Quoting: bsilk18
As i have said:
Hart: "player judged most valuable to his team"
If you had to trade either Leon or McJesus, you would you keep? You would keep Mcdavid.
If the player you want to be the Hart winner isnt even the most valuable on his team, he cant be the most valuable in the league.
Winners:
1. MacKinnon
2. Panarin
3. Hellebuyck
4. Eichel
5. Drai / Mcdavid
6. Marchy / Pasta
EDIT:
Well said
Sure he plays on the same team as McDavid, but they hardly play together full time. Drai has made a great line with RNH and Yamo.
if we used the criteria, " well he plays with..."
then:
- Pasta is out.
- Kucherov shouldn't ever win a hart again
- Crosby and Malkin are both out for the future
- Mackinnon shouldn't win ever since he has Rantanen to play with when healthy.
- Ovi has Kuz and Backstrom feeding him the passes in perfect spots.
- Mathews, Marner, Tavares should never win.
So by complete default, Panarin wins the Hart because he plays with Zibanejad, who is a good player, but not a player like Mcd, Marchand, Rant, Backstrom...
so as you can see, the criteria needs to be the same every season and not change is based our opinions.
2 things are consisent, the player needs to be in the top 10 in scoring and he team needs to make the playoffs. So if the Rangers make the playoffs, this is Panarins' trophy.