Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, Nathan McKinnon and Artemi Panarin are all at the center in the race NHL MVP. But those on the fringe of the conversation for the Hart Trophy will play a part in voting. The Boston Bruins Brad Marchand ranks ninth in the NHL with 20 goals and his 64.8 goals percentage has made him a driving force on one of the NHL’s top teams. The St. Louis Blues Alex Pietrangelo all has a case. He’s fifth among all defensemen with 49 points and also ranks 5th in on-ice goals (3.3). The Tampa Bay Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov remains one of the most effective scorers in the league and has been the heart of Tampa Bay’s surge up the standings. The race to the Hart Trophy will be a close one and those on the fringe may help decide the winner.