Nathan MacKinnon is emerging as one of the NHL's most valuable players.

Here's a quick look at why he should be included in the conversation for the Hart Trophy at this point in the season:

The numbers

The Colorado Avalanche center scored his 20th goal of the season Monday against Anaheim, a second-period tally that served as the game-winner - his sixth of the season to date. His 34 assists boost his point total to 54, good for a share of second in the NHL.

These numbers put MacKinnon well on pace to break his previous career highs of 24 goals and 39 assists set as a rookie back in 2013-14.

On top of that, 46 of MacKinnon's 54 points are primary in nature, meaning either a goal or the first assist. Monday's goal pulled him level with Kucherov for tops in the NHL, per Corsica.

His six game-winners also slot him second in that category, one behind both Calgary's Sean Monahan and Tampa Bay's Brayden Point.

And while it's not outside the realm of normalcy for a No. 1 overall draft pick to score big goals and average a point per game or better, what makes MacKinnon's performance to date so noteworthy is the context.

The background

For starters, let's not forget Colorado is coming off a historically awful season, finishing 2016-17 with the lowest point percentage in the shootout era. But following Monday's win over the Ducks, the Avalanche - who sit two points out of a wild-card spot - now boast a record of 24-16-3, earning more wins and points through 43 games this season than all of last.

Related: Avalanche push win streak to 7 games

Leading that charge, of course, is MacKinnon, whose 54 points put him 13 ahead of Mikko Rantanen and 21 ahead of captain Gabriel Landeskog, the next most productive players on the roster.

All this after MacKinnon was thrust further into the spotlight following the departure of Matt Duchene, who ranked third behind MacKinnon and Landeskog in total points over the past five seasons - including the beginning of the current campaign.

With no immediate help brought in through the Duchene trade, MacKinnon is now quite literally the offensive driver in Colorado, and is putting up career numbers while drawing increased attention from the opposition's top defensemen.

The caveat

There's plenty of season to go, and there's certainly no shortage of worthy candidates, beginning with Nikita Kucherov, who could very well end up with both the Art Ross and Maurice Richards trophies. Right now, he's the clear-cut favorite.

And even with usual suspects Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid lagging in the scoring race, there's fresh faces like Johnny Gaudreau, Phil Kessel, and Blake Wheeler to contend with, among others.

But if MacKinnon remains near the top of the scoring leader board and the Avs can go from worst team in over a decade to the postseason, then he'll be as worthy as anyone in being judged as most valuable to his team.

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Carolina Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho is sidelined indefinitely with a concussion and a lower-body injury following a hit by Calgary Flames blue-liner Mark Giordano, Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer reports.

The play occurred Sunday when Aho was driving toward the Flames' cage before he was bumped by the Flames captain. Aho left the game favoring his leg while Giordano was assessed a match penalty.

Aho's injury is a key loss for Carolina, as he leads the team with 37 points in 45 games, and with the Hurricanes in the midst of the playoff race.

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The Colorado Avalanche are flying high.

A 3-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Monday pushed the Avalanche's win streak to seven games, as Colorado continues to show that last season was simply an aberration.

The Avalanche are the NHL's hottest team, alongside the Calgary Flames, who have also won their past seven matchups.

It's the longest win streak since the Avalanche pieced together eight straight victories during the 2005-06 campaign.

The latest triumph gives Colorado 51 points on the season, three more than the team finished with last term.

The Avalanche return to the ice Thursday against the San Jose Sharks, when they will look to keep their streak rolling with an eighth consecutive win.

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The Vegas Golden Knights signed defenseman Deryk Engelland to a one-year contract extension worth $1.5 million.

Engelland is currently making $1 million and was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

The 35-year-old has recorded 13 points (three goals, 13 assists), 16 penalty minutes, and 83 blocked shots in 41 games this season for the Golden Knights. Engelland is averaging 19:38 of ice time per game, fourth among Vegas defenders.

The Golden Knights still have four defensemen in need of new deals at season's end: Luca Sbisa and Clayton Stoner will both be unrestricted free agents, while Jon Merrill and Colin Miller will fall into the restricted category.

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Mark Giordano is apparently off the hook.

The Calgary Flames captain will not be suspended or fined for his hit on Carolina Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho on Sunday, according to Postmedia's Wes Gilbertson.

Giordano was given a match penalty early in the third period for this:

Aho exited and didn't return to the game.

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Just a smidge past the season's midway point, now isn't the time for NHL teams teetering on the brink of playoff contention to admit defeat, but based on recent results, the New York Rangers may want to start thinking about it.

