The Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL player judged to be the most valuable to his team, has a rather exclusive fraternity of winners. Those who manage to pull off being named the recipient of the NHL MVP award have undoubtedly had themselves a season to remember.
The betting public gets its chance to weigh in with its picks in any season thanks to the active Hart Trophy futures market, which is incredibly active and among the most popular bets in the NHL overall.
Hart Trophy odds are released in the offseason and fluctuate throughout the year based on betting action and player performance. Here’s a roadmap to betting on the NHL MVP award in the United States.
Bet NHL MVP at Online Sportsbooks
NHL MVP betting apps
There are a number of sportsbooks to legally and safely place your online bets in the US. Here are our top recommendations for downloadable betting apps in states with legal sports betting:
1. DraftKings Sportsbook
Use DraftKings Sportsbook online in: NJ, CO, PA, WV, IN, IA, TN, NH and IL
There’s a whole lot more to daily fantasy sports giant DraftKings than just being the industry leader in that niche. The company has taken the world of sports betting by storm with its innovative features and exciting promotions. On the NHL side, they carry all of the active game lines for any day or week plus props and futures.
Futures odds available right now include Stanley Cup champion, Conference champion and NHL MVP (on hold).
Use FanDuel Sportsbook online in: NJ, CO, PA, WV, NV, IL, IA, TN and IN
FanDuel is another DFS titan making waves in sports betting. The company’s user-friendly platform and customer-centric approach are proving to be a huge hit in all the markets the company has entered. On the NHL front, FanDuel matches DraftKings in most aspects including game lines, Stanley Cup odds, conference champ futures and NHL MVP odds.
BetMGM Sportsbook is legal in: NJ, CO, IN, TN, NV and WV
There’s something about the name MGM that just conjures up thoughts of excellence, and the BetMGMsports betting platformmanages to live up to that. All of the markets and bet types you can ask for are right here including NHL moneylines, puck lines, totals and Stanley Cup and NHL MVP futures.
All online sportsbooks have very active futures markets for major sports. Odds are posted year-round for both team results and players awards, including for NHL MVP. However, keep in mind odds won’t be the same on all of them.
That’s a good thing, as it gives you the chance to do a little line shopping to find the best prices.
To get started with a sportsbook app, all you need to do is click through any of our links to take advantage of our exclusive bonus offers. After entering a few simple details, your new account will be ready immediately.
Next, from that page, download the sportsbook app right to your iPhone or Android phone. Log in and you can use your free bet credit to bet on anything offered, including NHL MVP.
You can perform all of the same functions on your betting app as you can on the full online sportsbook. If you want to react quickly to developments in the NHL MVP (or any futures) market, this is the way to go.
Is one of your choices going through a slump and seeing a dip in odds as a result? You can double down in seconds. Has a dark horse candidate put it all together while lighting the lamp with regularity? Hop onto your app and bet before the market catches up.
Which states can you bet on Hart Trophy in?
Business is booming in legal andregulated US sports betting states, but not all states have joined the party. The good news is that several states are working towards making it happen.
Here’s the current list of where you can legally and safely place your bets on NHL MVP and other sports.
The futures market for Hart Trophy odds is always a work in progress. From the time odds are released to the NHL All-Star Game and the final playoff push, players will rise and fall based on betting action coming in and how things are going on the ice.
Once the season gets long in the tooth, the top contenders will separate themselves from the pack. Here’s a look at some of the players who lead the 2020 NHL scoring list and what they’ve accomplished to date.
Player
Team
Points
Goals
Assists
Leon Draisatl
Edmonton Oilers
110
43
67
Connor McDavid
Edmonton Oilers
97
34
63
David Pastrnak
Boston Bruins
95
48
47
Artemi Panarin
New York Rangers
95
32
63
Nathan MacKinnon
Colorado Avalanche
93
35
58
Brad Marchand
Boston Bruins
87
28
59
While big points accumulators always draw eyes for MVP votes, remember there’s a lot more to consider for the Hart Trophy. Team success and the player’s overall contributions are other big factors.
Which players figure to be huge factors in how the Hart Trophy race shakes out? Here’s a look at the top candidates we can expect to find in the Hart Trophy finalists:
Top Hart Trophy contenders – Centers
Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
Leon Draisatl, Edmonton Oilers
On talent alone, we can pencil in the above three names as top contenders for the award for every season in the foreseeable future. McDavid was the winner in 2017, while MacKinnon and the Avalanche are a team on the rise. Matthews has lots of talent around him, but a strong season from the Leafs as a whole could do the trick. Draisatl is this year’s Art Ross Trophy winner.
