The NHL season is almost upon us, and that has got fans already discussing who the standout performers of the season will be.
The MVP award, also known as the Hart Trophy, is awarded to the best player during the regular season. In the 2024/25 season, it was won by Connor Hellebuyck, who made history by becoming the first goalie to be crowned the league’s best player.
But nobody has gone back-to-back since 2009, so we’ll take a look at the race to win the 2026 Hart Trophy and provide you with our best free NHL betting picks to see if we can earn you some extra cash while you enjoy the action on the ice.
| NHL Hart Trophy MVP Award 2026 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connor McDavid | +200 | +200 | +200 |
| Nathan MacKinnon | +400 | +425 | +400 |
| Nikita Kucherov | +600 | +600 | +400 |
| Kirill Kaprizov | +900 | +900 | +1100 |
| Leon Draisaitl | +900 | +950 | +700 |
| Auston Matthews | +1600 | +1600 | +6600 |
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Below you’ll find a list of favorites to win the NHL Hart Trophy Award, given to the regular season MVP, for the 2025/26 season.
It will come as a shock to absolutely nobody that Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid is the favorite to be crowned NHL regular-season MVP.
The three-time Hart Trophy winner is regularly considered to be the best player in the world, and after missing 15 games last season it arguably cost him a record fourth crown. But he is fighting fit heading into the new season and will be undoubtedly in the mix once again.
The three times that he won the MVP award previously in his career he was the top scoring player in the NHL too, and if he is in the mix for that again too then there’s a very good chance the No.97 will be in the mix once more.
The last time he won the award was in the 2022/2023 season, where he scored a career-high 153 points, but there is still a slight chance he begins the season playing for a different team.
After back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals defeats and conversations about his contract status, there are question marks over whether or not Edmonton is the best place for him to continue playing his best ice hockey.
There are no question marks about the player’s quality or abilities, so calling it a ‘prove-it’ year for the 28-year-old probably isn’t accurate, but a move away could well be on the cards.
What better way for him to prove he’s still the best in the league and deserving of whatever he wants financially, than by winning another Hart Trophy award?
Odds of +200 aren’t the best considering we’re still only about halfway through pre-season, but if he starts the campaign well then the price will just drop, so take it while you can.
Check out our review for BetOnline sports betting here.
If McDavid isn’t going to be successful this year, then there is every chance that Nathan McKinnon steps up to claim a second Hart Trophy Award in his career.
That victory came in the 2023/24 season, but he has been a finalist on four different occasions in the past, while he has also been voted in the top six on eight consecutive occasions too, and in the 2017/18 season there was a huge argument that he should have won it rather than be runner-up.
The Colorado Avalanche star narrowly missed out on winning the Art Ross Trophy last year after scoring 116 points, but you don’t need to win that trophy to be crowned the league’s best player.
In 2024/25 he finished fourth in the voting after registering 32 goals and 84 assists, and will come into the new campaign fired up and fully motivated.
MacKinnon will be in the mix no matter what because of his individual quality, but he may need the help and support of his teammates to have success on the ice, and that will push him towards the crown.
Considering his ability, being able to get more than double the odds on the second favorite compared to the favorite makes this a very appealing bet.
Check out our review for BetUS sports betting here.
Kucherov is one of the best point scorers in the NHL and after securing a third Art Ross Trophy in 2024/25, and a second consecutive crown, he will no doubt be in the mix once more in 2026 for the Hart Trophy.
The Russian hit triple-figures for points for a third consecutive season last season, hitting 37 goals and 84 assists in his 78 appearances for the Tampa Bay Lightning, which saw him finish in third place in the voting for the MVP award.
In 2019 when Kucherov won the only Hart Trophy of his career so far, he registered 41 goals and 87 assists. If he is able to register anything even remotely similar in 2025, then he will probably win it again.
At odds of +600, there is sensational value here considering his incredible output over the last few seasons. However, it’s hard to see him getting the nod over some of the competition.
The Lightning are highly unlikely to be competitive when it comes to finding Stanley Cup success this season considering the stiff comeptition in the Eastern Conference, and that is likely to be the difference in a tight race.
If you believe that the best performing player will win the award, regardless of what his team achieves, then this is a great bet. But the reality is that that is rarely the case, so this may be one to avoid.
About the Author
Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.
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