-to-day. Once he returns, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them use all three goalies, allowing Dylan Garand to get a bit more action at the top level. There is some good news on the injury front for New York, however. In a separate tweet, Mercogliano adds that center Noah Laba has been listed as a game-time decision for tomorrow’s contest. The 22-year-old was listed as being out week-to-week less than two weeks ago, suggesting his return is going to be ahead of schedule.
- The Senators welcomed back one of their injured defenders today as Julian McKenzie of The Athletic noted (Twitter link) that Lassi Thomson was cleared to return from his lower-body injury. The 25-year-old was an injury recall earlier this month and then was injured less than five minutes into his season debut on Monday. He took the place of Jorian Donovan in the lineup; Ottawa will now have to decide if they want to convert Donovan’s recall to a regular one (counting against their post-deadline limit) or return him to AHL Belleville.
Lightning Recall Jakob Pelletier And Jack Finley, Place Brandon Hagel On IR
The Lightning have brought up a pair of wingers in advance of their game tonight against Carolina. The team announced that they have recalled Jakob Pelletier and Jack Finley from AHL Syracuse.
Pelletier is in his first season with Tampa Bay after signing a three-year deal with them in free agency. However, he didn’t make the team in training camp and cleared waivers, paving the way for him to be sent down.
The 24-year-old played in one game with the Lightning in mid-November but has been with the Crunch exclusively beyond that. Pelletier has been quite productive in Syracuse as he’s tied for the league lead in scoring with 15 goals and 16 assists in just 24 games. Nearly a career point-per-game player in the minors (161 points in 163 outings), it will be interesting to see if he gets more of an offensive look with some of Tampa Bay’s better forwards banged up.
To that end, team reporter Benjamin Pierce relays that winger Brandon Hagel will miss his second straight game with an upper-body injury sustained earlier in the week against Florida. While not announced by the team, he has been moved to injured reserve, per the NHL’s Media Site, meaning he’ll likely be out through the holiday break. The 27-year-old has been one of Tampa Bay’s top performers this season, collecting 18 goals and 13 assists in 31 games. Meanwhile, winger Nikita Kucherov is listed as a game-time decision due to illness.
Finley, meanwhile, returns from a conditioning stint that lasted just three games. He did well in those outings, picking up a goal and two assists while getting a chance to play a much bigger role than he did with Tampa Bay. The 23-year-old has been limited to just 11 games with the Lightning this season where he has a goal and an assist while averaging 8:49 per game of ice time. More specifically, he had only suited up twice since November 25th so the timing was right for him to go down and get some work in with the Crunch.
Atlantic Notes: Maple Leafs, Lightning, Pinto
While Joseph Woll landed on injured reserve today, the hope is that he will only miss the minimum of seven days, notes Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic (Twitter link). Woll had been used quite heavily by the Maple Leafs since returning from a leave of absence, making eight starts in nine games and did well, posting a 2.44 GAA and a .923 SV%. With Anthony Stolarz not close to returning, it appears Toronto has dodged the worst-case scenario when it comes to their other netminder.
Meanwhile, a pair of injured blueliners took part in today’s morning skate as Nick Barden of The Hockey News mentions that Chris Tanev and Marshall Rifai both participated in non-contact jerseys. Tanev has missed more than a month with an upper-body injury after briefly returning from an upper-body injury and head coach Craig Berube hopes that Tanev will be able to get him more involved in practice over the next week. Rifai, meanwhile, has yet to play this season after suffering a wrist injury in the preseason. Both players are currently on LTIR.
Elsewhere around the Atlantic:
- While the Lightning will get one of their stars back tonight, they’ll be without two others. Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times relays that goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and winger Nikita Kucherov are listed as day-to-day with undisclosed injuries. Tampa Bay was hoping to have Vasilevskiy back after missing Thursday’s game but that won’t be the case, meaning Jonas Johansson will get the start once again. Meanwhile, it’s unclear as to what Kucherov’s injury is as well but he played over 25 minutes on Thursday against Pittsburgh so it’s something he was evidently able to play through at some point in the game.
