Whether you’re on the Nathan MacKinnon For The Hart train or part of the Connor McDavid fan club, the Colorado Avalanche star has a legitimate chance at becoming a two-time Hart trophy recipient following Tuesday’s big news.
McDavid’s teammate, Leon Draisaitl, will likely miss the rest of the season due to an injury. Draisitl was injured in Edmonton’s game against the Nashville Predators on Sunday and his potential status was announced early Tuesday afternoon.
While Draisaitl and McDavid play on different lines, if one is out for an extended period of time, that usually sends a bad trickle-down effect throughout a team’s lineup. It very well could mean that teams are going to be able to focus more on McDavid and his top line more than if Draisaitl was active. The lives of defenders and goalies should become a little bit easier.
That being said, some players are just difficult to stop no matter what. Draisaitl has 16 goals and 42 points on the power play alone this season. In comparison, McDavid has 11 goals and 35 assists on the man-advantage. MacKinnon has nine goals and 16 assists on the power play as part of his 45 goals and 65 assists on the year.
When it’s all said and done, MacKinnon should run away with the Hart trophy. He could also come home with the Rocket Richard trophy, given to the league’s top goal scorer. With 45 goals, he is six goals ahead of second place (Cole Caufield with 39), and seven goals ahead of Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy of the Minnesota Wild. Unless
Unless MacKinnon is hit with an injury, he should have a clear path towards the Rocket Richard. At the end of the day, however, the most important thing is that the Avalanche remain healthy as best as they can so they can continue the season as the league’s top team heading into the postseason.