Hart Trophy a two-horse race between Kane and Crosby

— -- Official ballots for the Hart Trophy are due next week. So, as the regular season winds down, there's no better time to look at the top candidates for the season's MVP award:

Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks: Not only will he be the only player to eclipse the 100-point barrier this season, but he did so by playing mostly with a second-line center and rookie winger. Kane made those around him better and did it consistently from the opening game of the season right to the end. It was simply a majestic season from No. 88.

Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins: Remember, back in October, when people wondered what was wrong with him? No. 87 recovered from a slow opening month to carry the Penguins on his shoulders en route to a remarkable season for both him and his team. He did so even as  Evgeni Malkin twice missed time because of injury. The definition of MVP -- "the player judged most valuable to his team" -- is exactly what Crosby has been to the Penguins since mid-November.

Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars: The Stars' engine has been a force all season and has helped lead last year's non-playoff team into a race for first place in the NHL's toughest division. The forward does it all for the Stars, and while some voters will hold teammate Tyler Seguin's impressive season (before he was injured) against Benn, there's no arguing that he is a true MVP candidate.

Ben Bishop, Tampa Bay Lightning: Where would the Bolts be without their goalie this season? They're among the top five teams in goals against, and through all the injuries and inconsistent offensive play (including a lackluster power play), Bishop has been there to backstop Tampa Bay to a playoff berth. Carey Price set the bar high last season, in terms of what it takes to win a Hart Trophy as a goalie, but Bishop certainly fits the criteria for MVP of his team.

Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks: Ho-hum, just another year at the office for one of the league's most consistent two-way centers. The 36-year-old Thornton put up his best offensive numbers in half a decade without much fanfare. It probably hurts his Hart case that teammate  Joe Pavelski has also had another standout season, not to mention the fantastic play down the stretch by  Brent Burns, but it shouldn't take away from a monster season from Thornton.

Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington Capitals: The 23-year-old, who has had arguably the most consistent offensive performance on the NHL's No. 1 team, more than doubled his output from last season while establishing himself as one of the league's top centers. His MVP case is no doubt watered down, unfortunately, by sharing the spotlight with other great individual seasons put up by guys on his own team, notably by goalie Braden Holtby and top NHL goal scorer Alex Ovechkin.

Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals: Speak of the devil ... the NHL leader in wins saw some of his numbers fade a bit in the second half, although he's having a strong finish. But 47 wins are 47 wins -- and simply outstanding. Holtby is one of the main reasons the Caps had such a remarkable regular season and deserves to be part of the MVP chatter.

Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals: Once again, he led the league in goals this season -- and during an era in which scoring goals has become mighty hard again.

Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings: No defenseman has won the Hart Trophy since Chris Pronger in 2000, and before that no blueliner had won since Bobby Orr in 1972. The irony is that when you ask GMs which players are most important, a stud No. 1 blueliner is normally the first thing they mention. Whatever the case, Doughty has been all-world for the Kings this season, a beast defensively in his own end and a major reason for his team's remarkable turnaround in 2015-16.

Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators: A point-a-game defenseman? Who is top-five in the NHL in overall scoring? To suggest Karlsson is the MVP of the Senators seems like an understatement to say the least. The super Swede had yet another incredible offensive season. What will hurt his MVP chances, of course, is that this team was nowhere close to a playoff spot.

Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers: Yes, the 20-year-old is a longshot candidate -- and perhaps not even the MVP on his own team, when you consider what 44-year-old Jaromir Jagr has done this season. But Barkov's two-way play drives this squad, and he's a young Jonathan Toews in the making. Had he not missed time because of injury, his case might be even stronger.

The skinny: To me, it's a two-horse race between Kane and Crosby. And the deciding factor is that Kane eclipsed the field offensively -- from day one through the final week. Because of that, he deserves this year's Hart Trophy.