The Hart Memorial Trophy is awarded to the most valuable player in the league for a given season, and its history is intertwined with names like Gretzky, Howe, Orr, and Lemieux. That’s not to mention Alex Ovechkin, someone whom Washington Capitals fans may know a thing or two about.
Now that Maryland online sportsbooks are live and bettors have a massive variety of NHL betting odds to choose from, people can bet on the winner of the Hart Trophy. See below for current Hart Trophy odds at MD online sportsbooks.
Updated Hart Trophy odds
Check the feed below for the latest Hart Trophy odds at Maryland online sportsbooks. Click on any odds to go right to the sportsbook, claim your sports betting bonus in Maryland and make your NHL MVP bets.
How to bet on the Hart Trophy winner
Betting on the winner of the Hart Trophy is actually easier than it probably sounds for some. Whether you’ve heard of the Hart by its exact name or not, you’ve undoubtedly heard of the Most Valuable Player award given to the top player in the NFL, NBA, and MLB. This means the same exact thing, as the Hart Trophy is just the MVP of the NHL.
NHL Hart Trophy odds are posted during the offseason and remain there until the start of the season at most sportsbooks. However, the market remains open for part of the regular season at some places. These betting lines are displayed the exact same way that other futures bets are in your sportsbook application. After navigating to hockey, NHL betting lines, and then clicking on the futures tab, the Hart Trophy Winner should be one of the options you come across.
To get a better idea of how things look, Hart Trophy odds just before the start of the 2021-22 NHL season were as follows at DraftKings Sportsbook Maryland:
| Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers | +300 |
| Nathan MacKinnon | Colorado Avalanche | +550 |
| Auston Matthews | Toronto Maple Leafs | +750 |
| Nikita Kucherov | Tampa Bay Lightning | +1100 |
As is the case with most long-term futures bets, the odds are usually generous, even for the players at the top of the odds board. As you move down the list of names, odds get longer and potential payouts get larger if any of those players are named MVP.
NHL MVP betting trends
The Hart Trophy has been around since 1924 and is steeped in history. Although we can’t really take information from too long ago and apply it today, we can use a little bit of that recent history to note some trends that accompany the Hart Trophy winner. Hopefully, this will help bettors navigate the sports odds.
- Forwards win the Hart: The Hart Trophy is dominated by forwards. Since 2000, a non-forward has won the award on only three occasions. For the best chance at successfully picking the winner, you may want to shy away from the defense and goaltender positions.
- Goals & points are rewarded: Since many of the contenders are forwards, it comes as no surprise that some gaudy numbers have been registered on the way to the Hart Trophy. While a player’s points total is not a prerequisite, lighting up the scoresheet can only help.
- Goalies could be worth a bet: If you’re looking for a huge potential payout, you can look toward goaltenders. They don’t win often, but when it’s not a forward, there’s a good chance it’s a goalie. Two of the non-forward winners since the turn of the century have been netminders, including Carey Price in 2015. The best goalie in the league normally just gets the Vezina Trophy, but it’s possible to get both.
- Doesn’t need to be top guy: While most Hart Trophy winners are listed in the top 10, 15, 0r 20 names on the board before the season begins, the player listed at the very top from the jump rarely wins the award. In 2019, Nikita Kucherov was +1500 before he won, and in 2020, Leon Drasaitl was +1250. Both players had several others in front of them. The 2021 Hart Trophy went to Connor McDavid, who was the favorite, but it usually doesn’t work out this way.
Odds on NHL MVP favorites
In recent years, there have been several players who have maintained a spot on the Hart Memorial Trophy list, even if they haven’t won the award. Just being in contention solidifies the importance of each of these players not only to their team but to the league as a whole.
- Alexander Ovechkin: Maryland sports bettors can consider Ovi one of their own since many Marylanders are Capitals fans. Ovechkin has won the award on three occasions, and he is widely considered one of the best goal scorers of all time.