Top Hart Trophy contenders – Wingers
David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins
Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers
The list of contenders at wing is deep and subject to change. For example, Pastrnak could be interchangeable with teammate Brad Marchand. It all comes down to which one puts forth the better regular season.
Top Hart Trophy contenders – Defensemen
John Carlson, Washington Capitals
Roman Josi, Nashville Predators
Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
For a defenseman to win the award, one would have to crush it during the regular season. While there are plenty in the NHL who fit that bill, Carlson, Josi and Hedman seem like the most likely candidates to make it happen.
Top Hart Trophy contenders – Goalies
Andrei Vasilevsky, Tampa Bay Lightning
Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues
It would also have to be a super special season for a goalie to win the award. To that end, a workhorse that racks up lots of wins for a contender would be the choice. Vasilevsky, Hellebuyck and Binnington are the top candidates in that regard.
Top Hart Trophy contenders – Wild Cards
There’s always the possibility that a dark horse contender puts together a memorable campaign to be the surprising winner of the Hart Trophy. Here’s a trio of players who are more than talented enough to make that happen.
Mika Zibanejad, C, New York Rangers: The Rangers still have some work to do to build a contender, but Zibanejad has emerged as a centerpiece player. If the team can make the right moves around him, he could further insert himself into the conversation as one of the league’s best.
Max Pacioretty, LW, Vegas Golden Knights: Since the franchise came into being, the Golden Knights have been more about the sum of the parts than any single player. There’s nothing to suggest that formula will be changing, but Pacioretty is certainly capable of a breakout season.
Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, St. Louis Blues: A shoulder injury led to Tarasenko missing extensive time, but he looks poised to return to the ranks of the NHL’s elite snipers. His career-high is 40 goals, but this dangerous shooter could eclipse that if things break right.
Hart Trophy betting trends
If we take a look at how the Hart Trophy has been awarded in the past, we can gather some intel that may help as we dive into the futures market.
For example, here’s the position breakdown for the last decade of Hart Trophy winners.
Centers: 4
Wings: 5
Defensemen: 0
Goalies: 1
For the last 10 years, the offense has earned the majority of votes when it comes time for the ballots to be counted.
Does that hold true for the decade before that? (From 2000-09, there were only nine awards due to the lockout-canceled 2005 campaign.)
Centers: 4
Wings: 3
Defensemen: 1
Goalies: 1
If we analyze the 1990s, here’s what the breakdown looks like.
Centers:6
Wings: 2
Defensemen: 0
Goalies: 2
If we combine the total results over the past 30 years, this is what we come up with.
Centers: 14
Wings: 10
Defensemen: 1
Goalies: 4
When considering the futures market in the preseason, it makes sense to look towards high-scoring centers and wingers from teams that appear poised to make some noise in the coming year.
As the season moves along, those who are ahead of the pack for the current season will emerge. While points are important, also be sure to consider the player’s overall influence on team success.
A player who is just one of many on a high-powered team may just be a fortunate cog in a well-oiled system. Take some time to dig into advanced analytical stats such as Corsi and Fenwick to see who is moving the needle for their squad.
Analytics has been a game-changer for many sports, and it’s no different with the NHL. There are several ways to get to the bottom of team and player efficiency, which is a fantastic development for the sport as a whole, not to mention NHL handicappers.
Hart Trophy Winners past 10 years
It has been an incredibly thrilling decade of action on the ice, and the same holds true for the race for the NHL’s ultimate individual player award. Here’s a look back at the last 10 winners of the Hart Trophy.
Year
Player
Team
Position
2019
Nikita Kucherov
Tampa Bay Lightning
Right Wing
2018
Taylor Hall
New Jersey Devils
Left Wing
2017
Connor McDavid
Edmonton Oilers
Center
2016
Patrick Kane
Chicago Blackhawks
Right Wing
2015
Carey Price
Montreal Canadiens
Goalie
2014
Sidney Crosby
Pittsburgh Penguins
Center
2013
Alex Ovechkin
Washington Capitals
Right Wing
2012
Evgeni Malkin
Pittsburgh Penguins
Center
2011
Corey Perry
Anaheim Ducks
Right Wing
2010
Henrik Sedin
Vancouver Canucks
Center
More NHL futures odds
While there’s a ton of betting action for the NHL MVP, that’s not all there is to the futures market. There are odds offered on a variety of markets, many of which are also quite active.
