Quite a few people who follow the Penguins have laid out a good case for Evgeni Malkin to win the Hart Trophy for 2017-18.
Mostly because Malkin’s play during the past few months has made such a compelling one.
He put up points in 26 of the first 34 games in 2018, with at least two points in 18 of those (including three or more in nine of them).
That surge has allowed Malkin to climb into serious contention for the NHL lead in points and goals. He’s far from certain to finish first in the league in either category, but betting against him probably wouldn’t qualify as a get-rich-quick scheme.