- The Senators have placed center Shane Pinto on injured reserve, notes Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, who adds that Pinto is expected to miss two weeks and likely more, suggesting that a return after the holiday break may be more realistic. The open roster spot was used to recall Hayden Hodgson earlier today. The 25-year-old got off to a strong start to his season and has 12 goals in 27 games along with a four-year, $30MM contract extension that begins in 2026-27.
Panthers Attempted To Offer Sheet Nikita Kucherov In 2016
With the holiday season afoot, former Florida Panthers assistant general manager Steve Werier was looking back on what could have been. Namely, he reflected on the team’s attempt to sign Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Nikita Kucherov to an offer sheet in 2016 on The PuckPedia Hockey Show. Werier said that Florida was hoping to take advantage of Tampa Bay’s cap strains at the time, and would have had to give up a first, second, and third-round pick in the resulting deal.
Plans ultimately fell through, and Kucherov signed a three-year, $14.3MM bridge contract with Tampa Bay. The deal proved to offer the best of both worlds, providing a 23-year-old Kucherov a chance to jump into the top echelon of NHL scorers while Tampa Bay retained enough cap space to keep Jonathan Drouin, Ondrej Palat, and Alex Killorn in the fold. Kucherov certainly did take off, recording 85, 100, and 128 points over the three years of his bridge deal respectively. He has stayed special in five seasons since, routinely exceeding point-per-game scoring in the regular-and-post-seasons and reaching a career-high 144 points in the 2023-24 season.
It would be hard to picture Kucherov – a 12-year veteran in Tampa Bay – in any other jersey. But Florida could have offered him a similar platform to thrive. Werier emphasized that the team wanted to make sure they had Aleksander Barkov and Aaron Ekblad locked up to support Kucherov, if he came in. Florida was also carrying Vincent Trocheck, Jonathan Marchessault, and Jaromir Jagr at the time. They’ve swapped those three out for Jonathan Huberdeau, then Matthew Tkachuk, and Sam Reinhart in the years since. That firepower has proven enough to earn Florida two Stanley Cup championships, the same number that Kucherov has won in Tampa Bay.
A deal never came together, and both Florida-based clubs found their way to stardom nonetheless. But how an in-state offer sheet could have impacted the two sides will be a fun thought for the rest of the holiday week. Kucherov is among the best forwards in the NHL, and one of the greatest Russians to ever play. Any effort to bring him into the fold is notable, even if it ultimately fell through.
Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point Leave With Injury
The Tampa Bay Lightning’s injury woes could be getting worse. Star forwards Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point left Saturday night’s game against the Washington Capitals with injuries. Kucherov was hurt in the second period after getting knocked around in a scrum. Point also left in the second period with an undisclosed injury, though he made a brief return before leaving again in the third. Head coach Jon Cooper said that it was too soon to make a statement on either injury, per team reporter Gabby Shirley.
Rookie Dominic James also left the game in the second period with an apparent injury, but managed to return for the third.
Kucherov scored one goal and three points in the first period, helping set Tampa up for an eventual 5-3 win. It was the 44th time he has scored multiple points in the first period, a new Lightning record above Steven Stamkos‘ 43 per the NHL Public Records. He ranks second on the Lightning in scoring on the year, with 19 points in 18 games. The superstar Russian has lost no momentum in his 12th NHL season, and would leave a major hole in the lineup and on the scoresheet should he need to miss time.
Point also remains a core piece of the Lightning’s offense. He has had a down year by his standards, with 11 points and a minus-10 in 20 games, though that mark still ranks fifth on the team in scoring. The Lightning lean on Point’s ability to play both between, and off of, star scorers Kucherov and Jake Guentzel. His absence would force the team to find another adaptable second-line center. It would also bump rookie Jack Finley back into the lineup. Finley has two points and a plus-one in eight games this season. He made his NHL debut last season, after scoring 28 points in 40 AHL games.
