In a lot of ways, the Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award feel one in the same,* but that might be what makes differences in voting so interesting.
While the PHWA chose Sergei Bobrovsky alongside Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby as the Hart Trophy finalists, the NHLPA gave Brent Burns the nod over “Bob” while keeping McDavid and Crosby for the Ted Lindsay.
It’s likely that Burns was close to being one of the three finalists for both awards, but a relatively slow finish might have cost him. Really, you can’t go wrong with Burns or Bob, as both were magnificent in 2016-17.
#SJSharks Brent Burns not included among Hart Trophy finalists (Bobrovsky, Crosby, McDavid). Was looking like Burns had a shot mid-season.
— Curtis Pashelka (@CurtisPashelka) May 1, 2017
* - Yes, there are differences in wording (essentially “most valuable” for Hart vs. “most outstanding” for Ted Lindsay), but that’s a generally minor distinction.