The start of the 2026-27 NHL season is just a day away, so as the puck drops on the new campaign, we’re taking a look at the betting landscape for the futures and awards markets. The Hart Trophy, effectively the league’s MVP award, is perhaps the most prestigious individual honor a player can take home.
There’s no shortage of superstars at the top of the board for this one. Here are the Hart Trophy odds and some best bets to win the award on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Hart Trophy Odds
The Hart Trophy is awarded annually as the NHL’s version of the MVP, going to the most valuable player to the winner’s team. The vast majority of the time, it goes to a forward rather than a defenseman or a goaltender – since 2000, it’s been won by a forward all but four times. Being the league’s top pointscorer doesn’t necessarily mean taking the honor home either, so we want players from clubs that win plenty of games, too.
Here are the leaders in odds to win the Hart Trophy on DraftKings Sportsbook:
- Connor McDavid (+300)
- Nathan MacKinnon (+350)
- Macklin Celebrini (+450)
- Leon Draisaitl (+1100)
- Nikita Kucherov (+1200)
- Kirill Kaprizov (+1400)
- Auston Matthews (+1500)
- David Pastrnak (+1500)
- Cale Makar (+2500)
- Jack Hughes (+2500)
- Nick Suzuki (+3000)
- Mitch Marner (+3000)
- Mikko Rantanen (+3000)
Best Bets to Win the Hart Trophy
Nathan MacKinnon (+350)
If you’re looking for a player who’s genuinely likely to win the Hart Trophy, look no further than Nathan MacKinnon. He’s second in odds only to Connor McDavid and was a finalist in four of the last nine seasons, the second-most appearances behind… McDavid, who has seven finishes as a finalist over the same span. MacKinnon’s only won the award once back in 2023-24, which I think helps his case to some extent over a three-time winner like McDavid when it comes to voter fatigue. The Avalanche are certainly going to be a wagon again this year and aren’t going anywhere – they may be quite as dominant as last season, but should still be the favorites to win the Presidents’ Trophy or at least finish as the Western Conference’s top team. MacKinnon will be at the center of that after four straight seasons of 110+ points, coming off the second-best finish of his career with 127 last year (53G/74A). Colorado will probably be better than Edmonton, too, which makes me want to take MacKinnon over McDavid if we’re targeting one of the two guys at the top of the board.
Macklin Celebrini (+450)
The hipster pick at the moment is none other than Macklin Celebrini. At just 20 years old, he was just named captain for the Sharks, who are on the upswing after a busy offseason. Last year, Celebrini racked up 115 points (45G/70A) in his 82 games, finishing fourth among all players in scoring behind only McDavid, MacKinnon and Nikita Kucherov. Did we mention he did that at just 19 years old? He outperformed his XG of 31.8 pretty handily, but he’s still a dynamic threat to hit the back of the net and brings high-end playmaking for others after notching 46 primary assists, fifth most of any player. His total assist tally could even increase this year now that he’s playing alongside No. 2 pick Ivar Stenberg and a handful of other new names for a San Jose squad that flirted with a playoff appearance last season until the final weeks. Now, the Sharks should be better and firmly in the postseason picture once again. Celebrini is only going to improve with age and experience, so he’s a fun selection even at third in odds to win the Hart.
Auston Matthews (+1500)
If there’s a longshot pick who brings some intrigue, there are a couple who stand out. I thought about Kucherov, but voter fatigue may be a yellow flag since he just won last year. I also considered Kirill Kaprizov, but his health may hold him back if he misses 10+ games as has been the norm in recent seasons, plus he’s never been a finalist.
That leaves us with Auston Matthews, whose season was ended prematurely last year amidst a nightmare campaign for the Maple Leafs. However, he’s nicely positioned to bounce back for a variety of reasons. Despite some talk that Matthews has taken a step back recently – largely evidenced by his 53 points across 60 games last year – he’s still been better than a PPG player in all but two seasons of his career. He’s scored 40+ goals five times and has finishes of 106 and 107 points under his belt, winning the Hart in one of those years and earning a finalist spot for the award once more. He’s removed from that high-end production, but now slots into one of the NHL’s best top sixes for a Toronto squad that did improve plenty this offseason, especially following the Kirill Marchenko trade. There’s a lot of projection with this pick, but Matthews is a dark horse for a reason. If he can return to his old self and his team wins some games, perhaps this one can pay off.
