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In 2022-23, the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy race came down to two players: the winner, Connor McDavid (64), and the runner-up, David Pastrnak (61), the only skaters to reach 60 goals.
This year, there's a good chance NHL fans will witness over a dozen players surpassing 100 points and more than just five skaters reaching the 50-goal plateau.
At the halfway mark of 2023-24, only two skaters, Auston Matthews and Sam Reinhart, have netted 30 goals, but their competitors are right behind them.
As teams prepare for the second half, the race for the Rocket Richard Trophy will be just as entertaining as the two-person race shaping up for the Art Ross Trophy. Here's a breakdown of the players with the best chances of winning the coveted award at season's end.
Ranking 5 NHL favorites to win the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy in 2024
#5. Artemi Panarin (New York Rangers)
As surprising as it sounds, Artemi Panarin is on pace for the best season of his career, which says something about how special the 2023-24 season has been for him.
Even though he's got some ground to make up to challenge for the Rocket Richard Trophy, he'll be in the conversation for the Hart Trophy and on track to surpass 100 points for the first time.
#4. Brock Boeser (Vancouver Canucks)
Brock Boeser had never scored 30 goals in a season, but after just 43 games, he is only three goals away from reaching the milestone. As one of the most skilled players on the resurgent Vancouver Canucks, he's been among the league leaders in scoring and is one of the top goal scorers of the first half.
Considering his best season total is 56 points, there's a good chance he will double it by the season's end.
#3. Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Nikita Kucherov is no stranger to winning NHL hardware, with two Stanley Cup titles and the Hart and Art Ross Trophy on his mantle. However, the Rocket Richard Trophy is one of the most exclusive awards in the league that has eluded him throughout his decade-long career.
Despite leading the league in scoring in the first half, he's still chasing down Matthews for most goals.
#2. Sam Reinhart (Florida Panthers)
Reinhart is set to become a free agent at season's end and amid the best year of his career with 54 points in 42 games, including 31 goals, reaching the plateau for the third consecutive season.
Furthermore, he's about to shatter his best numbers for goals (33) and points (82) while setting himself for a Hart Trophy nomination and a nice paycheck in the summer.
#1. Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Matthews hit 30 goals before anyone else and sits with 33 after 39 games, putting him on pace for 69 goals. As a two-time winner of the Rocket Richard Trophy, his personal best for goals is 60, which he set in his Hart Trophy-winning season of 2021-22.
Realistically, Matthews can win all the individual awards, but his legacy will come down to whether or not he wins the Stanley Cup in Toronto.
Previous five Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy winners
2023 - Connor McDavid (64)
2022 - Auston Matthews (60)
2021 - Auston Matthews (41)
2020 - Alex Ovechkin & David Pastrnak (48)
2019 - Alex Ovechkin (51)
