Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov led the final Hart Trophy voting as of April 12, 2026, receiving roughly 50% of first-place votes from the Professional Hockey Writers Association. The finalists for the award, given to the NHL's most valuable player, were Kucherov, Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers, and Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche.

Kucherov had 128 points in 74 games as of April 12, 2026, leading the NHL with a 1.73 points-per-game average. He held a 41-point margin over Tampa Bay's next-highest scorer, Jake Guentzel, despite playing six fewer games. Kucherov won the Hart Trophy in 2019 and was a finalist during the 2024–25 season.

McDavid received around 35% of the first-place votes. He had 133 points in 80 games as of April 12, 2026, and was seeking his fourth Hart Trophy, having last won it in 2023. After Edmonton teammate Leon Draisaitl's regular season ended with a lower-body injury on March 15, 2026, McDavid recorded 10 goals and nine assists in the following 12 games. McDavid held a 36-point and 12-goal lead over Draisaitl as of April 12, 2026, and was also seeking his sixth NHL scoring title.

MacKinnon received the third-most first-place votes. He had 126 points in 78 games and led the NHL with 52 goals as of April 12, 2026, one more than Cole Caufield of the Montreal Canadiens. MacKinnon was seeking his second Hart Trophy after winning the award in 2024. Colorado finished the 2025–26 regular season with the NHL's best record, clinching the Presidents' Trophy.

The only other player to receive a first-place vote was 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks, who drew two first-place votes. Celebrini recorded at least 100 points during the 2025–26 season, becoming the first teenager to reach that mark since Sidney Crosby. Cale Makar, Zach Werenski, and David Pastrnak did not receive any first-place votes in the final poll. The Professional Hockey Writers Association votes for the Hart, Norris, Calder, Selke, and Lady Byng Trophy finalists, while broadcasters vote for the Jack Adams Award and general managers vote for the Vezina Trophy.