Predicting the Top Candidates for the 2016-17 Hart Trophy

According toNHL.com, "The Hart Memorial Trophy is an annual award given to the player judged to be the most valuable to his team. The winner is selected in a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association in allNHLcities at the end of the regular season."Value, of course, can be measured in many different ways.Most years, the hockey writers put a premium on scoring, and while the Hart is a regular-season award, candidates who have shown they can do the job in the playoffs will often get a halo boost from a previous year or years.Every so often, a defenseman or goaltender also comes along who's so good that he ruffles the rankings.As we roll into 2016-17, all the top Hart Trophy candidates will begin by strutting their stuff in the World Cup of Hockey in September. A win for their country could also set the stage for an advantage when it's time for the writers to cast their ballots in April.Going into the season, these are the most likely candidates to find themselves in the Hart mix at year's end.Begin Slideshow
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