- Connor McDavid: There is simply no hockey player on earth better than McDavid, and that is not hyperbole in the least. McDavid has won the Art Ross Trophy three times as the league’s leading scorer, he also won the Hart in 2017 and 2021, and he’s still just 24 years old.
- Nathan MacKinnon: The Colorado Avalanche star is the best right-handed hockey player in the league, and the overall best one not named McDavid. MacKinnon has lit the league up since 2014 when he won the Calder for rookie of the year, and he’s continued all the way until now as a perennial Hart Trophy contender.
Recent NHL Hart Trophy winners
Over the decades, the Hart Trophy has been handed out to some of the most legendary players in the sport. This includes Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, and many others. In the past 10 years or so, many of the winners have helped shape today’s NHL and some will be Hall of Famers in their own right. Here are the recent winners of the Hart Trophy:
| Year | Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Connor McDavid | D | Edmonton Oilers |
| 2020 | Leon Draisaitl | C | Edmonton Oilers |
| 2019 | Nikita Kucherov | RW | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| 2018 | Taylor Hall | LW | New Jersey Devils |
| 2017 | Connor McDavid | C | Edmonton Oilers |
| 2016 | Patrick Kane | RW | Chicago Blackhawks |
| 2015 | Carey Price | G | Montreal Canadiens |
| 2014 | Sidney Crosby | C | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| 2013 | Alexander Ovechkin | RW | Washington Capitals |
| 2012 | Evgeni Malkin | C | Pittsburgh Penguins |
Other NHL futures odds
The Hart Trophy is just one of many different season-long NHL awards that are handed out. While the MVP may be among the biggest, there are several prestigious honors that players are all competing for. There are also many different betting markets for the public to choose from when it comes to NHL futures. Options that can be found at top books such as FanDuel Maryland, Unibet MD and BetMGM Sportsbook Maryland include the following:
- Norris Trophy (Best Defenseman)
- Vezina Trophy (Best Goaltender)
- Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year)
- Art Ross Trophy (Most Points)
- Rocket Richard Trophy (Most Goals)
- Selke Trophy (Best Defensive Forward)
- Lady Byng Trophy (Most Gentlemanly Player)
- Jack Adams Award (Coach of the Year)
NHL MVP FAQ
Who votes for NHL MVP?
Following the regular season, Hart Trophy voting is conducted by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Each voter ranks their top five candidates on a points system, and three finalists are named to attend the NHL Awards ceremony after the playoffs, where the Hart Trophy is handed out.
Which player/team has won the most NHL MVP awards?
Wayne Gretzky has won the Hart Trophy eight times, with Gordie Howe in second place with six. The team with the most winners is the Montreal Canadiens, who have seen one of their players win the Hart on 16 occasions.
Who has had the best MVP seasons?
In 1986, Wayne Gretzky won his seventh of an unprecedented eight straight MVP awards. En route to doing so, he tallied more than 200 points for the fourth time in his career. He broke his own record by scoring 215 points (52 G, 163 A) in a season in which the Oilers scored 426 total goals.
If we stay within this century, it’s hard to top Sidney Crosby in 2006-07. In his second season in the NHL, Crosby scored 36 goals and totaled 120 points while becoming the youngest player to win the Hart Trophy since Gretzky in 1980.
Is it ever good to bet on a repeat MVP winner?
While it’s uncommon in today’s age, it is possible to win the Hart Trophy in back-to-back seasons. In fact, Alexander Ovechkin accomplished this feat while playing for the Capitals in 2007-08 and again in 2008-09. Previously, Wayne Gretzky won eight consecutive MVP awards from 1980 to 1987.
When is the best time to bet NHL MVP futures?
The best time to place NHL Hart Trophy bets is during the offseason right before the puck drops on the new schedule. Gather all the information you can and let the odds settle in, then pick your player(s) before the season starts and the market disappears from the Maryland sports betting sites.