Odds: McDavid, Crosby, Matthews pegged as early Hart Trophy favorites
Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, and Sidney Crosby are the faces of the NHL. They also happen to be the front-runners to capture the 2017-18 league MVP award - if you ask Las Vegas oddsmakers, anyway.
All three players had exceptional years last season, earning the right to be called Hart Trophy favorites.
Crosby is coming off his third Stanley Cup win in nine years, Matthews buried 40 in his rookie campaign, and McDavid led the league in scoring with 100 points. And the list is still plenty impressive below the trio, with more than a few others considered legitimate contenders for league's most prestigious award.
Here's how the odds shake down for the 2017-18 Hart winner:
| Player (Team) | Odds to Win |
|---|---|
| Connor McDavid (EDM) | 3/2 |
| Sidney Crosby (PIT) | 5/2 |
| Auston Matthews (TOR) | 17/2 |
| Alex Ovechkin (WSH) | 9/1 |
| Patrick Kane (CHI) | 14/1 |
| Vladimir Tarasenko (STL) | 15/1 |
| Evgeni Malkin (PIT) | 16/1 |
| Carey Price (MTL) | 20/1 |
| John Tavares (NYI) | 20/1 |
| Jamie Benn (DAL) | 25/1 |
| Steven Stamkos (TB) | 25/1 |
| Erik Karlsson (OTT) | 33/1 |
| Nikita Kucherov (TB) | 33/1 |
| Jack Eichel (BUF) | 50/1 |
| Patrik Laine (WPG) | 50/1 |
| Brad Marchand (BOS) | 50/1 |
| Tyler Seguin (DAL) | 50/1 |
| Nicklas Backstrom (WSH) | 60/1 |
| Brent Burns (SJ) | 60/1 |
| Braden Holtby (WSH) | 60/1 |
| Phil Kessel (PIT) | 60/1 |
| Artemi Panarin (CBJ) | 60/1 |
| Joe Pavelski (SJ) | 60/1 |
(Odds courtesy: Bodog)
There's obvious value in laying wagers on guys like Benn, Malkin, and Tarasenko. But, if you ask us, no player outside the top five has a real shot at bringing home the award in 2017-18.
Good luck!
Copyright (C) 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.