TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning's season may be over, but at least one player still has everyone talking — Nikita Kucherov.
The Bolts' right wing is officially a finalist for two of the National Hockey League's highest regular-season honors: Most Valuable Player and Most Outstanding Player.
Kucherov named finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy
Kucherov is up for the 2023-24 Hart Memorial Trophy, an award given to "the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team," the NHL said. His name was already shortlisted, but he's now one step closer to winning his second Hart Trophy. The first time he was honored was during the 2018-19 season.
This year's NHL's regular-season MVP will be awarded to one of three players. Kucherov is up for the Hart Trophy against Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon and Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid.
According to a release, Kucherov set the pace for points in the NHL; in addition to setting a franchise record with 44-100-144 (81 GP), he racked up the second-most points of any player over the last 28 years. He also was instrumental in exactly half of the Lightning's 288 total goals, only the 12th time in NHL history a player has accounted for at least 50 percent of their team's points. He's only the second player in the last century to do that, with McDavid doing it twice.
"The Hart Memorial Trophy was presented by the NHL in 1960 after the original Hart Trophy was retired to the Hockey Hall of Fame," a release explains. "The original Hart Trophy was donated to the NHL in 1924 by Dr. David A. Hart, father of Cecil Hart, former manager-coach of the Montreal Canadiens."
Kucherov named finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award
Just a day after becoming a finalist for MVP and the Hart Memorial Trophy, Kucherov was also placed in the final three in contention for the NHL's 2023-24 Ted Lindsay Award, an award bestowed to "the most outstanding player in the NHL," as voted by the NHL Players Association members.
Coincidentally, Kucherov won both awards in the 2018-19 season.
Kucherov, along with finalists MacKinnon and Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs, received the most votes from their fellow players.
According to a release, Kucherov has an impressive number of accomplishments this season. He tied the NHL lead in assists, becoming the 5th player in league history to rack up 100 assists. He also set the NHL record for most assists by a winger.
Additionally, he tied for first in primary assists, first in power-play points and ranked second in even-strength points.