Trophy Tracker: Hart

To mark the quarter point of the 2021-22 regular season, NHL.com is running its second installment of the Trophy Tracker series this week. Today, we look at the race for the Hart Trophy, given annually to the player judged to be the most valuable to his team as selected in a Professional Hockey Writers Association poll.

Connor McDavid is scoring highlight-reel goals in bunches and important situations for the Edmonton Oilers this season.
The center has scored 30 (12 goals, 18 assists) of his 36 points this season in Edmonton's 15 wins. He is the leader for the Hart Trophy given to the most valuable player in the NHL at the quarter-mark of the season, according to an NHL.com panel of 17 voters.
McDavid received 69 points (eight first-place votes), eight more than Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin, who got four first-place votes. Nobody else had more than two.
"The thing that makes it unbelievable is the timing with which he does it," Oilers coach Dave Tippett said. "Two of those highlight goals this year are ultimately important goals. That's just what he does."
McDavid's 11th goal this season was a game-tying goal in the third period scored 28 seconds after the Oilers fell behind against the Winnipeg Jets on Nov. 18.
All he did was dangle through three Jets players to score the goal. He also scored the shootout-deciding goal in a 2-1 win.
Thirteen days earlier, McDavid's eighth goal of the season was also a game-tying goal with 2:59 to play in the third against the New York Rangers.
All he did was dangle through four Rangers players to score. He then assisted on Leon Draisaitl's overtime winner that completed a 6-5 come-from-behind win.

And that might be the biggest reason why McDavid is a quarter of the way into what could be another MVP season, which would be his second in a row and third in the NHL.
The speed, the acceleration, the goals and the production -- 14 goals, 22 assists in 20 games, a 1.80 point-per-game pace this season -- is all so impressive. But the importance of what he does for the Oilers is what makes it all so meaningful.
"You could put him in with a handful of guys in the League that are dominant like that," Tippett said. "I was fortunate to play a year with Mario Lemieux (1992-93) and saw some things like that out of him. But he's a special player, he can make something out of nothing."
McDavid scored at least one point in each of Edmonton's first 17 games before the streak ended in a 4-1 loss at the Dallas Stars on Nov. 23.
The Oilers played the next night at the Arizona Coyotes and McDavid scored a season-high four points (two goals, two assists) in a 5-3 win.
He has scored at least two points in 12 games, including at least three in five. McDavid has 18 points (nine goals, nine assists) at even strength and 18 (five goals, 13 assists) on the power play. He is winning 54.9 percent of his face-offs and playing 22:23 per game.
But most importantly to McDavid, the Oilers are 15-5-0 and second in the Pacific Division, one point behind the Calgary Flames.
"He's a pretty special player," Tippett said.
Voting totals (points awarded on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis): Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers, 69 points (eight first-place votes); Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals, 61 (four first-place votes); Leon Draisaitl, Oilers, 58 (two first-place votes); Troy Terry, Anaheim Ducks, 30 (two first-place votes); Jacob Markstrom, Calgary Flames, 10 (one first-place vote); Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets, 7; Johnny Gaudreau, Flames, 5; Frederik Andersen, Carolina Hurricanes, 3; Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning, 3; Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins, 3; Steven Stamkos, Lightning, 2; Jack Campbell, Toronto Maple Leafs, 2; Nazem Kadri, Colorado Avalanche, 1; Ryan Getzlaf, Ducks, 1