NHL MVP Candidates in the Western Conference: Who Are the Best Players in the West?

With the NHL season officially at our doorstep, it’s time to open that door and hand the league a full-size candy bar. 

In preparation for the start of the regular season, the time has come to take stock of the best players in the Western Conference. When you look at the Hart race, the West Coast is crowded, with the top three players all coming from the West (and all being Team Canada stars as well). 

Here’s a look at the 10 Western Conference players with the shortest MVP odds and a breakdown of the top three candidates, with current odds as of September 29. 

Top NHL MVP Candidates in Western Conference

Connor McDavid, C, Oilers (+270)

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid is the overall odds leader right now for the Hart Trophy. 

McDavid’s a three-time Hart winner, with wins in 2017, 2021, and 2023. McDavid has appeared in the top five of Hart voting in nine out of his 11 seasons in the league and has placed second twice, including last year. 

Arguably, McDavid should’ve won the Hart Trophy last season with a stat line of 48 goals and 90 assists. He led the league in assists and points. He finished 10 points behind Nikita Kucherov who was second in assists and points.

McDavid’s status as the league’s undisputed best player (which he’ll hold until a to-be-discussed San Jose center takes that spot in three to five years) makes him a logical pick for preseason Hart favorite every year. 

There’s a cloud right now hanging above the Oilers in the form of newly-hired coach Mike Babcock. Babcock has a history of toxic and allegedly abusive behavior towards players but was reportedly vetted and approved by McDavid. 

The Babcock situation gives Edmonton a sour taste that is a wild card in McDavid’s Hart candidacy.

Nathan MacKinnon, C, Avalanche (+360)

Colorado Avalanche captain Nathan MacKinnon has the second-best odds for MVP as he looks to bounce back from a disappointing end to his 2025-26 season. 

Last year, Colorado won 55 games and received 121 points, earning them the Presidents’ Trophy. They were heavy favorites for the Stanley Cup through much of the regular season and into the playoffs. 

For MacKinnon, most of last year was super strong. He led the league with 53 goals in 80 games played, he also had 74 assists. 

On the bad side, he was also memed to death for his reaction to losing in the Gold Medal game of the 2026 Winter Olympics. Maybe the loss of aura resulted in him finishing in third place in Hart Trophy voting. 

In the playoffs, the Avalanche advanced to the Conference Finals but lost in an embarrassingly quick series against the Vegas Golden Knights. 

Colorado will be strong once again and MacKinnon will certainly be in the mix for MVP. 

Macklin Celebrini, C, Sharks (+450)

The newly-named San Jose Sharks captain Macklin Celebrini has the third-best odds to win the MVP entering his third season in the league. 

If Celebrini won the Hart Trophy, he’d be the youngest winner since a 20-year-old McDavid won in 2017, his second season in the league. So, if age is the biggest thing holding back Celebrini, it’s happened before to players of his caliber. 

Celebrini entered the NHL as an extremely hyped prospect (he was drafted first overall by San Jose in 2024) but last year was his true breakout. He played a full 82-game season, scoring 45 goals and contributing 70 assists. 

In addition to playing a full season, he played for Team Canada twice last year, first in the Winter Olympics and then later in the World Championships. 

A lot would have to happen for Celebrini to leapfrog over his countrymen and end up winning the Hart. Much of that could come down to team success. 

The Sharks, who went 39-35-8 last year, haven’t had a playoff appearance since 2019, when Celebrini was 13 years old. Entering the season, they have +110 odds to get a top-three finish in the Pacific Division.