Three of the NHL's elite players are up for one of its highest honors.
Stars captain Jamie Benn, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane are all up for the Hart Trophy. The winner will be revealed in Las Vegas on June 22.
The Hart Trophy is awarded "to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team," according to NHL.com. Here is a ranking of the three finalists followed by our prediction.
3) Sidney Crosby
Crosby, 28, was able to fight off a slow start to finish third in the NHL with 85 points in 80 games and paced the NHL with 58 points in 44 contests after Jan. 1. Crosby, who has won the award twice in the past (2007, 2014) is looking to become the ninth player to win it for a third time. The Penguins captain finished with 36 goals and 49 assists and was a plus-19 for the season.
2) Jamie Benn
Benn, 26, placed second in the league with 89 points while playing in all 82 regular season games for Dallas. The Stars captain reached the 40-goal plateau for the first time in his career by finding the back of the net 41 times this season while also setting a career-high in points. Benn helped the Stars to their first division title since 2005-06 and became the first Dallas player to notch 40 goals since 1993-94 (Mike Modano). Benn, who had 17 power play goals in the regular season, also helped the Stars to the best record in the Western Conference for the first time since 2002-03. Benn is up for the award for the first time in his career and is the first Stars' player to be a finalist.
1) Patrick Kane
Kane, 27, started the season with a bang and never looked back, pacing the entire NHL with 106 points and second in the league with 46 goals this season. While dealing with an off-ice rape accusation which ultimately proved false, the Blackhawks forward put together a 26-game point streak from Oct. 17 through Dec. 13, setting a Blackhawks record and a mark for U.S.-born players. Kane finished with seven goals and 12 points in his final five games. Kane will look to win the award for the first time in his career and to become the Blackhawks first recipient of it since 1968.
Prediction
Crosby had a tremendous run from Jan. 1 on, but this award should be counted toward the whole season. Benn also had an incredible season, but not quite as good as Kane's. The Blackhawks star had an unforgettable year and deserves to be honored more than his competition.
The Pick: Patrick Kane.
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