In the most unsurprising news of the day, the league announced its three finalists for the Hart Trophy. They are Art Ross winner Nikita Kucherov, Nathan MacKinnon, and Connor McDavid.

Predictably, the national media selected the top three scorers for league MVP. That left Artemi Panarin out of the mix. He got snubbed. Shocking.

Anyone who followed the biased coverage of the award knew Panarin wouldn’t be included. Every time there was a roundtable discussion, he was glossed over. It was as if playing for the team with the best record meant nothing. Auston Matthews was mentioned over him.

When it comes down to it, there seems to be a bias against New York. In 2005-06, Joe Thornton won the Hart over Jaromir Jagr. As great as Thornton was after the trade to the Sharks, Jagr carried the Blueshirts back to the postseason for the first time since 1996-97. He set franchise records for most goals (54), points (123), and power-play goals (24) in a single season.

It didn’t matter. He finished runner-up to Thornton for the Hart. The Rangers were predicted to finish near the bottom of the standings. Jagr backed up his guarantee that they’d make the playoffs with a memorable season. He was the most valuable player.

Eighteen years later, Panarin had a special season for the Blueshirts. He set new career highs in goals (49), points (120), and power-play goals (11) to lead the team to the President’s Trophy. His season is the second best by a Ranger in franchise history.

Nothing against the three candidates. Kucherov led the league with 144 points for the Lightning, recording 100 assists. MacKinnon put together his best season by posting career bests in goals (51), assists (89), and points (140) for the Avalanche. McDavid was third in scoring with 132 points, also hitting 100 assists for the Oilers.

If you look at their teams, they all have stronger supporting casts. Kucherov plays with Brayden Point, Steven Stamkos, and Victor Hedman. MacKinnon has Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar. Two of the game’s best players. McDavid has Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard. It explains why they’re so explosive.

Panarin has Adam Fox. Fox missed 10 games but still wound up over a  point-per-game. He played with Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere. Both had their best seasons. While they deserve credit for elevating their games, Panarin’s the biggest reason why they’re considered one of the league’s best lines.

He certainly carried the offense and was more committed defensively. If you’re going to define the most valuable player, then Panarin certainly was that for the Rangers. His importance is why they surprised many by finishing first overall to earn home ice for the playoffs.

Unfortunately, the statistics of Kucherov, MacKinnon, and McDavid were hard to ignore for voters. In a league where the Canadian market has influence, Panarin never stood a chance. There was no way they’d choose him over McDavid, who walks on water.

In truth, McDavid is probably the most physically gifted offensive player who’s ever played the sport. He would’ve put up crazy numbers in the 80s and 90s. The speed with which he can do things is catastrophic. It defies logic. I’m pretty sure Gretzky would agree.

The thing is that they could give him the Hart every year. That’s not how it works. Panarin was more valuable to the Rangers. No disrespect.

Between Panarin not being up for the Hart and the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson getting passed over for the MVP in the NBA, you’d swear it’s a conspiracy. All kidding aside, both New York superstars certainly deserved better.

For the Rangers, they’ll try to follow up another brilliant Brunson performance later tonight in Game 2 against the Hurricanes. Expect it to be tougher.