NHL Awards Rankings: New No. 1 in MVP race
By Sion Fawkes
6. Sam Reinhart, F, Florida Panthers
When Sam Reinhart arrived in Florida in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres, he never accumulated over 65 points in a single season. During his first year with the Panthers, Reinhart put up 82 points before he gave an encore presentation of 67 points the following year.
In 2023-24, Reinhart has been red-hot so far, with 28 points in 23 games as Florida once again looks to fight their way back into defending their Eastern Conference Championship. No one on the Panthers has made a greater scoring impact than Reinhart, and it’s why he’s further up the boards in these rankings.
5. Artemi Panarin, LW, New York Rangers
The New York Rangers have been one of the best teams in the NHL this season, and Artemi Panarin is a huge reason behind their success. He scored a personal-best 96 points in 2021-22, but this year, the winger may shatter that record as he already has 31 in 21 contests.
Panarin has won several honors during his time in the NHL, including the Calder Trophy, and First and Second-Team All-Star, but the Hart Trophy has been missing from his resume. If he keeps up his current pace, that may change this season.