29 Nathan MacKinnon C

Avalanche's Nathan MacKinnon: Finalist for Hart Trophy

The Hart Memorial Trophy is given to "the player judged most valuable to his team." It's tough to call 2017-18 a breakout season since MacKinnon was already an established NHLer for four years, but the 22-year-old's 39 goals and 97 points shattered previous career highs of 24 and 63, respectively, that he posted in his rookie campaign. Part of MacKinnon's spectacular season came from his elevated performance with the man advantage, where he racked up 12 goals and 32 points. The other two finalists include the Kings' Anze Kopitar and Taylor Hall of the Devils.

Avalanche's Nathan MacKinnon: Connects for two goals

When MacKinnon gets going, he's a difficult player to stop. Nobody has really stopped him at all this season, as he just missed breaking the century mark for points. Unlike a lot of players, he seems to be ready for the moment in the playoffs, as he's notched five points in three games, making him a great option moving forward.

Avalanche's Nathan MacKinnon: Two points not enough in Game 2

MacKinnon has three points in these conference quarterfinals, but the Avalanche quickly find themselves with a 2-0 series deficit as the action heads to Colorado for Game 3 on Monday. The improbability of the Avs advancing to the next round dulls MacKinnon's appeal in playoff pools even though there's no doubt about his elite status after he notched a career-high 97 points (39 goals, 58 assists) through 74 games in the regular season.

Avalanche's Nathan MacKinnon: Adds two more assists

MacKinnon's monstrous tear continues and he's now up to 38 goals and 91 points in 65 games. The 22-year-old has taken his Hart campaign to another level and is unstoppable right now. He's racked up 29 of his points with the man advantage and hasn't gone more than one game without recording a point since late December. The first-line center is as good as it gets in fantasy.

Avalanche's Nathan MacKinnon: Continues incredible hot streak

The 22-year-old is insanely hot, scoring 13 goals in the last 12 games. During that stretch, he also has 24 points. Hot streaks like this always yield higher than normal shooting percentages, but MacKinnon's isn't all that high at 18.8 percent during this hot streak. Of course, recording 11 shots per game helps and indicates that MacKinnon's incredible run isn't just a product of luck and should continue through the rest of the season. MacKinnon has been playing at a high level for a long time too, as he has 27 goals and 56 points in 34 games since Dec. 14.