After falling 5-2 Sunday to the Pittsburgh Penguins - one day after surrendering seven goals to the New York Islanders - the Rangers have lost three straight, and have gone 10 consecutive contests without a regulation win.

The Rangers are clinging to the East's final playoff spot with 49 points, one clear of the Flyers, Islanders, and Hurricanes as the Metropolitan Division remains utterly ridiculous. While they're in the thick of the dogfight for a wild-card spot, the Rangers find themselves stuck in an intriguing juxtaposition as the trade deadline inches nearer: should they see things through and try to squeak into the dance, or begin a firesale?

For general manager Jeff Gorton and the rest of New York's front office, it's the latter that may be the better fit for the organization.

Entering the 2017-18 season, the Rangers made a few changes, most notably the Derek Stepan trade, which brought back a decent return but kept the team on the fringe of playoff contention. With several expendable assets available to be shipped out before the deadline, Gorton would be wise to start making calls on all his potential trade chips with an eye to the future.

Who should be moved?

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

Of the Rangers' many expiring contracts, the most appealing is Rick Nash's. While the 33-year-old is a shell of his former self in terms of goal-scoring dominance, Nash still generates a ton of shots and scoring chances, and could be a valuable addition to several teams in the market for wing depth. Salary hurdles and his no-trade clause would need to be overcome, but Nash could feasibly fetch a strong return, and anything is better than risking him walking away for nothing in free agency.

In addition, the following players are unrestricted free agents July 1:

Grabner would add speed to any lineup, and his team-leading 19 goals could drive up his price. Desharnais is bottom-six center at best, but there's numerous teams seeking improvement in that area, and he proved to be reasonably effective as a deadline acquisition for the Oilers last season.

Holden isn't the flashiest name, but has been serviceable in a porous defensive scheme despite starting in his own end for 63.9 percent of his shifts. If he can fetch a draft pick, send him packing.

The big picture

Surrendering hope at competing for a Cup obviously wasn't in Gorton's plans for 2017-18, but an inconsistent season has warranted him little choice. The Rangers were dreadful in October, then were propped up by Henrik Lundqvist's timeless brilliance before falling back to earth of late.

The recent slew of injuries, most notably to Chris Kreider and Ryan McDonagh, have had a profound effect on New York's struggles, but it could be a blessing in disguise if it leads to opportunities to acquire picks and prospects to build around promising 2017 first-rounders Filip Chytil and Lias "silver-medal-chucking" Andersson.

Besides, with only $2 million in projected cap space available this season, a trade to push this outfit over the top is much more difficult than simply accepting what's in front of the Rangers, and ultimately gearing up properly for the future.

As such, it's clear the Rangers should be one of the more active teams ahead of the trade deadline.

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Montreal Canadiens forward Phillip Danault is day to day with concussion symptoms, the team announced Monday.

Danault was stretchered off the ice and taken to hospital after taking a Zdeno Chara slap shot to the side of the head in Saturday's game versus the Boston Bruins.

He was released from the hospital Sunday.

In 43 games this season, Danault's produced seven goals and 16 assists.

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Jason Spezza is a surprise omission from the Dallas Stars' lineup Monday.

He is a healthy scratch for the Stars' matinee game against the Boston Bruins.

The Stars didn't go into detail as far as the reasoning behind the move, simply calling it a "coach's decision."

Spezza centered Dallas' fourth line at practice Sunday. The veteran forward has one point in his last seven games, and his ice time has dwindled recently.

He's carrying a $7.5-million cap this season and next, according to CapFriendly.

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The San Jose Sharks put veteran defenseman Paul Martin on waivers Monday, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

General manager Doug Wilson said Sunday the club has been working with Martin and his agent, Ben Hankinson, to "explore options" on a potential trade.

The 36-year-old has played only three games this season due to an ankle injury and hasn't appeared in a game since Dec. 7.

Martin is on the books this season and next at a cap hit of $4.85 million per campaign, according to CapFriendly.

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Two key pieces to the Calgary Flames' seven-game winning streak have been recognized for their recent outstanding play, as Johnny Gaudreau and goaltender Mike Smith were named the NHL's first and second stars of the week, respectively.

Gaudreau notched two goals and six assists in four games, pushing his season total to 54 points, which is tied for second in the league.

Smith, meanwhile, won all three of his starts, posting a .963 save percentage in the process.

The third star went to Pittsburgh Penguins winger Phil Kessel after he registered five points in two games, including the game-winning goal in each contest. The 30-year-old also recorded his 700th point in Sunday's win over the New York Rangers.

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