Now that we’re only a week away from the opening of the 2026-27 NHL regular season, NHL prediction markets have begun focusing on which player will receive the most MVP votes as a result of their play this year.
Three candidates: Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, and Macklin Celebrini, lead the race so far. With approximately $22,000 in total trading volume on Kalshi, those three players currently have contracts that are priced above 20 cents.
The league’s most dominant offensive player. At just 29 years old, McDavid has been awarded the Art Ross Trophy six times (including in June of this year), and is in line to win his fourth career Hart Memorial Trophy.
The Edmonton Oilers captain, who received that distinction ten years ago at the age of 19, obtained 138 points last season. Ultimately, the Oilers were surprised by the upstart Anaheim Ducks in a 4-2 postseason series loss.
Those who trade on Kalshi may have noticed that the relatively low volume has impacted contract prices so far, but McDavid is still right up there with the frontrunners and demands a 21¢ per-contract price heading into the regular season.
If speed and shots on goal make an MVP, then Nathan MacKinnon is a likely choice to win the Hart Trophy for this coming season. Last season, the Colorado Avalanche center scored 53 goals to lead the league. He was also the Hart Trophy recipient in 2024 and is a four-year finalist, dating back to 2018.
MacKinnon recently turned 31 years old, which makes him the oldest Hart Trophy contender among the current frontrunners. However, that hasn’t hurt his chances as far as Kalshi forecasters are concerned. Nathan MacKinnon’s contract prices are right up there at 21¢ leading into next Tuesday’s triple-header to open the regular season.
For those who have already purchased the NHL 27 video game (EA Sports), Macklin Celebrini is the player who is featured on the cover and in the game’s main artwork. The San Jose Sharks center may be just 20 years of age, but he has already earned the respect of fans as one of the most prolific hockey players in the modern age.
Last season, Celebrini scored 45 goals in his sophomore year, racking up 115 points in the process. Celebrini is also one of only four players who have reached 30 points in his first 20 NHL games as a teenager: joining legends Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby, and Mario Lemieux.
While the current 22¢ per-contract prices for Celebrini may seem a bit high due to how little volume has been put into the Kalshi market so far, it is entirely reasonable to expect the San Jose star to be among the frontrunners to win the Hart Memorial Trophy.
Hockey fans have only one week of waiting left before the 2026-27 NHL regular season. To pick a player to win the Hart Memorial Trophy, traders can sign up for a new Kalshi account and start forecasting in less than five minutes.
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