Don Cherry snubs Oilers' Leon Draisaitl, $76,000,000 Bolts superstar in Hart Trophy race for NHL MVP

Hockey legend Don Cherry snubbed Edmonton Oilers' Leon Draisaitl and Tampa Bay Lightning's Nikita Kucherov in the Hart Trophy race for NHL MVP.

The Hart Trophy is an annual NHL award given to the player most valuable to his team. The NHL named Draisaitl, Kucherov, and Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck as this year's Hart Trophy finalists.

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On his Grapevine podcast, Cherry shared his opinions on the finalists:

"Yeah, [Draisaitl] who scored 52 goals. He was the only player to have over 50 goals. Hellebuyck, who led goalies with 47 wins and the best average too. Kucherov, who led the league with 121 points," said Cherry.

Don Cherry picked Connor Hellebuyck over Leon Draisaitl and Nikita Kucherov as his preferred choice for the Hart Trophy. He emphasized Hellebuyck's regular-season performance and dismissed his outing in the playoffs.

"I would pick Hellebuyck. Don't mention it in the playoffs," he explained.

Regarding Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon, who finished second with 116 points in the regular season, Cherry remarked that he won the Hart Trophy the previous year.

Have any of the three Hart Trophy finalists won the award before?

Leon Draisaitl and Nikita Kucherov, two of the finalists, have previously won the award. Kucherov secured the Hart Trophy in the 2018-19 season, while Draisaitl won it in the 2019-20 season.

Connor Hellebuyck, the third finalist, has not won the Hart Trophy but has earned the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goaltender in 2020 and 2024.

The Jets goalie posted a record of 2.00 goals-against average, a .925 save percentage, and eight shutout victories during the regular season. Meanwhile, Nikita Kucherov, signed to an eight-year, $76 million deal with the Bolts, led the NHL with 121 points through 37 goals and 84 assists in 78 games.

Leon Draisaitl finished atop with 52 goals and third with 106 points. Kucherov and the Bolts were eliminated by the Florida Panthers in their Round 1 Eastern Conference series. Meanwhile, Draisaitl and Hellebuyck advanced to the second round with the Oilers and Jets, respectively.

Also Read: Don Cherry laments the rise of embellishment during playoff games

About the author

Abhishek is an NHL writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of sports reporting experience and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delhi. He became a fan of ice hockey after watching NHL fight videos on YouTube, which led to him professionally writing about the sport and his continued interest in all things hockey.

A fan of the Boston Bruins, Abhishek considers their incredible comeback win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 playoffs as the most iconic moment in the NHL. His admiration for the six-time Stanley Cup winners also comes from the team’s storied history, distinctive black and gold uniform and their success in the sport. His all-time favorite NHL players are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, for their ability to perform at the highest level consistently.

Abhishek ensures his reporting is fair and balanced by being well-researched in his details, which he expects to be relevant, up-to-date and in line with ethical standards. His specialties are doing detailed match analysis and covering fan reactions.

Abhishek enjoys music, traveling and going on walks with his three German Shepherds in his free time, along with learning about horticulture.

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Edited by Abhishek Dilta