Is Nathan MacKinnon the favorite to win the Hart Trophy?

In a season where Auston Matthews has nearly has 40 goals at the 50-game mark and Connor McDavid has led the Edmonton Oilers on a 13-game winning streak, it’s Nathan MacKinnon who might be the best in the field.

The Colorado Avalanche forward had a monster performance in their 6-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Wednesday, scoring four goals and an assist for his second five-point game in less than a month. MacKinnon now has 82 points, passing Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov for the league lead in scoring.

Through this 2023-24 campaign, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft is well on his way to smashing the career-high 42 goals, 69 assists and 111 points he scored last season. Now the question becomes: is MacKinnon the favorite to win the Hart Trophy?

On Thursday’s episode of Daily Faceoff Live, Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk discuss the 28-year-old’s incredible game and where he stacks up among the league’s best.

Frank Seravalli: I don’t know that it gets any stronger for the Hart Trophy right now, the way he’s playing at the midseason mark. For me, he’s unlocked anything you can do.

It’s crazy to think how good MacKinnon has been all season long, how he’s carried this Avs team, how they’ve been on home ice. He’s already north of 80 points and we’re just past the halfway point of the season.

Tyler Yaremchuk: It’s been an incredible run, and last night was his 10th three-plus point game of the year, and he’s only played 48 games. Every 4.8 games, he’s having a three-point or better performance. He’s carried them to victory on a lot of nights, and last night was no exception.

You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…