Here are the most popular betting markets you’ll come across for NHL futures.
Art Ross Trophy (league points leader)
Vezina Trophy (top goaltender)
Norris Trophy (top defensemen)
Rookie of the Year
Coach of the Year
NHL Draft picks
Team regular-season win totals
Conference and division winners
Team to make playoffs
Stanley Cup winner
If you enjoy looking ahead and trying to figure out what’s coming up in the world of the NHL, then you’ll find lots to love in the futures market.
How an NHL MVP futures bet works
Sportsbooks will set odds for all players who have at least a somewhat realistic shot at winning the award. The odds are released in advance of the NHL regular season, and the board remains active throughout the year.
The listing of odds is typically in descending order. The favorites will be listed on the top, longshot choices on the bottom and everyone else in the middle.
Upon release, bettors begin to weigh in and place wagers. You’ll see some movement in the odds from this point based on the action. Players who see a good amount of action may see their odds lessen, while it’s the opposite story for players who attract little action.
This same scenario is true throughout the season. There will be plenty of ebbs and flows along the way as players and teams go through hot streaks or slumps.
You can jump in and place your bets at any time. If you find a good price for a player you’re interested in at the initial release, you can place your bets right then and there.
If you find some good value on the board during the year, you can pounce once again. The same applies if your initial choice goes through a rough patch. You’ll likely be able to double down at attractive odds when this is the case, or simply hunt for a new choice.
Placing a futures bet is simple. Once you locate the NHL section on the online or mobile sportsbook, look for the futures tab. You’ll see the odds for NHL MVP there, and you can scan through to find the bet you want to place.
Afterward, just click on the odds next to the player’s name. Your selection will be added to the ticket automatically. From there, it’s just a matter of verifying everything looks good, adding your wager amount and then submitting your wager.
There are a few important pieces of information to keep in mind for Hart Trophy futures bets.
If a player suffers a season-ending injury, odds will be removed from the board.
In the unlikely event that a full season is canceled, all bets will be voided and refunded.
When the finalists for the award are announced, all bets outside of those players will be graded as losers.
Odds will not necessarily be the same at each operator.
To expand on the last point, you can easily check the odds at different books in a quest to find the most appealing prices.
NHL MVP FAQ
Who votes for NHL MVP?
The Hart Memorial Trophy winner is voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association. Three finalists are unveiled after the regular season comes to a close, and the winner is revealed at the season-ending awards show.
Which player has won the most Hart Trophy awards?
Wayne Gretzky is the all-time leader with nine Hart Trophy awards. Incredibly, eight of those victories came in a row during his dominant run with the Edmonton Oilers in the 1980s. Gretzky won his final MVP award in 1989 as a member of the Los Angeles Kings. The legendary Gordie Howe is second on the list with six.
Who has had the best NHL MVP season?
While a case can be made for many all-time greats as having the best individual season ever, it’s tough not to have the 1981-82 season of Gretzky in the top spot. He scored a mind-boggling 92 goals and racked up 120 assists for a total of 212 points. After essentially re-writing the record book, Gretzky won a ton of individual honors.
Who is the youngest-ever Hart Trophy winner?
Unsurprisingly, Gretzky is also the youngest-ever Hart Trophy winner. He won his first in his rookie year of 1979-80 at just 19 years old. Sidney Crosby duplicated the feat in 2006-07, winning his first NHL MVP award at 19 as well. Connor McDavid was 20 when he won his first Hart Trophy in 2016-17.
Is it ever good to bet on a repeat NHL MVP winner?
While there hasn’t been a repeat winner of the NHL MVP award since Alex Ovechkin in 2008 and 2009, a case can certainly be made for betting on a repeat winner. A flash-in-the-pan winner would be an unusual occurrence. The award winner is typically a player who is in the ranks of the league’s elite for several seasons in a row.
When is the best time to bet Hart Trophy odds?
There’s no set time that’s best for betting on the Hart Trophy. Some bettors like to take the long view and place bets soon after initial odds are released and hold their tickets to the end. For others, the strategy calls for remaining engaged throughout the year to hunt for appealing opportunities as they come up.
The ultimate choice is up to you. One thing that can help you to decide is to determine your overall strategy. Do you want a ‘set it and forget it’ bet or would you prefer to stay in tune with the market all season long? You can choose to use a hybrid approach as well.
