The first month of the NHL schedule is complete, the calendar has turned to November and the 2022-23 season continues on.
It’s still early in the year, with some teams failing to even play in 10 games yet. However, there are players whose performances have already put them in the spotlight, and it is hard at times not to utter the letters “M-V-P.”
To no one’s surprise, Connor McDavid is the frontrunner early in the season to claim the Hart Trophy. He entered the season as the favorite and remains so as he continues to showcase his generational skill night in and night out.
However, there are others that people may not have expected to have put their names forward as potential MVP winners. With more than 85% of the season still to go, it remains to be seen if some of these surprising candidates can continue to be in the conversation until season’s end. But let’s enjoy the ride and highlight the deserving players who have performed strongly to start the campaign.
The Sporting News takes an early look at the Hart Trophy race in the NHL for the 2022-23 season.
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MVP betting odds courtesy of Sports Interaction.
All Stats as of Nov. 1
NHL Hart Trophy Ladder
1. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers (odds +159)
Can we really be surprised anymore? I mean, McDavid kicked off the year with a hat trick and five points in his first game.
The NHL continues to be easy for the Oilers captain, who leads the league with 18 points as the schedule flips to November. He has nine goals and nine assists, with five of the goals and three assists coming on the man advantage.
McDavid already has two hat tricks this season and has recorded at least a point in seven of Edmonton’s first nine games. He has hit four points in a single game three times already. McDavid is like Thanos — he is inevitable.
2. Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers (odds +2181)
Panarin picked up right where he left off from his career year last season, producing at least a point in each of the first six games for the Rangers.
He is up to 16 points in 10 games thus far for New York, putting him in a tie for second in that category. The Russian is also tied for second in assists with Jesper Bratt, who also has 15, and tied with Mikko Rantanen for the lead in power play assists with seven.
Panarin is being paid to produce like the NHL’s elite, and he has done so to start the 2022-23 campaign.
3. Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers (odds +1093)
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Like the case with McDavid, Draisaitl is once again proving he is a point-scoring machine that not many in the NHL can stop.
The German is up to 16 in nine games so far for the Oilers, trailing only McDavid in that category in the league and tied with Panarin and David Pastrnak. His 12 assists are the most in the league and his six power play helpers are in a tie for second.
Draisaitl hasn’t been shy about the praise of his passing this year, and he shouldn’t be. We’re watching one of the premier puck movers in the NHL continuing to do what he does best.
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4. David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins (odds +2165)
The Bruins were expected by some to come out of the gate flat with Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy sidelined to start the season. That hasn’t been the case at all, and Pastrnak is a big reason for it.
The Czech winger has been sensational this year, with 16 points in nine games. He’s tied with Draisaitl and Panarin for second-best in the league in points and his seven goals are in a tie for fourth.
Not only has Pastrnak’s early production helped the Bruins to the best record in the league, but he is also going to be a free agent this summer. The two sides continue to negotiate a long-term deal, but the price of the brick is going up with every goal and every point Pastrnak records.
5. Jesper Bratt, New Jersey Devils (odds +4371)
After breaking out for 73 points in 76 games, Bratt and the Devils couldn’t agree on a long-term deal. Instead, the two agreed on a one-year deal to play this season. It’s still early, but it’s looking like the price of that long-term extension is getting higher and higher for New Jersey.
Bratt is up to 15 points through the first nine games of the year, sitting fifth in the league in points. His 11 assists are tied with Panarin for second in the NHL. Bratt not only is proving that last year was no fluke, but that he’s only improving more and more.
If the Devils want to lock up Bratt as a part of their future (they should), they better do it sooner rather than later. Because there is a good chance that they are giving up another Jack Hughes-like contract to Bratt.
Honorable Mentions
Mika Zibanejad, New York Rangers (odds +4480)
Zibanejad seems to just get better and better every year with the Rangers. Through 10 games, he has six goals and six assists, with his five power play goals putting him in a tie for first in the NHL. The Rangers center has posted a 6.6 expected goals, which is tied with John Tavares for the third-best mark, and his 51 shots on goal are second.
Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche (odds +1932)
After leading all defensemen in goals last year, Makar has yet to light the lamp this season for the Avs. However, he still has recorded eight assists through nine games, with six coming on the power play. The lack of 5 on 5 production is a bit concerning, but Makar is eating up minutes for Colorado, as his 26:22 average time on ice trails only Quinn Hughes and Drew Doughty for the league lead.
