Auston Matthews Now Heavy Favorite to Win NHL's Hart Trophy

We're officially in the final stretch of the NHL season, with playoffs beginning at the beginning of next month.

The race for the Hart Trophy, which is the NHL's MVP award, has been tight all season, but we might finally have our winner. After several players had taken over as the favorite since the 2021-22 campaign began, it's Auston Matthews who has seperated himself from the pack.

Let's take a look at the latest odds via WynnBET to win the Hart Trophy.

Odds to Win the Hart Trophy

• Auston Matthews -300
• Connor McDavid +200
• Jonathan Huberdeau +1500
• Igor Shesterkin +1800
• Leon Draisaitl +2500
• Aleksander Barkov +10000
• Alexander Ovechkin +10000

Auston Matthews Has Firm Grip on Hart Trophy

Auston Matthews grabbed the Hart Trophy from the grips of any other hopeful contenders when he scored his 50th goal in his last 50 games, while also setting the Toronto Maple Leafs franchise record for most goals in a season.

Those two feats alone are enough to lock him in for the Hart Trophy, but he still has 10 more games to add to his total. With 58 already notched this season, he's well on his way to becomming the first 60 goal scorer since Steven Stamkos in the 2011-12 season.

The next marks he'll have a chance of catching is 65 goals, achieved by Alexander Ovechkin in the 2007-08 season, and 69 goals, last achieved by Mario Lemieux in the 1995-96 season.

Not only is he a goalscorer, but his 41 assists gives him the fourth most total points so far this season. Only McDavid, Huberdeau, and Draisaitl have more.

The race is over. Auston Matthews is your 2021-22 Hart Trophy winner.

You can track Iain's bets on Betstamp here.