Who Should You Bet on to Win 2018-19 NHL MVP?
Taylor Hall wrapped up his 2017-18 campaign by becoming the first player in Devils franchise history to bring home MVP honors. The winger posted career-highs across the board (39-54-93) in just 76 games, leading New Jersey to its first postseason berth in six seasons.
While Hall won the Hart Trophy, he was part of a large class of players who could have also laid claim to the honor—a number of whom are already among the favorites to win MVP for 2018-19, as per Bovada.
Leading the way is 2016-17 MVP and Oilers super-forward Connor McDavid at 10/3, with Penguins center Sidney Crosby—a two-time winner of the Hart Trophy—at 13/2. Rounding out the five biggest favorites, all at 10/1, are Maple Leafs forwards Auston Matthews and John Tavares, and reigning playoff MVP and new dad Alexander Ovechkin. Hall checks in at a four-way tie for the sixth-best odds at 15/1.
Going further down the list, however, reveals a couple of potential hidden picks that could pay off big:
Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche (15/1)
MacKinnon’s 39-goal, 97-point outing in 2017-18 placed him among the league leaders in goals, assists and points while carrying the Avs to the postseason. He led the NHL in points/60 and established himself as an elite player, finishing as a finalist for the Hart and Ted Lindsay Award. It’s no mistake that he’s this high up on the list for this coming season, and could probably be even a bit higher.
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Steven Stamkos, Lightning (25/1)
The Bolts forward became something of a playmaker last season, finding success with fellow MVP candidate Nikita Kucherov. After a couple of seasons cut short by injury, Stamkos proved he’s still one of the top NHL forwards, and the two-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner still has plenty of 50-goal potential. On a Lightning team expected to compete for the Stanley Cup, Stamkos should once again be at the forefront of the MVP discussion.
Jack Eichel, Sabres (33/1)
Eichel has been teetering on point-per-game player status for the past two seasons, despite injuries. The Sabres saw enough to lock up the No. 2 pick in the 2015 draft with an eight-year, $80 million contract extension that kicks in this season. On a rebuilt team that includes plenty of young talent around him, Eichel is ready to break out in a big way in Buffalo.
Tyler Seguin, Stars (50/1)
Not only is Dallas’s top-line center coming off a career-best 40-goal season in 2017-18, but Seguin is also a rising free agent who could really make a statement this season. He developed into a two-way player under Ken Hitchcock, though Seguin will get a taste of new coach Jim Montgomery’s up-tempo, puck possession game that brought big offensive numbers to the University of Denver program. If the All-Star forward sticks on a line with Jamie Benn and Alexander Radulov, fellow preseason MVP candidates as well, the sky is the limit.
Here is Bovada’s full list of MVP odds:
Connor McDavid: 10/3
Sidney Crosby: 13/2
Auston Matthews: 10/1
Alexander Ovechkin: 10/1
John Tavares: 10/1
Taylor Hall: 15/1
Nikita Kucherov: 15/1
Nathan MacKinnon: 15/1
Mark Scheifele: 15/1
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Anze Kopitar: 18/1
Evgeni Malkin: 18/1
Patrick Kane: 20/1
Claude Giroux: 25/1
Brad Marchand: 25/1
Steven Stamkos: 25/1
Vladimir Tarasenko: 25/1
Jack Eichel: 33/1
Jamie Benn: 40/1
Patrik Laine: 40/1
Nicklas Backstrom: 50/1
Filip Forsberg: 50/1
Johnny Gaudreau: 50/1
Ilya Kovalchuk: 50/1
Evgeny Kuznetsov: 50/1
Artemi Panarin: 50/1
Tyler Seguin: 50/1
Blake Wheeler: 50/1
Logan Couture: 66/1
Phil Kessel: 75/1
Joe Pavelski: 75/1
Aleksander Barkov: 100/1
Jonathan Marchessault: 100/1
David Pastrnak: 100/1
Alexander Radulov: 100/1