A trio of high-scoring forwards are this year's nominees for the NHL's most valuable player honours.
Washington Capitals sniper Alex Ovechkin, Vancouver Canucks playmaker Henrik Sedin and Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby will battle it out for the Hart Trophy after finishing in the top three in scoring this past season.
Ovechkin, the defending champion, tied Crosby for second in league scoring with 109 points (50 goals, 59 assists) and was a plus-45 despite missing 10 games. He guided the Capitals (54-15-13) to the best record in the league, but was bumped from the playoffs following Wednesday's 2-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Sedin earned a Hart nomination after capturing his first Art Ross Trophy as NHL scoring champion, finishing with 112 points (29 goals, 83 assists). He's the first player in Canucks history to win the scoring title, and led Vancouver (49-28-5) to its second straight Northwest Division title.
Crosby, the 2007 winner, established a career high with 51 goals, tying him with Steven Stamkos for the league lead. He added 58 assists while guiding Pittsburgh (47-27-8) to the Atlantic Division crown.
The winner will be announced June 23 at the NHL awards night in Las Vegas.