The 2025 NHL season has kicked off but who are the favourites to win the title of the NHL MVP this year? The front-runner appears to be the Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid, in fact he’s that far in front all NHL betting sites have put him as the favorite to win with odds of +150.
However there are a few other top contenders that have been thrown into the mix to win the prestigious title. Next up we have Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon with odds of +650 to win. MacKinnon won the title last year so it would be a rare feat to do it for two consecutive years in a row.
Another contender for the title is Toronto Maple Leafs’s Austin Matthews with odds of +800 and New Jersey Devils’s Jack Hughes is another contender – at odds of +1,300 to win the NHL MVP Award.
2025 NHL MVP odds
| Player | DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connor McDavid | +150 | +150 | +150 | +140 |
| Nathan MacKinnon | +650 | +500 | +550 | +700 |
| Auston Matthews | +900 | +850 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Jack Hughes | +1300 | +1100 | +1100 | +1200 |
| Nikita Kucherov | +2000 | +1800 | +2000 | +1600 |
| Leon Draisaitl | +2000 | +2000 | +2200 | +2200 |
| Kirill Kaprizov | +2000 | +2000 | +2200 | +2000 |
| David Pastrnak | +2000 | +2000 | +2000 | +2500 |
| Cale Makar | +3000 | +2000 | +2500 | +3000 |
| Matthew Tkachuk | +4000 | +3000 | +3500 | +3500 |
Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers) – Odds of +150
Suring the century mark in assists for the first time, McDavid finished third in NHL scoring last season with 32 goals and 100 assists.
With the shortest odds among the rest of the competition, the Edmonton Oilers center is looking to win his fourth MVP. His previous MVP wins happened in 2017, 2021 and 2023.
Considering his previous wins landed on an odd number perhaps the pattern will follow true for 2025 too?
Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche) – Odds of +650
Following a strong performance last season, MacKinnon has made the top list for the favorites to win the MVP award. Last season he scored 140 points and 51 goals and that is what got him the award.
This year he looks to win the award for two years on the trot. The only other NHL athletes to do this are Wayne Gretzky and Alexander Ovechkin, but could MacKinnon be the third person to do it?
To win the award in back-to-back seasons his performance will have to be incredible.
Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs) – Odds of +800
After winning his first Hart Trophy, back in 2022, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ center is looking to pocket his second Hart Trophy this year. This feat isn’t too far from his fingertips as he had an incredible season last season, scoring 107 points and 69 goals.
Jack Hughes (New Jersey Devils) – Odds of +1300
Despite having a rather tough time in the last year, and only appearing in 62 games, due to injury he still managed to bag 74 points and 27 goals. Hughes was the former number one pick in the 2019 NHL draft and now he’s back healthy anything is possible for him.
Leon Draisaitl (Edmonton Oilers) – Odds of +2000
The 2020 Hart Trophy winner has the potential to win his second MVP but he does come with rather long odds. The Edmonton Oilers center had a slightly “off year” last year – when compared to his previous seasons – after scoring 106 points and 41 goals.
In previous years he had scored over 50 goals and over 110 points too – which explains the long odds.
Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning) – Odds of+2000
Finishing the season with their best results yet, Kucherov scored 144 points and 100 assists. Despite the long odds, he is definitely in the runnings as he aims to bag his second Hart Trophy – which he last won in 2019.
Kirill Kaprizov (Minnesota Wild) – Odds of +2000
Kirill Kaprizov, left winger for the Minnesota Wild, seeks his first Hart Trophy with +2000 odds. Kaprizov finished last season with 46 goals and 50 assists. Alongside Kucherov, Kaprizov is among the top Russian players with a solid chance to win the MVP.
David Pastrnak (Boston Bruins) – Odds of +2000
David Pastrnak, right winger from the Boston Bruins, ranked fifth in scoring last season with 47 goals and 110 points, earning him an eighth-place finish in MVP voting. Pastrnak’s consistency over the past two seasons makes him a strong contender with +2000 odds.
Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche) – Odds of +3500
Based on previous winners, it is rare for defensemen to win this award but it’s not impossible. Chris Pronger managed to take home the award back in 2000 but he was the last defensemen to ever do it – hence the long odds.
Artemi Panarin (New York Rangers) – Odds of +4000
Despite being a huge underdog, Panarin is still in the running. The New York Rangers player could lead them to dominate this season. If that happened, he could well receive widespread acclaim – increasing his chances of winning the award.
Igor Shesterkin (New York Rangers) – Odds of +5000
Goalie’s don’t often win MVP awards, but it doesn’t mean it has never happened before. In fact, a goalie has won the Hart Trophy eight times. The last person to do this feat was Carey Price back in 2015. Shesterskin has extremely long odds – but it doesn’t mean they won’t come in…
