NHL Hart Trophy Rankings: Multiple Oilers Stars Lead Early-Season MVP Candidates

The 2026-27 NHL regular season is officially a week old, and every team in the league to this point has played multiple games, some more than others.

But it has been enough to get a sense of which players are coming out of the gate hot and the front-runners among some of the league's best.

To kick off these weekly award rankings we look at arguably the most prestigious individual NHL award, the Hart Trophy. This is awarded "to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team."

Tampa Bay Lightning's Nikita Kucherov was last year's winner, but who immediately stands in front in this category after one week? Here is the first top five.

The Ottawa Senators haven't played nearly as many games as the rest of the NHL. In fact, while the league's first games were last Tuesday, their game on Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs was only their first.

An early standout in the two games they've played so far has been star center Tim Stutzle. In his first game, he only notched one assist, but on Monday against the Boston Bruins, he was all over the scoresheet, putting up two goals and three points in a 4-1 win for the Sens.

For a team that lost their captain, Brady Tkachuk, they need several players to step up, and Stutzle is the first player Ottawa will look to this season. So far, his four points in two games helped his team to a 2-0-0 record to start.

BetMGM Hart Trophy odds: 151.00/+15000

It's challenging to put multiple members of the Edmonton Oilers on this list because several players contribute offensively, and it's hard to say that one player's production on the team ranks them as one of the most important players to their team around the league. That's especially the case when four of their players are in the top 10 of NHL scoring.

But Evan Bouchard's offensive prowess has been ignored plenty over the past few seasons, hindered by his defensive lapses, and hasn't been viewed as an upper-echelon player.

In Edmonton's first three games, Bouchard, a defenseman, has scored four goals and eight points, placing him second in league scoring. That all kicked off with a hat trick and five-point outing in the team's season opener against the Vancouver Canucks last Tuesday.

Who knows how long he can remain on this list, but his hot start earns him a spot among the league's best.

BetMGM Hart Trophy odds: 301.00/+30000

It was always going to be challenging for Leo Carlsson to live up to his massive contract extension from the off-season, sparked by an offer sheet from the Philadelphia Flyers. But despite his $18-million price tag, the 21-year-old has fared very well to start this season.

In the Anaheim Ducks' first two games of the campaign, Carlsson has scored one goal and five points. He leads the team in scoring and has been the Ducks' primary facilitator.

Left winger Cutter Gauthier isn't far behind with two goals and four points, but it's worth noting that Carlsson has assisted both of his goals. And beyond those two, no other player on Anaheim has an over-a-point-per-game average.

BetMGM Hart Trophy odds: 101.00/+10000

To some degree, Igor Shesterkin has been playing great, but not to the level that is considered unexpected for a goaltender of that caliber.

In three starts for the New York Rangers, Shesterkin has posted two wins and registered a .934 save percentage and a 1.67 goals-against average. His numbers are among the best in the league, and he already ranks third in ice time for goalies.

While it's not a netminder's job to put up points, Shesterkin has accumulated more points than several NHL superstars. He has a goal and an assist to his name, which is more points than the likes of Auston Matthews, Jack Hughes and several other stars.

Of course, a goaltender won't keep up with the skaters, but the start Shesterkin has had aside from his goalie goal and assist has still been commendable - the scoring just helps his case.

BetMGM Hart Trophy odds: 251.00/+25000

There aren't many lists about the NHL's best players that don't have Connor McDavid standing alone at the top. Even with all the stars on the Oilers, and points not being tough to come by when playing for that team, Edmonton's captain is averaging three points per game, putting up two goals and nine points in three contests.

He leads the league in points, assists, plus-minus (plus-7), and other key areas of the game. In Edmonton's 9-7 win against Vancouver, he scored five points. And in their last game against the Seattle Kraken on Saturday, he logged 26:17 of ice time.

McDavid's standard is certainly a tier higher than anyone else in the league, so he's not analyzed on the same pedestal as everyone else. But he's been very impressive, scoring-wise, to begin what is a crucial season for McDavid, his legacy, and future with the Oilers.

BetMGM Hart Trophy odds: 3.70/+270 

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