Nathan MacKinnon has the inside edge to win the Art Ross – and the Hart Trophy, too?

One of the best players in the game is continuing to impress and is on pace to take home some more hardware.

Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon is once again scoring at a torrid pace. Through 46 games, the 29-year-old has scored 17 goals and 55 assists for 72 points, leading the league in both assists and points. MacKinnon’s 72 points have him five ahead of the NHL’s goal-scoring leader, Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers.

At this pace, MacKinnon is on track to finish the season with 98 assists and 128 points.

For MacKinnon, a player who struggled to step out of the spotlight of Oilers captain Connor McDavid and fellow Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia native Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, it would further cement his legacy not only to win the Art Ross Trophy for the first time but also grab a second straight Hart Trophy as league MVP.

To put it in perspective the gravity of winning consecutive MVPs in the NHL – it hasn’t happened since Washington Capitals legend Alex Ovechkin won the Hart back-to-back in 2008 and 2009.

On Friday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk give the case on why MacKinnon might win both awards this season.

Tyler Yaremchuk: It kind of is MacKinnon versus the field [for the Art Ross].

Frank Seravalli: There’s not a lot of value, but I’d lead toward MacKinnon. The pace he’s been on this season here, I think the dominance that he’s had…I know he’s the favorite for the Art Ross, but in submitting my ballot for midseason awards at Daily Faceoff, I have Nathan MacKinnon at the top of my ballot for the Hart, too .I have Leon Draisaitl at number two. It is close. If I had to pick a second-place finisher for Art Ross, my money wouldn’t be on McDavid, it’d be on Draisaitl…

You can watch the full segment and entire episode here…