Here are your top-3 Hart Trophy candidates for the 2021-22 season
Make no mistake, the season that Auston Matthews is having is a Hart Trophy caliber season. To be fair, there is certainly some stiff competition, but at this point, you can make the argument that Matthews is the current Hart Trophy favourite.
Matthews' main competition is New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin, but Colorado Avalanche defender Cale Makar is also a strong candidate.
Shesterkin has appeared in 37 games for the Rangers this season, posting an impressive 28-6-3 record. His 1.93 GAA and .942 SV% rank 1st in the league in both categories. He's also 4th in wins, 9th in saves and 10th in shots against.
Makar has taken the league by storm since his NHL debut during the 2018-19 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The 2019-20 Calder Trophy winner has recorded 21 goals and 65 points through 54 games this season, leading all NHL defenseman in both goals and points. He's also on pace to score 94 points in just 78 games, which would make him the first defenseman to hit that mark in three decades. He's also a legitimate Norris Trophy contender this season.
Matthews, in my opinion, is just on a different level. What is the hardest thing to do at the NHL level? Score goals. And not only does Matthews score goals, he scores them in high volume and against some of the world's best goaltenders.
Matthews has recorded 43 goals so far this season, putting him on pace to finish the season with 62 goals. If he can hit that mark, he'll be the first to break 60 goals since Steven Stamkos in 2011-12. Stamkos played all 82 games that season. Matthews is on pace to exceed that total in just 79 games.
Here are the league's best goal scorers since Auston Matthews made his NHL debut back in 2016. Not only does Matthews lead all goal scorers over that span, but he leads them all while playing less games than each and every one of them. Here's a look at the top-5:
Matthews - 242Ovechkin - 241Draisaitl - 216McDavid - 208Pastrnak - 206
Opinion: This is Matthews' race to lose. The 24-year-old is looking at a season in which he could end up walking away with the Hart, Art Ross, Rocket Richard and Selke Trophies, and also the Ted Lindsay Award if he continues to produce at the same level the remainder of the way.
Matthews is currently on pace to become the Maple Leafs' all-time franchise goals leader by the time he's 27.
| POLL | ||
9 MARS | 243 ANSWERS Here are your top-3 Hart Trophy candidates for the 2021-22 season Who is the favourite for the Hart Trophy this season? | ||
| Auston Matthews | 198 | 81.5 % |
| Cale Makar | 16 | 6.6 % |
| Igor Shesterkin | 16 | 6.6 % |
| Other | 13 | 5.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
