Plenty of Hart to go around among trophy contenders

Nobody could touch Patrick Kane in last season’s race for the Hart Trophy.

The Chicago Blackhawks winger and Art Ross Trophy winner (by 17 points) earned 121 of 150 first-place votes for league MVP and 93 per cent of the vote overall.

A runaway winner for the league’s top award seems unlikely this season. Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid looked to be 1-2 at mid-season, but since then a flood of worthy contenders has emerged. Here is a look at the crowded field:

Crosby: He’s No. 1 in points per game and just clinched his first 40-goal season since 2009-10. He’s in the thick of the race for the Maurice Richard (most goals) and Art Ross (most points) trophies despite missing nearly two weeks to start the season.

McDavid: It’s already easy to take McDavid for granted, but he’s only 20, in his second NHL season and already an MVP candidate. The Oilers captain has had a hand in almost 40 per cent of his club’s offence this year, leads the league in assists and remains a favourite to win the scoring title.

Kane: He’s not producing at last year’s pace, but has been pretty close to it in the past couple of months, collecting 20 goals and 30 points since Feb. 1. His overall numbers are 32 goals and 79 points. The NHL hasn’t had a repeat MVP since Alex Ovechkin (2008 and 2009).

Evgeni Malkin: Second to only Crosby in points per game, Malkin is headed for his biggest season offensively since 2011-12 when he won the Art Ross and Hart trophies by posting 50 goals and 109 points.

Brad Marchand: No one had more goals or points since the beginning of December heading into Monday’s action, making the 28-year-old a viable threat to win both the Art Ross and Maurice Richard trophies.