To mark the three-quarter point of the 2024-25 regular season, NHL.com is running its third installment of the Trophy Tracker series this week. Today, we look at the race for the Hart Trophy given annually to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team selected by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
The example Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar was using came from a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 4, when he thought his team was "sleepy" at the start, not fully engaged, not firing the way it needed to.
"But the one guy that stood out to me right away at the start of the game that was trying to make a difference on both sides of the puck was Nate," Bednar said. "He was helping be the driving force of that again."
Nathan MacKinnon won a puck battle in the corner and seconds later was behind the net setting up Artturi Lehkonen for a goal that gave Colorado a 1-0 lead 6:36 into the second period. In the third, he assisted on Casey Mittelstadt's power-play goal at 15:51, the game-winner in a 4-1 victory.
"If you're prepared and ready to compete like that for 60 minutes, a guy with his talent and ability is going to get something done," Bednar said.
MacKinnon has been getting it done for the Avalanche all season. He's NHL.com's favorite to win the Hart Trophy given to the League's most valuable player for the second straight season. The Avalanche forward received 71 voting points and was first on nine of 16 ballots submitted by NHL.com staff writers and editors.
Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl finished second with 47 voting points and three first-place votes. Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, the favorite for the Vezina Trophy, was third with 38 voting points and three for first place.
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski, the Norris Trophy favorite, also received a first-place vote.
"I think you look at the adversity that our team's faced with injuries," Bednar said, "and just the number of guys that we've had in the lineup, the fight we've been in, a lot of the credit should go to those top guys and the consistent seasons they're having, and Nate's certainly driving that bus again this year."
MacKinnon leads the NHL with 102 points (27 goals, 75 assists) in 67 games. He started the season with a 13-game point streak (six goals, 19 assists). He has an active 20-game home point streak, including 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in Colorado's eight-game home winning streak.
On Monday, MacKinnon became the 100th player in NHL history, and 10th active player, to reach the 1,000-point milestone.
"He gets it done no matter what, which is what you need out of a guy like him," Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson said. "That's why I think he's the best player in the world. He gets it done no matter who's on the ice, what's going on."
That MacKinnon has been the driving force leading Colorado all season is not a surprise. That's his job. This season he's been doing it as consistently as ever despite the Avalanche getting covered by clouds of adversity stemming from injuries, subpar goaltending and blockbuster trades.
The Avalanche struggled to keep the puck out of the net early in the season with Alexandar Georgiev and Justus Annunen. It was a challenge, but MacKinnon did not look or play as if he was impacted by it. If anything, it drove him to be better.