Trophy Tracker: MacKinnon of Avalanche choice to win Hart as MVP

The bar Nathan MacKinnon sets for himself each season goes beyond the highest tip of the Rocky Mountains; it can't be seen because he expects so much from himself.

If MacKinnon didn't reach his bar this season, he may never get there, because the Colorado Avalanche center did things and reached heights this season that even he could not imagine attaining.

"I never thought in my life I'd scored 50 [goals], honestly," MacKinnon said. "I never really thought I would."

He did, scoring 51 in fact, but that was only the tip of it, and the reason why MacKinnon is the favorite to win the Hart Trophy, voted as the NHL's most valuable player to his team this season, according to a panel of 15 NHL.com writers/editors.

MacKinnon received nine first-place votes and 69 voting points to edge Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov, who received six first-place votes and 63 voting points. Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid was third with 42 voting points.

"His leadership, it doesn't turn off, right?" Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. "It's just like every day the way he approaches the game. All of our new guys, they're sort of blown away by it when they get here. It can be off-putting sometimes, but it's just, like, that's the way he is. 

"One thing he's going to do is lead by example. Like if you're just wanting to learn how to be a good pro, that's what you do, you just watch Nate. And I would guess that we're not the only [team], like, it's not just our guys watching what he does, it's players around the league going, 'Why is this guy so good?' and trying to learn from it."

MacKinnon finished the regular season with 140 points on his 51 goals and 89 assists, setting an Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques record for most points in a single season, topping Peter Stastny's 139 (46 goals, 93 assists) in 1981-82, 14 years before the franchise moved to Colorado.

Joe Sakic previously held the record for most points in a season by an Avalanche player with 120 (51 goals, 69 assists) in 1995-96, their first season in Denver. Peter Forsberg previously held the record for most assists by a Colorado player with 86, also in 1995-96.

MacKinnon fell four goals short of Mikko Rantanen's Avalanche record for most in a season, 55 in 2022-23, and finished with an NHL-leading 405 shots on goal.

His previous NHL high was 42 goals in 71 games last season; MacKinnon topped all of the NHL highs he set last season, when he also had 69 assists, 111 points and 366 shots on goal.

"A lot of amazing plays from everybody all season, a lot of empty nets, a lot of hard work from the whole lineup," MacKinnon said after scoring his 50th goal with a hat trick in a 5-2 win against the Minnesota Wild on April 9. "I think it's a team achievement, honestly. It's a team sport, obviously. It's tough to get there [to 50 goals]. You can't do it alone."

It was that night at Ball Arena in Denver that the fans chanted "MVP" for MacKinnon.

"I appreciate the support, obviously," he said. "I want to win. You have a whatever season and then you lose, it still doesn't feel very good. It's about winning, obviously."

The Avalanche did a lot of that this season because of MacKinnon, which only makes you wonder what next season will bring.

The bar is even higher now.

Voting totals (points awarded on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis): Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche, 69 points (nine first-place votes); Nikita Kucherov, Lightning, 63 (six first-place votes); Connor McDavid, Oilers, 42; Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs, 16; Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers, 14; Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins, 6; Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets, 6; David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins, 4; Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers, 3