There are a few candidates for MVP this season, and it really depends on what the voters value more, as things stand.

if you like sheer, raw numbers, and a player that is head-and-shoulders above the competition in primary stats, Banana N'Waffles is your pick with 39 goals and 80 points in 53 games so far. Already at an insane pace, N'Waffles has an outside shot at cracking 100 points before season's end, which would be incredible.

Where arguments for other players would emerge is when you consider the definition of MVP. Does it mean most valuable in the league, or the team? If we are considering the latter definition, I would argue that consideration should be given to the Vancouver Whaler's Aleksandr Iksandrov.

Iksandrov is 10th in the league in points, despite being on a somewhat lagging Whalers squad, where the leads the entire team in scoring by 17 points. The other top 10 point scorers have lofty assistance from other teammates, either in the top 10 in scoring as well or just outside. Iksandrov is clearly the shining light on a more anemic offense, and the Whalers would currently be far lower than 10th place without them. If Vancouver makes it into the playoffs with the current scoring trends continuing for the rest of the season, Iksandrov will hopefully get a fair look for his role in getting the Whalers to the postseason.