A look at the Art Ross Trophy race as the 2023-24 NHL regular season winds down
By Cam Lewis
25 days agoFor the first time in five years, somebody other than an Edmonton Oiler might win the Art Ross Trophy for the NHL’s regular-season leader in points.
Leon Draisaitl led the league in scoring during his Hart Trophy campaign in 2019-20 and Connor McDavid has done so handily in back-to-back-to-back seasons. As it stands now, McDavid is third in the league in scoring while Draisaitl is in sixth.
Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning leads the way with 136 points and right behind him is Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche with 133 points. McDavid rounds out the Art Ross Trophy race with 130 points, as the next-highest scorer in the NHL is Artemi Panarin of the New York Rangers with 115 points.
Which of these three players has the most favourable schedule in the final few days of the season? Here’s a look at who the Lightning, Avalanche, and Oilers have left to play…
Remaining games for Nikita Kucherov
- April 9 vs Columbus Blue Jackets
- April 11 vs Ottawa Senators
- April 13 @ Washington Capitals
- April 15 vs Buffalo Sabres
- April 17 vs Toronto Maple Leafs
Remaining games for Nathan MacKinnon
- April 9 vs Minnesota Wild
- April 13 vs Winnipeg Jets
- April 14 @ Vegas Golden Knights
- April 18 vs Edmonton Oilers
Remaining games for Connor McDavid
- April 10 vs Vegas Golden Knights
- April 12 vs Arizona Coyotes
- April 13 vs Vancouver Canucks
- April 15 vs San Jose Sharks
- April 17 @ Arizona Coyotes
- April 18 @ Colorado Avalanche
It’s no guarantee that these players will suit up in each of their team’s remaining games as they might be given some time off for rest ahead of the playoffs, but Kucherov seems to have the most favourable schedule in the final days of the season.
McDavid and the Oilers have the most games remaining, but they have some difficult match-ups against playoff teams with the Golden Knights, Coyotes, and Avs. MacKinnon has the fewest possible games left and three of the four are against playoff teams. Meanwhile, Kucherov and the Lightning have five more games on the schedule and only one is against a quality opponent.
If Kucherov is able to hold off MacKinnon and McDavid, he’ll win the second Art Ross Trophy of his career. Kucherov was the last non-Oiler to lead the league in scoring, as he posted 128 points in 2018-19 and was also awarded the Hart Trophy.
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