On Friday, the NHL announced Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, and Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov as finalists for this season's Hart Memorial Trophy.
Voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association, the Hart Trophy recognizes the player most valuable to his team, and all three finalists have previously won the award during their careers.
Statistically, McDavid led the NHL with 138 points in 82 games, MacKinnon topped the league with 53 goals in 80 games, and Kucherov recorded 130 points with a 1.71 points-per-game average.
Chasing history, McDavid seeks his fourth Hart Trophy, which would tie Eddie Shore for the third-most wins in NHL history; Kucherov and MacKinnon pursue their second career MVP honor.
The winner will be announced at a later date, though notably absent from the list is San Jose Sharks phenom Macklin Celebrini, who recorded one of the greatest seasons for a 19-year-old player.