Nikita Kucherov leads the NHL in points since Dec. 22, with 14 more points than second place? Could he win the Hart Trophy after the Olympic break, and is he the best player in the world at the moment? Gary Pearson takes a look for BetMGM.
Connor McDavid, Macklin Celebrini and Nathan MacKinnon are top of mind due to their impressive exploits at the Milano Cortina Games, but are the Olympics missing the world's best player right now?
Since Russia wasn't allowed a team in the Olympics, Nikita Kucherov isn't participating, instead patiently awaiting the recommencement of the NHL season.
With the return of the NHL less than a week away, Kucherov will soon return to prominence as he attempts to complete the historic comeback and win the Hart Trophy.
So, is he the best player in the world right now, and will he win the Hart Trophy, or is that honor reserved for one of the three Canadian megastars he's up against?
Kucherov's Meteoric Hart Trophy Ascent
On Dec. 22, Kucherov was seventh in the NHL scoring race with 45 points, 17 behind McDavid.
Kucherov has been scoring at an outrageous 2.4 points-per-game clip since. He has 48 points (16 goals, 32 assists) in that 20-game sample size, 14 more than second-place McDavid.
In that time frame, Kucherov had nine straight multi-point games and 16 multi-point games overall, five of which were four points or more.
The 32-year-old is now third in scoring with 91 points, two behind MacKinnon and five behind McDavid, and third on the Hart Trophy hockey odds leaderboard.
His odds have improved meteorically, moving from +10000 at the end of January to +550. That's an implied shift in win probability from 0.99 percent to 15.38 percent.
After leapfrogging McDavid (+1100), only Celebrini (+325) and MacKinnon (-238) are more likely to win league MVP.
And if I were someone in MacKinnon's inner circle, I'd remind him that objects in his rearview are closer than they appear.
Will Kucherov Win The Hart Trophy?
If he continues on his current trajectory, the answer is an unequivocal yes.
The question is whether the three-week Olympic break will disrupt his momentum or provide the necessary time for him to recharge.
I'm leaning toward the former, as it might take some time for Kucherov to recapture the otherworldly pace he was amassing points at before the Olympic break.
And any dip whatsoever would be damaging to his Hart Trophy comeback bid.
Don't forget, the Hart Trophy is a narrative-based award. While the Olympics should have no bearing on the outcome, voters will have an image of McDavid, MacKinnon and Celebrini thriving at the Olympics imprinted in their minds.
Of the quartet on top of the MVP odds leaderboard, McDavid and Celebrini contribute to the highest percentage of team goals, albeit marginally. They score a point on 48 percent of team goals, while Kucherov is at 47 percent and MacKinnon is at 44.
If San Jose makes the playoffs, Celebrini is my best bet to win MVP. However, I don't think they will, making it a three-man race between McDavid, MacKinnon and Kucherov.
Of that triumvirate, MacKinnon remains the alpha dawg, but for how long?
Is Kucherov The Best Player In The World?
Consistently making opponents look like they belong in the AHL, the answer is yes on current form.
However, looking from a macro perspective, McDavid is the world's best. Nobody, including Kucherov, is as elusive as No. 97, and nobody can shift the momentum of a game faster than the Oilers' captain.
McDavid has the most points since the 2022-23 season (481), Kucherov is second (469), and MacKinnon is third (460).
McDavid also scores at the highest clip, accumulating 1.7 points per game compared to Kucherov's 1.6 and MacKinnon's 1.6.