Auston Matthews nearly became the first NHL player since 1992-93 to finish a season with 70 goals, ultimately coming up one short and having to settle for 69.
It's still good enough for him to take home the Rocket Richard Trophy for most goals in the league, the Maple Leafs sniper's third in his career. He finished with 12 more goals than the next-closest skater, which was Oilers winger Zach Hyman.
Despite his monumental regular season, Matthews won't be going home with a Hart Trophy. In fact, he didn't even finish in the top three of voting for the award, as the finalists were announced on Tuesday without the Toronto star on the list. Either Oilers superstar Connor McDavid will earn his fourth Hart Trophy, Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov will take his second, or Avalanche sensation Nathan MacKinnon will finally get his first.
How is a player who lit the lamp as many times as Matthews did this season not one of the finalists for MVP? The Sporting News explains.
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Why isn't Auston Matthews a Hart Trophy finalist?
It's hard to imagine a 69-goal scorer failing to receive enough votes to finish in the top three in MVP voting. However, the 2023-24 season was not your typical campaign.
When you break down all of the statistics, you can see why Matthews fell behind the other trio in the hunt for the Hart Trophy. While he did score more goals than any of MacKinnon, Kucherov, or McDavid, his point total pales in comparison. The three Hart finalists finished first, second, and third, respectively, in the league in scoring. Meanwhile, Matthews was sixth, trailing Rangers winger Artemi Panarin and Bruins sniper David Pastrnak, as well.
Kucherov is taking home his second Art Ross Trophy (most points in a season) after leading the NHL with 144 points and finishing in a tie for the most assists with McDavid at 100. That's more points and assists than his 2018-19 campaign when he won his first Hart, and the Russian winger ended up setting career-highs across the board.
MacKinnon kept right up with Kucherov in the points race for a majority of the season before the Tampa Bay star pulled away in the final stretch, Still, the Avalanche center's 140 points set a new career-high, as well as his 51 goals and 89 assists.
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And then there's McDavid, who would earn a second consecutive Hart Trophy if he is revealed as the winner. The Edmonton captain overcame a slow start to the season to finish in a tie with Kucherov for the league lead in assists, dishing out 100, which was a new career-high for McDavid. Adding his 32 goals gave him a points total of 132, the second-most in his career.
There absolutely is an argument for Leafs fans to be declaring Matthews a snub for MVP. He put up more goals and more points this season than in 2021-22 when he earned the Hart Trophy, and his 69 goals are the most in the NHL in a single season in over 30 years.
However, when it comes to goals, there's already an award for that, and Matthews is taking that one home. If you want to chime in about his defensive play, he also is being recognized for that, as well, as he is one of the three finalists for the Selke Trophy for best defensive forward.
In another season, yes, Matthews would most likely be a lock to be a finalist and very well would be the frontrunner for the Hart. But it will be someone else earning the MVP in the NHL in 2024, with all of the award winners expected to be announced at some point after the Stanley Cup playoffs are done.
| Player | Team | Games | Goals | Points | Assists |
| Nikita Kucherov | Tampa Bay Lightning | 81 | 44 | 100 | 144 |
| Nathan MacKinnon | Colorado Avalanche | 82 | 51 | 89 | 140 |
| Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers | 76 | 32 | 100 | 132 |
| Auston Matthews | Toronto Maple Leafs | 81 | 69 | 38 | 107 |
Hart Trophy finalists
- Nikita Kucherov, F, Tampa Bay Lightning
- Nathan MacKinnon, F, Colorado Avalanche
- Connor McDavid, F, Edmonton Oilers
The finalists for the Hart Trophy were announced on Tuesday, May 7. The award goes to the player deemed "most valuable" to his team.
Last year, McDavid earned his third Hart Trophy in his career.
