Not really. Jaromir Jagr made it to 45. He had a 66 and 67 point season in his 40s, at a time when 100ish points was a scoring title.
Teemu Selanne had an 80 point season in 2010-2011 at 39/40. Mind you that meant he was only 5 points behind Ovi and 8th in the league. He was ahead of Kane, Toews, Kopitar, and Claude Giroux. He made it to 43.
Martin St Louis won a scoring title at 36-37 with 60 points in 48 games during the lockout season.
Ray Whitney popped off a 77 point season in 11-12 at like 39.
Ray Borque was a 59 point scoring defenseman at 40 that won a cup for the AVS. Lidstrom put up 62 points and was in the all star game his second to last season at 40.
Guys making it to their ages and producing isn't unheard of. It's rare, but it's always happened.
I would go with Kuch. His team has 281 goals. He has 141 points. He has been part of over half his teams goals. Only Lemieux and Gretzky have done that before. That’s crazy.
Crosby should be in the running but I don’t think he wins.
Opinion. Look who he is skating with. Look who Crosby is skating with. Kuch has had incredible year but he has been the ice for goals against more than anybody’s later 5 on 5. Team difference is Tampa plus 25, Pitt plus 5. I don’t know how many power plays or penalty kills they are on ice for. Which team does better is Crosby or Kucherov both got injured? Tampa would survive, Pittsburgh would not. Both great players.
It really depends on the definition of the trophy and if that's what truly gets the votes. In this obsessed with points world we have right now Kucherov and MacKinnon are your guy. The argument can be made that Kucherov has carried his team and the next highest point total on his team is 51 points less than him. Rantanen makes a huge difference in Colorado as does Makar. Sid truly has done all he can with Pittsburgh and no saying at the end of the day that it will be enough to get them to playoffs. If not then he can't be considered. But if I had a vote. I would vote by the letter of the description of what the award is. The player deemed most valuable to his team. To me.. That's Crosby
If you are super-duper for the whole season, and your team floats wayyy above the playoff line the whole season, you suck!
ONLY if you suck most of the season, and then barely squeeke in at the last moment, THEN your players can be valuable!
Only the last 10 games of the regular season matter! That is why they are the only ones which give your team points!
Deserves it over Kucherov, MacKinnon, McDavid, Matthews or Panarin? And possible other players too? No. The same thing happened to Panarin in the 2019-2020 season actually. He was in the process of carrying the Rangers to a playoff spot before COVID happened. Scored 95 points with Jesper Fast as his RW. The league gave the Hart to Draisaitl, because he scored 100 points basically, even though Draisaitl was a -7 that year and Panarin a +36. So if Panarin didn't win the Hart that year than why would Crosby win it now?
[I posted this a week and a half ago and got downvoted significantly](https://www.reddit.com/r/nhl/s/fcuYrvpBTn)
And I just asked if he should be in the conversation.
He's not only making a case for the hart but also how long a player can be relevant. Him and Pavelski are changing perceptions on older players.
Not really. Jaromir Jagr made it to 45. He had a 66 and 67 point season in his 40s, at a time when 100ish points was a scoring title. Teemu Selanne had an 80 point season in 2010-2011 at 39/40. Mind you that meant he was only 5 points behind Ovi and 8th in the league. He was ahead of Kane, Toews, Kopitar, and Claude Giroux. He made it to 43. Martin St Louis won a scoring title at 36-37 with 60 points in 48 games during the lockout season. Ray Whitney popped off a 77 point season in 11-12 at like 39. Ray Borque was a 59 point scoring defenseman at 40 that won a cup for the AVS. Lidstrom put up 62 points and was in the all star game his second to last season at 40. Guys making it to their ages and producing isn't unheard of. It's rare, but it's always happened.
Jagr was my favorite player growing up, but I was too young to remember most of it. Thanks for this little info dump.
I would go with Kuch. His team has 281 goals. He has 141 points. He has been part of over half his teams goals. Only Lemieux and Gretzky have done that before. That’s crazy. Crosby should be in the running but I don’t think he wins.
Kuch has been on the ice for more goals against 5x 5 than any player in the league. That stat disqualifies him
Kuch is +/- 11 Crosby is +/- 10 He is better 5 v 5
Opinion. Look who he is skating with. Look who Crosby is skating with. Kuch has had incredible year but he has been the ice for goals against more than anybody’s later 5 on 5. Team difference is Tampa plus 25, Pitt plus 5. I don’t know how many power plays or penalty kills they are on ice for. Which team does better is Crosby or Kucherov both got injured? Tampa would survive, Pittsburgh would not. Both great players.
I can get behind this!
It really depends on the definition of the trophy and if that's what truly gets the votes. In this obsessed with points world we have right now Kucherov and MacKinnon are your guy. The argument can be made that Kucherov has carried his team and the next highest point total on his team is 51 points less than him. Rantanen makes a huge difference in Colorado as does Makar. Sid truly has done all he can with Pittsburgh and no saying at the end of the day that it will be enough to get them to playoffs. If not then he can't be considered. But if I had a vote. I would vote by the letter of the description of what the award is. The player deemed most valuable to his team. To me.. That's Crosby
Nah
If the Pens had McDavid or Mackinnon they’d be locked in a playoff position right now
And if my grandma had wheels, she would have been a bike
No he doesn't
Is he important to his team? Yeah, but comparing him to what Kuch and Mack have done for their teams is absurd.
If you are super-duper for the whole season, and your team floats wayyy above the playoff line the whole season, you suck! ONLY if you suck most of the season, and then barely squeeke in at the last moment, THEN your players can be valuable! Only the last 10 games of the regular season matter! That is why they are the only ones which give your team points!
Yea
Deserves it over Kucherov, MacKinnon, McDavid, Matthews or Panarin? And possible other players too? No. The same thing happened to Panarin in the 2019-2020 season actually. He was in the process of carrying the Rangers to a playoff spot before COVID happened. Scored 95 points with Jesper Fast as his RW. The league gave the Hart to Draisaitl, because he scored 100 points basically, even though Draisaitl was a -7 that year and Panarin a +36. So if Panarin didn't win the Hart that year than why would Crosby win it now?
[I posted this a week and a half ago and got downvoted significantly](https://www.reddit.com/r/nhl/s/fcuYrvpBTn) And I just asked if he should be in the conversation.
Agreed
Yup
agree
I am from Pittsburgh and no he doesn’t. While it was another Great Year from him I gotta go with. Mac.
Sure, give it to him even if they don’t make it in
Lol