Tampa Bay is already facing injuries to top defenders Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh. Despite that, Saturday night’s win earned the Bolts a three-game win streak, and a 11-3-0 record over their last 14 games.
Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov Out With Illness
The Tampa Bay Lightning have announced that star winger Nikita Kucherov will be held out of Friday night’s game by an illness. Kucherov has three points, one penalty, and a minus-eight through four games this season. He is one of seven Lightning players with three points so far.
There is simply no replacing Kucherov in the lineup, even if his early season has been quiet. He is a three-time Hart Trophy finalist, and took home the MVP title in 2019. He’s led Tampa Bay in scoring in each of the last two seasons, with an incredible 144 and 121 points respectively. At the age of 32, Kucherov has already amassed the second-most points in Lightning history (997), only behind longtime captain Steven Stamkos (1,137).
Tampa Bay will undoubtedly be handicapped without Kucherov, who has averaged 20:29 in ice time on the season. They’ll have to bump each of their right-wingers up a line, likely leading to Gage Goncalves on the top line and Conor Geekie in the top-six. That movement appears to be offering opportunity for Jack Finley, who has only played one, scoreless, game to start the season. Tampa Bay also recalled Scott Sabourin earlier today, though he is set to serve a four-game suspension in the NHL for roughing Florida Panthers’ defender Aaron Ekblad in the preseason. He’ll serve his first game of that suspension on Friday.
Evening Notes: Markstrom, Willander, Mancini, NHL Top 10
The New Jersey Devils could be the next team to extend their starting goaltender. On the heels of a five-year, $34MM contract extension for Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson, the Devils are now working out a new deal for Jacob Markstrom, per The Fourth Period. Markstrom is entering the final year of a six-year, $36MM contract originally signed with the Calgary Flames in 2020.
Markstrom earned a second-place finish in Vezina Trophy voting on the second year of his last contract, after posting 37 wins and a .922 save percentage in 63 games of the Flames’ 2021-22 season. He fell drastically in 2022, landing at a .895 save percentage in 59 games with Calgary, and only rebounded to a .905 in 48 games of 2023-24. That prompted a summer trade to greener pastures, landing Markstrom with a playoff contender in the New Jersey Devils. He posted a middling .900 save percentage in 49 games of his first season with the Devils. That’s far from the .910 mark that Markstrom routinely challenged at his peak, but on a well-rounded Devils squad, average numbers from the aging veteran have proven supportive enough. He is sure to take a big hit on both term and salary in his next contract, which could take him through the rest of his career.
Other notes from across the league:
- The Vancouver Canucks made a pair of important decisions earlier today. They have assigned top defense prospects Tom Willander and Victor Mancini to the minor-leagues, after both clung to the camp roster to nearly the final day. Mancini played his first full season in the pros last year. It was certainly eventful, spread between NHL and AHL ice time with the New York Rangers and Canucks, and ending with a Calder Cup win with the Abbotsford Canucks. In total, he recorded eight points in 31 NHL games and 21 points in 54 AHL games on the season. Meanwhile, Tom Willander was a core piece of the National Championship runner-up, the Boston University Terriers. He posted 24 points in 39 games with the club – one point fewer, in one game more, than he managed in his freshman season. Willander is nonetheless a pillar of consistency on both ends of the ice, and will look to prove that soon with his pro debut in Abbotsford.
- The NHL has announced their top-10 players, wrapping up their Top 50 Players series just two days before Opening Night. The list is, of course, headlined by Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid. His teammate, Leon Draisaitl, holds the third spot, while Colorado Avalanche superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar hold #2 and #4 respectively. The rest of the list includes, in turn: Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, Panthers center Aleksander Barkov, Penguins center Sidney Crosby, Jets goalie and reigning MVP Connor Hellebuyck, Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Canucks defender Quinn Hughes. It’s hard to argue any other names should be featured on the list, though Panthers fans may feel salt in the wound seeing their captain, and perennial Selke Trophy candidate, landing in the top-10 on the heels of a season-ending injury.