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Hart Trophy Odds & Favorites: Our Picks & Predictions To Win MVP

Gary Pearson

Last Updated: February 21, 2025 8:25 AM EST • 5 min 6 sec read.

We dive into the Hart Trophy odds and favorites.
Pictured: Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck during the third period. Photo by Terrence Lee via Imagn Images

Take a breath and exhale. After a furious and frenzied finish, the 4 Nations Face-Off is behind us. Unfortunately, for the world's best players, there's no time for rest, as the NHL schedule resumes on Saturday.  

With just under a third of the schedule remaining, the Hart Trophy odds race is shaping up to be a barnburner, with four of the five favorites at our best sports betting sites previous winners of the prized individual accolade.  

With the Hart Trophy odds and favorites outlined below, we dive into our best favorite, contender, and long-shot picks and predictions. 

Who is favored to win Hart Trophy?

Our 2025 Hart Trophy predictions, picks & best bets

Here are my best 2025 Hart Trophy predictions to win the award. You can also check out our NHL player prop odds tool for the latest NHL odds at the best legal sportsbooks in your region.  

  • Hart Trophy favorite: Leon Draisaitl (-115 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • My Hart Trophy prediction & best value bet: Connor Hellebuyck (+350 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • My best long shot: Connor McDavid (+1900 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🏆  Hart Trophy prediction: Draisaitl (-115 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hart Trophy odds, picks, and predictions. 
The Edmonton Oilers celebrate a goal scored by forward Leon Draisaitl. Photo by Perry Nelson via Imagn Images

Draisaitl would have watched the 4 Nations Face-Off and teammate Connor McDavid from some far-off beach destination with untold envy. It was the pinnacle of the sport, the type of best-on-best tournament every hockey player dreams of playing in. 

On the bright side for Draisaitl and the Stanley Cup odds favorite Edmonton Oilers, he will return to the rink rejuvenated, rested, and inspired to push on.

I can't say the same for the other Hart Trophy odds favorites, most of whom will return to their clubs battered, bruised, and beleaguered. At least Canadians will return on cloud nine. 

Draisaitl has 40 goals in 55 games, seven more than second-place William Nylander. He's the clear Rocket Richard Trophy odds front-runner and is on pace for 60 goals, which would be a career-high. His 83 points are four behind Nathan MacKinnon for the league lead, while he's scoring 1.51 points per game, the third-best clip. 

Of his 41 goals last season, over half (21) were scored on the power play. So far this season, only 11 of his 40 are with the man advantage. While his 29 even-strength goals underpin his 5-on-5 dominance, I expect the German bull to start filling the net more with the man advantage. 

I love that Draisaitl is equally productive no matter where he plays, registering 41 points at home and 42 on the road. He has 62 points in 34 Oilers wins, as opposed to 16 points in 17 losses. It's a stat showcasing his value to Edmonton's win-loss record. 

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💎 Best value bet to win Hart Trophy: Connor Hellebuyck (+350 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hellebuyck didn't deserve to play the role of bridesmaid at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Yet, here we are, another disappointing end for the Winnipeg Jets ace in a meaningful, clutch contest. 

While he'll be disconsolate for a few days, I expect Hellebuyck to return to Winnipeg stronger and more motivated than ever to put on a show in the season's final third. As the runaway Vezina Trophy odds favorite, Hellebuyck is pretty much a shoo-in to win his second straight award for best goaltender.  

But he has more aspirational goals in his crosshairs, such as the Hart Trophy and Stanley Cup. He's the backbone of a Winnipeg Jets team we backed as contenders in our early Stanley Cup predictions.  

Frankly, there is no player more valuable to his team than Hellebuyck. He leads the league in wins (34), eight ahead of second-place Jake Oettinger, and has the best save percentage (.925), goals-against average (2.06), and goals saved above expected (27.8), along with the most shutouts (6). 

Take a screenshot, as that accurately and precisely depicts dominance. Hellebuyck's trying to become the first goaltender to win the Hart Trophy in 10 years. And, on his current trajectory, I love his chances. 

🎯 Best long shot to win Hart Trophy: Connor McDavid (+1900 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

McDavid represents the best long-shot futures pick you'll find. His +1900 odds at BetMGM imply a 5% winning probability. I'll take those odds every day of the week. 

