How realistic does Mark Stone have at winning the Hart Memorial Trophy?

If you don't know what the Hart Trophy is, here's a breakdown. It's the MVP award for the NHL, handed out to the league's best player. It's broken down to three players dominating the league, doing whatever it takes to keep their team(s) in the Stanley Cup discussion. The Vegas Golden Knights have two players that fit the bill this season.

The first? Jack Eichel. He's scored three goals and 13 points in 12 games, where he's on pace for 109 points. The former second-round pick has improved everyone on the top line, including Ivan Barbashev. The Russian winger has scored a team-leading seven goals, with three coming on the power play.

The other linemate, Mark Stone, has done even better. He has a team-high 20 points in 12 games, with two goals and six assists on the power play. The Captain has gone to great lengths to keep the Golden Knights atop the NHL, with the team carrying 17 points. Now that's solid as a... stone.

Make all the LTIR jokes you want (or spleen, whichever you choose). However, let's have an overreaction article for a second. It might be 12 games in the season and anything can happen. However, Stone has made a solid case for winning the Hart Memorial Trophy... That is, if trends continue. Who is he going up against in the NHL landscape?

Looking at who Mark Stone could face for the Hart Trophy

Obviously, his linemate, Jack Eichel, will be some stiff competition. The former second-overall pick has done well in the first 12 games, scoring 13 assists. He's set up solid opportunities for his linemates, including Stone. He'll be a name to watch for, especially if he breaks through for more goals down the stretch.

There's also the reigning Hart Trophy winner, Nathan MacKinnon. The Colorado Avalanche superstar has an NHL-best 25 points, scoring six goals and 19 assists. He also has a solid teammate in Cale Makar, who's second in points (23). If the Avalanche turns their fortunes around and become a Stanley Cup contender again, watch for the duo to make solid cases.

Nikita Kucherov will also be under the radar since he has the third-most points with 22. The only difference is the 2019 Hart winner has 10 goals. He's more of a refined shooter than the other players, who established themselves as playmakers. Take his game-winning goal against the Golden Knights as a perfect example.

The Russian winger scored two goals in the game, leading the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 4-3 victory. He'll be another name to watch if the Lightning stay in the mix. Other names include usual suspects such as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Also keep an eye on Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild and Kyle Connor of the Winnipeg Jets. They could sneak to the top of the Hart conversation by season's end.

Whatever the case, Stone will have his work cut out for him throughout the season. He'll need to stay healthy to have a chance, which has been a tough task for the forward. An array of injuries has shown how difficult it is to maintain a regular 82-game season. However, don't discount the Winnipeg native if he stays healthy in 2024-25, for he could shock some people.