Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky were also nominated. Only two of three of the Hart nominees remain in the 2017 playoff race.
McDavid led the NHL in scoring in his second season, posting 30 goals and 100 points. At just 20 years old, he also helped his team overcome adversity to return the playoffs after 11 long years. They even made a run for the Pacific Division title. McDavid also led them to the fourth seed in the West. Not to mention, he took on the captaincy as the youngest player in NHL history to do so at 19 years old.