Why it is time to break up ‘MVP’ and ‘Finest Participant’ into two awards

How do you permit Nathan MacKinnon, of all folks, that open?
It was the other of the meme-worthy photograph circulating this week of 5 skaters converging on Connor McDavid. MacKinnon, arguably McDavid’s hardest competitors within the 2019-20 Hart Trophy race, discovered himself chillin’ by his lonesome within the left circle in entrance of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ web on a Colorado Avalanche energy play throughout Wednesday’s recreation. He obtained a go from proper winger Mikko Rantanen, charged up a shot like a video-game character and scored, clearly.
“I used to be trying round for a go, and I had a lot time that I simply shot it, going excessive glove, and managed to catch the bar a little bit bit, and it went in,” MacKinnon stated. “I wasn’t even anticipating the seam. They could have gotten a little bit too aggressive on Mikko, and you’ll’t actually do this on him. He’s such participant. It was an incredible go by him.”
It was uncommon to see MacKinnon uncared for throughout a season through which he’s been something however by the general public. The Avs have endured prolonged damage absences to his two star wingers, Gabriel Landeskog and Rantanen, and MacKinnon has soldiered on, elevating whoever has changed them and rocketing up the league’s scoring charts. With Rantanen and Landeskog lastly again, MacKinnon’s 44 factors place him third within the NHL in factors, seven again of McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. When Rantanen was out 16 video games with an ankle damage, he gained a novel hen’s-eye appreciation watching MacKinnon from the press field.
“The best way he stood up and took some management, it’s enjoyable to observe,” Rantanen stated. “He’s an incredible chief and nice participant.”
Management is the important thing phrase. MacKinnon is an offensive juggernaut, nearly unattainable to include with the puck on his stick, however his focus this season has been on stepping up the intangible aspect of his recreation.
“The largest factor for me is, I’m simply making an attempt to be a greater chief,” MacKinnon stated. “With Gabe out, he’s such vocal chief, and I’m not a vocal chief traditionally. I’m making an attempt to try this a bit extra. I feel it’s protecting me extra engaged within the recreation and extra optimistic. I’ve extra bounce after I’m speaking extra and being extra optimistic. I feed off it. I feel my teammates feed off it a little bit bit, too.”
Requested if he thinks he’s reaching a profession peak at 24, he says he’s undecided however that, if he’s, he simply hopes he can maintain it for some time. If he does, the Avs will proceed to rise as Stanley Cup contenders. Throughout the previous three seasons, solely McDavid and Nikita Kucherov, a.okay.a winners of the previous three scoring titles, have extra factors than MacKinnon, and he ranks eighth in factors per 60 minutes and ninth in pictures per 60 minutes at 5-on-5.
“Once you take a look at his stats, the numbers he’s put up within the final couple weeks with out Mikko and with out Landy, it’s unbelievable,” stated Avalanche goaltender Philipp Grubauer. “He’s one of many quickest guys, one of the crucial expert guys within the league. You give him time and house, and he’s going to make one thing occur. Similar with Connor McDavid. These guys are so quick. He’s been big for us and may change a recreation. It’s what he loves doing, it’s what he does finest, and it’s been actually good up to now.”
So sure, “MacKinnon is nice” suits as a narrative. That’s clearly not in query. What’s in query, nevertheless, is whether or not his all-world efforts this season will culminate in his first Hart Trophy as league MVP after he completed second within the 2017-18 vote and sixth in 2018-19.
As appears to be the case nearly each season now, it’s a matter of deciding how intently we voters, a.okay.a. members of the Skilled Hockey Writers Affiliation, wish to observe the literal definition of the Hart Trophy. It goes to the participant judged as most beneficial to his staff. Not less than, it’s presupposed to. Given what MacKinnon has completed regardless of the accidents to his teammates, it’s troublesome to argue in opposition to his Hart case. McDavid actually has the opposite NHL scoring chief by his aspect in Leon Draisaitl. David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand have one another. MacKinnon’s case on this still-young season is much like that of Taylor Corridor’s in 2017-18. He beat out McDavid, the scoring champ, largely as a result of Corridor outscored his closest teammate by 40-plus factors and lifted the New Jersey Devils to the playoffs. I had Corridor first on my poll that yr. I’m an awards-definition purist. If we don’t observe the award’s definition, why did we trouble to outline it?
On the identical time, yearly through which we don’t vote McDavid because the league MVP feels a sure diploma of icky. He gained it in 2016-17 however missed out the following two seasons largely as a result of his Edmonton Oilers missed the playoffs. The final participant to win the Hart after lacking the post-season was Mario Lemieux in 1987-88. That stated, if we took the previous two MVPs, Corridor and Kucherov, and changed them on their groups with McDavid, he probably would’ve been deemed the league’s most beneficial participant, as he would’ve made the playoffs (and posted even higher numbers). He’s the very best participant on the earth. He gained the scoring race twice by age 21 and, if he holds off Draisaitl this yr, could have gained it thrice by 23. The one different participant ever to try this is Wayne friggin’ Gretzky. McDavid is a residing legend relative to his age.
And but, if the 2019-20 statistical leaderboard performs out because it at the moment exists, McDavid may wind up lacking out on the Hart but once more, presumably as a result of he splits too many votes with Draisaitl. MacKinnon, to me, is the MVP frontrunner even when he’s solely the second-best participant on the earth in the meanwhile. McDavid will probably win the Ted Lindsay Award for essentially the most excellent participant as voted by the gamers for a 3rd time in 4 years. That can spotlight the discrepancy between the Hart and Lindsay and incite anger amongst sure followers.
Why, then, do we’ve to maintain giving ourselves migraines, as PHWA voters and followers, over the best-versus-most-valuable debate? It’s time to introduce a brand new award for the NHL’s finest participant. Name it the Gretzky Trophy. My marketing campaign for a Gretzky award to crown the league’s annual help chief has fallen flat, so I’ll donate the identify for this new best-player award. Per some background analysis, there must be league urge for food on the board-of-governors degree to get a brand new award launched, so we’ll assume for this hypothetical train that the house owners find it irresistible and approve it, deciding it doesn’t step on the Lindsay’s toes an excessive amount of as a result of a peer-awarded honor is a distinct entity.
With a brand new PHWA accolade for the very best participant, we’d now not wring our fingers over whether or not the very best participant within the recreation will get robbed of the MVP as a result of the staff round him couldn’t get him to the playoffs ­– or as a result of he had too many good teammates to assist him. If you happen to’re the very best, you’re named the very best. A brand new award would additionally develop the MVP race, lowering stress at hand it to the sport’s high participant and opening up some thrilling new discussions over which participant did essentially the most to assist his staff. For example, Kucherov would’ve gained ‘The Gretzky’ final season, however possibly Jordan Binnington would’ve scored the Hart. Nobody modified his staff’s destiny like Binnington did final season, proper?
Meals for thought. Let’s cease losing time on finest vs. most beneficial. Let’s introduce one other award.
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Tags: awards, information, edmonton oilers, colorado avalanche, nhlConnect: In regards to the AuthorMatt LarkinMatt Larkin is a senior author at The Hockey Information and has been a part of the staff since 2011. He is your one-stop store for deep-dive participant interviews, predictions, statistics, fantasy participant rankings, participant security and hair ideas. Catch him weekly as host of The Hockey Information Dwell and The Hockey Information Podcast.