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Oilers’ McDavid is leading candidate for Hart Trophy as NHL MVP

Jan 16, 2017, 7:57 AM | Updated: 8:28 am

Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) celebrates a shootout goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning dur...

Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) celebrates a shootout goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning during of an NHL hockey game in Edmonton, Alberta, Saturday, Dec. 17, 2016. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

(Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid enters Monday’s game against the Arizona Coyotes at Rogers Place leading the NHL in points with 50 and second in points per game (1.11) to Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby (1.28).

Those facts alone make McDavid’s inclusion among the three finalists for the Hart Trophy a near certainty, but just past the midpoint of the season, McDavid’s only real competition for league MVP is Crosby, who has played nine fewer games, yet has the Penguins in position to become the first repeat Stanley Cup champion since the Detroit Red Wings did it in 1997 and 1998.

If Crosby keeps up his current pace, he will win the league scoring title and the Rocket Richard Trophy as goal-scoring champ. Crosby’s all-around game is still better than McDavid’s, but if you are awarding the Hart Trophy based mainly on an elite player’s importance to his team, McDavid has a strong case as the league’s leading candidate.

When NHL play began on Sunday, the Oilers (23-15-7) were in second place in the Pacific Division with 53 points in 45 games; one point ahead of San Jose and three points behind Anaheim. Last season after 45 games, and with McDavid still sidelined due to a broken collarbone, Edmonton was 17-23-5 for 39 points.

The Oilers made other offseason additions such as free-agent signing Milan Lucic and defenseman Adam Larsson, who came at too steep a price for former No. 1 overall pick Taylor Hall, but McDavid is clearly the biggest reason for the Oilers’ turnaround, and he has factored in 39 percent of the Oilers’ offense.

“He is the leader on a team that has been quite poor for a decade and he’s the major part of the change in attitude and success for a team that is now battling for a division title,” analyst Mike Johnson said. “Just ask linemate Pat Maroon (18 goals) who he thinks the MVP should be. When you look at all McDavid’s metrics, his shot shares, scoring chances, goals for percentage when he is and is not on the ice, you see the way he drives that team in every way.”

Edmonton is five points ahead of fourth-place Los Angeles in the Pacific Division and six points ahead of Nashville, the first team outside the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, but the Oilers have played two more games than both those teams so they clearly have work to do to hold their position. If Edmonton can hang onto that playoff spot, however, it would end a 10-season playoff drought, which is currently the longest drought in the NHL, and ties the Florida Panthers (2001 to 2011 with the 2004-05 lockout year canceling a full season) as the longest in NHL history.

Crosby is a worthy candidate. He has already won the award twice (2007, 2014), but he has a much better supporting cast around him, including Evgeni Malkin, who is third in the NHL in points, Phil Kessel who is tied for 10th, defenseman Kris Letang and goalie Matt Murray, who is fifth in the NHL in save percentage at .925.

There will be other Hart candidates. Minnesota goalie Devan Dubnyk has a chance to set the NHL’s all-time single-season record for save percentage, San Jose defenseman Brent Burns is averaging better than a point per game, and both Malkin and defending Hart Trophy champ Patrick Kane are crafting special seasons, but no player has impacted his team’s fortunes in such dramatic fashion like McDavid has with the Oilers.

If McDavid, 20, does win the Hart Trophy, he would be the third youngest player ever to capture that honor. The other two: Wayne Gretzky (19 years and six months) and Crosby (19 years and 11 months).

“I think other teams could somehow patch over a short loss of their MVP candidate,” TSN analyst Ray Ferraro said. “Edmonton can’t.”

Coyotes at Oilers

When: 7 p.m., Monday

Where: Rogers Place, Edmonton, Alberta

TV: FOX Sports Arizona Plus

Radio: ESPN 620 AM

Records: Coyotes 13-23-6. Oilers 23-15-7

Season series: Coyotes lead, 2-1

Injury report: Coyotes — C Brad Richardson (broken right tibia and fibula) is out indefinitely. LW Max Domi (hand) is week to week. RW Jordan Martinook (upper body) and RW Ryan White (lower body) are day to day. Oilers — RW Tyler Pitlick (leg) is out for the season. D Darnell Nurse (ankle) is out indefinitely. RW Iiro Pakarinen (IR, knee) is week to week. D Andrew Ference (IR, hip) and LW Jujhar Khaira (illness) are day to day.

Scouting the Oilers: The Oilers beat Flames in a shootout Saturday to move into second place in the Pacific Division, one point ahead of San Jose and three points behind Anaheim. … G Cam Talbot is tied with Coyotes G Mike Smith for 20th in NHL save percentage at .918. … LW Patrick Maroon leads the Oilers with 18 goals; Connor McDavid leads them in points with 50.

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Oilers’ McDavid is leading candidate for Hart Trophy as NHL MVP