Leading with his Hart

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This article was published 20/02/2018 (2254 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

He is the heart and soul of the team, setting the tone on a nightly basis and raising the bar with his impressive play.

He has repeatedly demonstrated that he is selfless leader, pushing greater good of the organization above any personal interests.

He is the face of the franchise, not only leading by example on the ice, but off it as well.

He seems to be getting better with age, on pace for a career season at a point when many players often see a drop in production.

He is a mentor and role model to a crop of young talent who speak glowingly about the impact he’s had on them.

He is Blake Wheeler, captain of the Winnipeg Jets. And he is a legitimate Hart Trophy candidate as the National Hockey League player deemed to be “most valuable to his team.”

Yes, there is still the final quarter of the NHL regular-season left to play. But Wheeler’s accomplishments through the first 60 games of the season should not be overlooked. Or under-appreciated.

Wheeler, 31, has already matched a career-high with 52 assists, which puts him second overall in the league in that category. And many of them, especially lately, have been of the highlight-reel variety, leaving fans and viewers wondering how in the world he found what appeared to be a microscopic seam to make a pass that led to a goal.

With 17 goals added to his assist total, Wheeler is tied for fourth in NHL scoring heading into Wednesday night’s action. He is just nine points off his career-best of 78, set two years ago, and still has 22 games to play.

Only Nikita Kucherov (78), Evgeni Malkin (70) and Claude Giroux (70) have put up more points than his 69.

None of those players have done it while switching positions mid-season, as Wheeler did in late December when No. 1 centre Mark Scheifele went down with a shoulder injury that sidelined him for 16 games. Not only did Wheeler move from right wing to the middle, he was carrying around a couple of teenagers in Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor at times while facing opponents’ elite checking lines. And he still managed to put up a point-per-game in an unfamiliar role and lead the Jets to an 11-2-3 record without Scheifele.

Sure, Connor Hellebuyck is having a fantastic season in the Jets’ net, which should earn him some Vezina Trophy votes. But make no mistake: Wheeler is the prime reason this team looks primed to make a legitimate run at Lord Stanley’s mug come spring.

It’s clear Wheeler would rather get a root canal than talk about his accomplishments, constantly preaching a “team-first” approach and bristling at personal queries. His intensity often comes through in his dealings with media, as he can be sour and surly and downright confrontational at times. However, it’s worth noting he is the most accessible player on the team. Nearly every practice, every morning skate, after every game, Wheeler is typically standing in his stall waiting to answer questions while most teammates have already hit the showers and checked out.

‘It starts right at the top with Wheels. He’s a guy that drives this team each and every night.’ – Mark Scheifele

But take a close listen to what others are saying about him. Scheifele, who has blossomed into a true star, practically gushes every time he speaks about Wheeler.

“It starts right at the top with Wheels. He’s a guy that drives this team each and every night. Whether he’s on the wing or centre, it starts right from the top and I think everyone follows his lead,” Scheifele said recently. “He’s the most favourite player I’ve ever played with.”

Coach Paul Maurice, who has spent more than 1,400 games behind the bench in his career, is on record saying he’s never had a player like Wheeler in his fold.

“Everybody else wants to play with him,” Maurice said recently of the impact Wheeler has. “He is absolutely driven to maximize his game. How he eats, how he trains. How he mentally prepares.”

Connor, Laine and other young stars such as Nikolaj Ehlers and Jack Roslovic regularly go out of their way to praise the captain.

If Wheeler has a fault, it’s his penchant for taking some ill-advised minor penalties, a clear sign his frustration with pushing for perfection at all times sometimes backfires. His 19 minor penalties are second-only to Dustin Byfuglien. But he’s also a key piece of power play and penalty killing units that rank among the league’s best.

So who and what stands in the way of Wheeler capturing the Hart when they hand out the hardware in June during the flashy ceremony in Las Vegas?

Here’s a close look at five main contenders, plus 10 dark-horse candidates:

1) NIKITA KUCHEROV, Tampa Bay Lightning

He’s the NHL’s leading scorer with 32 goals and 46 assists through 60 games. And he’s helped lead the Lightning to a 40-17-3 record, which puts them on top of the league standings.

Kucherov finished No. 1 in the Professional Hockey Writers Association midseason awards vote that came out last month. And likely nothing has changed to knock him off the perch as the favourite.

You could make an argument that Kucherov benefits from playing on a team, and a line, with superstar Steven Stamkos, who may garner some Hart votes of his own, with 24 goals and 44 assists in 60 games. How much of Kucherov’s success is a product of riding shotgun with Stamkos?

Of course, Wheeler also has a high-scoring linemate in Scheifele. But as mentioned earlier, he had to go without him for 16 games this year and didn’t seem to miss a beat.

2) EVGENI MALKIN, Pittsburgh Penguins

Malkin is on pace for his finest offensive season since 2011-12, with 33 goals and 37 assists through 57 games. He’s also helped spark a red-hot Penguins run that has them looking poised to make a run at a third-straight Stanley Cup after a lacklustre start to their season.

Like Kucherov, Malkin no doubt benefits from having plenty of other superstar talent around him, including Sidney Crosby and Phil Kessel. However, unlike Kucherov, he doesn’t play on a regular line with those two. His most recent mates in a game were Carl Hagelin and Bryan Rust.

3) NATHAN MacKINNON, Colorado Avalanche

A breakthrough season for MacKinnon, with 25 goals and 40 assists in 51 games. That puts him second in the league, just behind Kucherov, in terms of points-per-game.

He has led a resurgent Avalanche team that is fighting for a playoff spot, just one season after finishing last in the NHL.

MacKinnon finished No. 2 in voting in the PHWA midseason awards.

And while the Hart is supposed to go to the player deemed most valuable to his team, you have to wonder if MacKinnon’s chances won’t be impacted if Colorado fails to qualify for the playoffs. Time will tell.

4) CONNOR McDAVID, Edmonton Oilers

You won’t get too much argument that McDavid is probably the most talented player in the league. He’s having another terrific offensive season, with 26 goals and 43 assists in 59 games.

But how much should he get docked by the fact the Oilers are a tire-fire this season, among the worst in the league?

Some might suggest that bolsters his case, that McDavid is essentially a one-man show on an otherwise pitiful squad. And they may be right. But it seems hard to fathom a Hart winner could come from a team that hardly looks competitive on many nights.

5) TAYLOR HALL, New Jersey Devils

Perhaps the fastest-rising candidate of the bunch. Hall has been on a tear lately, with at least a point in all 19 games he’s played in 2018. He has 13 goals and 14 assists in that stretch. He’s up to 25 goals and 38 assists in 55 games this season.

New Jersey is also locked in a tough battle in the ultra-competitive Metropolitan Division, currently sitting in fourth place, which is good enough for the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. If Hall can pull the Devils into the playoffs — somewhere the franchise hasn’t been for the last five seasons — his candidacy will get a boost.

10 OTHER DARK-HORSE CANDIDATES TO WATCH: Alex Ovechkin (WAS), Anze Kopitar (LA), Brad Marchand (BOS), Claude Giroux (PHI), John Tavares (NYI), Johnny Gaudreau (CGY), Jonathan Marchessault (VGK), Patrice Bergeron (BOS), Sidney Crosby (PIT), Steven Stamkos (TB).

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg