By the Numbers: Race for the Art Ross

As the National Hockey League season nears the finish line, TSN breaks down the scoring leaders in the race for the Art Ross Trophy.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov currently holds a slim one-point lead over Edmonton Oilers centre Connor McDavid. The two All-Stars are followed closely by Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon and Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin, who have all eclipsed the 90-point plateau and are on pace to reach 100 points for the season.

All four players have been red-hot since Jan. 1, and with eight games left in the regular season, the points race should come down to the wire.

Here’s how the NHL’s top four Art Ross contenders stack up.
 

1. Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning

Goals: 37 Assists: 58 Points: 95

Kucherov has been an integral part in leading the Lightning to the top of the Eastern Conference and been perched atop the scoring leaderboard for much of the 2017-18 season. The 24-year-old has continued his torrid scoring pace with 29 points (10 goals and 19 assists) in his last 19 games.

Remaining Games

Date                      Opponent (Points)

Mar. 24            @ New Jersey Devils (3)

Mar. 26            Arizona Coyotes (2)

Mar. 29            @ Boston Bruins (1)

Mar. 30            @ New York Rangers (1)

Apr. 1               Nashville Predators (0)

Apr. 3               Boston Bruins (1)

Apr. 6               Buffalo Sabres (2)

Apr. 7               @ Carolina Hurricanes (2)
 

2. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

Goals: 36 Assists: 58 Points: 94

The reigning Art Ross Trophy winner, McDavid has had another stellar season in an otherwise disappointing year for the Oilers. The 21-year-old is looking to become the first back-to-back winner of the award since Jaromir Jagr won the Art Ross four times in a row from 1997-98 to 2000-01. McDavid would also become only the sixth player in the expansion era to win the Art Ross Trophy on a non-playoff team.
 

*Lockout shortened season
 

3. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche

Goals: 38 Assists: 54 Points: 92

MacKinnon has broken out in a big way for Colorado as the Avs fight for one of the wild-card spots in the Western Conference. The 22-year-old has eclipsed his previous career high in points by 29 and is currently riding a 14-game point streak, amassing 13 goals and 14 assists over that span.

Remaining Games

Date                      Opponent (Points)

Mar. 24             Vegas Golden Knights (0)     

Mar. 26             @ Vegas Golden Knights (0)

Mar. 28             Philadelphia Flyers      (2)

Mar. 30             Chicago Blackhawks  (6)

Apr. 1               @ Anaheim Ducks      (1)

Apr. 2               @ Los Angeles Kings (2)

Apr. 5               @ San Jose Sharks      (3)

Apr. 7               St. Louis Blues            (3)
 

4. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins

Goals: 41 Assists: 50 Points: 91

No player has had a better 2018 than Malkin. The Penguins’ centre has 55 points (27 goals and 28 assists) in 34 games since Jan. 1. Thanks to a fanstastic scoring pace since the calendar rolled over, the 31-year-old is within striking distance of not only his third Art Ross Trophy, but also his first Rocket Richard Trophy. Malkin trails Alex Ovechkin by only three goals for the goal-scoring lead.
 

With the Penguins once again in contention to make a deep playoff push as they aim to win a third-straight Stanley Cup, Malkin will also surely garner strong consideration for the Hart Trophy alongside Kucherov.