Two Hart Trophy futures we like for the NHL next season

Dallas' Wyatt Johnston (left) and New Jersey's Jack Hughes (right).

Congratulations to Nathan MacKinnon on his Hart Trophy win last night! A well-deserved honor, and now the natural next step is to simply look ahead to who might offer some value for next season's win. We're moving down the board and away from the main superstars to see if we might find us a gem ready to breakout in 2024-25.

Jack Hughes (+1100)

Like we said, we're not looking for chalky choices but rather to project out some big leaps in production from some of the NHL's young stars.

One such player that quickly comes to mind is Jack Hughes. Hughes is just 23 and the focal point of the New Jersey Devils, a team clearly making moves to compete right now. Two seasons ago, Hughes was 12th in the NHL in points, with 99, and he dealt with injuries for much of this past year that limited his impact and production.

Hughes would of course need a massive uptick in points, think 140-150, but he's the star center for this team and if healthy, should power much of their success.

A key to consider is the hiring of Sheldon Keefe as the Devils next head coach. While Keefe's postseason struggles with Toronto are well-documented, so too should be how he ran his offense through his own star in Auston Matthews, who has piled up 298 points over the last three seasons.

We're not saying Hughes is on the same level of Matthews, but rather, Keefe is no stranger to a star top-line center. We're excited for what Hughes can do this year and beyond, this might be a solid price to invest in the Devils cornerstone.

Wyatt Johnston (+6000)

In the vein of getting ahead of young players becoming stars, few might fit that mold like Dallas' Wyatt Johnston. Johnston had a solid year all season, with 65 points in his second season.

However, it was the postseason where the 21-year old really burst onto the scene as a star. Johnston led Dallas with 16 points and 10 goals in the 19 games played, often taking over games himself.

We might be a few years early on Johnston being a true contender for something like the Hart Trophy, but don't be surprised if he emerges as Dallas's best player in 2024-25.

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