Coming off his championship-winning goal at the 4 Nations Face-Off, McDavid will return to Alberta's capital with an injection of confidence and momentum that might be catastrophic for opposing teams.  

McDavid has 71 points (22 goals and 49 assists) in 49 games, tied for fourth with Mitch Marner. He's scoring 1.45 points per game, again the fourth-most. 

Like Draisaitl, McDavid is invaluable in Oilers' wins, notching 52 points in 30 games.

While he's discernibly behind Draisaitl, MacKinnon, and Hellebuyck in the Hart Trophy odds race, there's no way the discrepancy should be this vast. And he's the type of megastar who can quickly cut into it. 

He has a propensity to go on prolific and extended point-scoring streaks, exemplified by his recent 12-game, 22-point outburst. 

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Who will win the 2025 Hart Trophy?

I'll be placing a bet on all three featured players, especially McDavid, at his mouthwatering +1900 odds. While Draistail has been electric and is the deserving Hart Trophy odds front-runner, I'm backing Hellebuyck to break goaltenders' 10-year barren patch.

He's the most valuable player to his team by a country mile. I don't know where the Jets would be without him, but it wouldn't be near the summit of the NHL standings with the league's second-best points percentage. If Hellebuyck can't be the poster boy for netminders where the Hart Trophy is concerned, who can? 

Hart Trophy FAQs

Who is the Hart Trophy favorite?

Leon Draisaitl is the Hart Trophy odds favorite, trading at -115. Those represent a 53.49% implied win probability via our odds calculator. 

Who won the Hart Trophy last year?

Nathan MacKinnon won the 2023-24 Hart Trophy after opening the season at +1000. It was his first Hart Trophy victory. 

When will the Hart Trophy be decided?

Last season's Hart Trophy winner was announced at the NHL Awards ceremony on June 27, 2024. The Hart Trophy winner is always announced after the Stanley Cup Final, so a similar timeline is expected for the 2024-25 winner.

Who has won the most Hart Trophy awards? 

Wayne Gretzky won the Hart Trophy nine times, three more than second place Gordie Howe (6). 

Which active player has won the most Hart Trophy awards? 

Connor McDavid and Alexander Ovechkin each have won three Hart Trophies, the most of all active players. 

Who was the last defenseman to win the Hart Trophy? 

Chris Pronger won the Hart Trophy with the St. Louis Blues in 2000, the last defenseman to win the accolade. 

Who was the last back-to-back Hart Trophy winner? 

Alexander Ovechkin won the Hart Trophy in 2008 and 2009, the last back-to-back winner. 

Who was the last goaltender to win the Hart Trophy? 

Carey Price won the Hart Trophy in 2014-15, the last netminder to win the award. 

NHL betting odds pages

Stanley Cup OddsCalder Trophy OddsNHL Draft Odds
Conn Smythe Trophy OddsNorris Trophy Odds
Hart Trophy OddsJack Adams Award Odds
Vezina Trophy OddsRocket Richard Odds

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Written By:
Gary Pearson
Gary Pearson has written professionally since 2010, focusing on sports betting since 2014. Before entering the sports betting space, he contributed to the Canadian Press, FanSided, the Hockey Writers, the Calgary Herald, and other publications. His work has also been featured in Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report. Gary, who consumes sports like a blue whale devours plankton, has a penchant for writing predictions and analyses across several sports, including hockey, soccer, football, tennis, and more. He bets regularly, preferring single-game picks, props, and live betting. While there isn't a sport he has yet to dabble in, Gary prefers betting on soccer, hockey, and football. He studied at various post-secondary institutions, including the University of Calgary, SAIT Polytechnic, and Griffith University, located in Brisbane, Australia. Gary has a marketing degree and completed his bachelor's degree in journalism at Griffith University. He feels strongly that life experience is as essential as post-secondary education, helping formulate more accurate predictions and analyses. Gary believes that competing at a high level of amateur sports during his formative years helped him better understand an athlete's psyche and the nuances and complexities of a team's dynamic, both on and off the playing surface. He feels that knowledge is immeasurably important when offering his analytical expertise. He has lived on five continents and currently resides in Canada.