Hart: Nick Suzuki received more first-place votes than Connor McDavid

Dose
Crédit: Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Nick Suzuki has had an extraordinary season.

And that season has been rewarded with a playoff appearance, a top-5 finish at the Lady Bing and now, a top-10 finish at the Hart Trophy, awarded to his team’s most valuable player.

The Habs captain finished ninth and received a first-place vote. That’s one more first-place vote than Connor McDavid, who also finished with 26 points.

Connor Hellebuyck was the obvious winner.

He’s the first goalie to win both the Hart and Vézina in a single season since… Carey Price.

But coming back to Suzuki, who also received one second-place vote and nine fifth-place votes, he finished his season with 89 points in 82 games.

By definition, the Hart is awarded to his team’s most valuable player. There’s no doubt that Hellebuyck was very important to his team. But the Canadiens… without Nick Suzuki? He wouldn’t have finished among the top eight clubs in the East.

I don’t think he deserved the trophy, but in my opinion, he was more useful to his team than a couple of guys ahead of him on the ballot. I’m thinking of Jack Eichel, Zach Werenski and Alex Ovechkin…

Leon Draisaitl and Nikita Kucherov rounded out the podium with 1209 and 973 points respectively. Nathan MacKinnon finished with 972 points.

In addition to the number 14, another Bleu-Blanc-Rouge player was honoured on Thursday evening. Lane Hutson was named to the league’s All-Rookie Team. The opposite would have been surprising.

Overtime

– Samuel Montembeault received a third-place vote for the first All-Star teams.

– Really?

– Carey Price had more playoff success.

– Ah well.

– Of course you would.