Los Angeles Kings head coach Todd McLellan took an unsurprising stance when asked about a reportedly proposed draft lottery tournament if the 2019-20 season is officially canceled.
Last week, one team executive suggested the league could hold a tournament in which lottery teams would compete for the top selection if the season is lost, according to The Athletic's Craig Custance.
But McLellan's Kings are near the bottom of the standings (28th), so it's easy to see why the bench boss has an issue with the idea.
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player deemed to be most valuable during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. A total of 47 different men have earned the award since its introduction in 1965, while netminder Patrick Roy has received the honor a record three times and became the youngest winner ever in 1986.
With the 2019-20 NHL season currently suspended, we're ranking every Conn Smythe performance from the last decade and including a signature moment for each recipient.
10. Sidney Crosby, Penguins (2015-16)
GP
G
A
P
ATOI
xGF% (5-on-5)
24
6
13
19
20:26
58.74
You could argue that Phil Kessel should have claimed the Conn Smythe in the Penguins' first of back-to-back Cup runs. But while he tallied more goals and points than Crosby did, the captain's leadership and ability to perform in the clutch proved vital throughout the playoffs
Thanks to Crosby's heroics, the Penguins narrowly escaped a grueling seven-game Eastern Conference Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning. All three of No. 87's game-winning goals that postseason came in this series, highlighted by a beautiful solo effort on the road in a must-win Game 6.
9. Patrick Kane, Blackhawks (2012-13)
GP
G
A
P
ATOI
xGF% (5-on-5)
23
9
10
19
20:56
57.21
Kane's Conn Smythe Trophy season was ironically the least productive of his three Stanley Cup runs. But on a strange and unlikely path to the title - which saw grinder Bryan Bickell rank second on the Blackhawks in scoring - Chicago needed a hero, and Kane was up to the task.
The electric winger contributed five points in six games during the Stanley Cup Final against the Boston Bruins, including a pair of tallies in the crucial Game 5.
However, Kane's signature moment came one round earlier in Game 5 against the Los Angeles Kings. With two goals already in the contest and the Blackhawks one win away from advancing, "Show Time" delivered the heartbreaker in double overtime to complete the hat trick and seal the series.
8. Justin Williams, Kings (2013-14)
GP
G
A
P
ATOI
xGF% (5-on-5)
26
9
16
25
16:49
52.68
On a Kings team loaded with talent, Williams reigned supreme throughout the 2014 playoffs. He delivered at least five points in each round and played a significant role in helping the Kings erase a 3-0 series deficit against the San Jose Sharks with a pair of two-goal games.
"Mr. Game 7" also lived up to his moniker in the deciding contest of the Western Conference Final against the defending champion Blackhawks, scoring in the first period and dishing out the game-winning assist on Alec Martinez's overtime clincher.
Next, Williams' signature moment came when Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the New York Rangers went into extra time.
7. Ryan O'Reilly, Blues (2018-19)
GP
G
A
P
ATOI
xGF% (5-on-5)
26
8
15
23
21:00
49.5
O'Reilly capped his Selke Trophy-winning regular season with a Conn Smythe and the Stanley Cup to complete one of the greatest individual campaigns in St. Louis Blues history.
The 6-foot-1 pivot was an absolute menace throughout the postseason, sharing the league lead in points and pacing all Blues forwards in average ice time.
O'Reilly's final act was one for the books, as the Ontario native scored goals in four consecutive Stanley Cup Final contests - a feat that hadn't been accomplished since Wayne Gretzky in 1985. He netted five goals during that stretch, with the final tally breaking the deadlock in Game 7.
6. Sidney Crosby, Penguins (2016-17)
GP
G
A
P
ATOI
xGF% (5-on-5)
24
8
19
27
19:24
50.38
"Sid the Kid" was sensational in the Penguins' second straight Stanley Cup run, leading all players in assists while ranking second in points and first among Pittsburgh forwards in average ice time.
Crosby caused headaches for every opponent, tallying at least six points in each series, including seven in five games against the rival Washington Capitals during Round 2 (he played just 2:11 in Game 3 before exiting with an injury).
It also didn't take long for Crosby to make an impact in the matchup with the Capitals. In a scoreless Game 1, he buried a pair of goals just 52 seconds apart to spark Pittsburgh's third consecutive series win over Washington in the Crosby-Ovechkin era.
5. Alex Ovechkin, Capitals (2017-18)
GP
G
A
P
ATOI
xGF% (5-on-5)
24
15
12
27
20:44
55.76
After a decade of heartbreak, Ovechkin wouldn't let the Capitals be denied in the 2018 postseason. The "Great 8" notched a playoff-leading 15 goals during his journey to hockey's summit - the highest total by a Conn Smythe recipient since Joe Sakic buried 18 in 1996.
Ovechkin, who recorded a point in every game of the final round against the Vegas Golden Knights, became the second Russian-born player to be named playoff MVP.
And though he found the net in the title-clinching contest against Vegas, Ovechkin's most important tally came in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final. The Capitals captain fired home his patented one-timer just 1:02 into the game, setting the stage for a 4-0 win over the top-seeded Lightning.
4. Duncan Keith, Blackhawks (2014-15)
GP
G
A
P
ATOI
xGF% (5-on-5)
23
3
18
21
31:07
52.91
Keith redefined what it means to leave it all on the ice during his legendary Conn Smythe run. The tireless blue-liner became one of four players in the last 20 years to log at least 700 postseason minutes, playing more than 40 on three occasions. His most impressive outing came in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final, where he logged 49:51 in a triple-overtime victory over the Anaheim Ducks.
The two-time Norris Trophy winner also played a pivotal role offensively. Keith's 21 points tied Chris Chelios for the most by a Blackhawks defenseman in a single playoff run. Plus, all three of his goals were game-winners, with the final tally serving as the Stanley Cup clincher in Game 6 against the Lightning.
3. Tim Thomas, Bruins (2010-11)
Record
GAA
SV%
SO
16-9
1.98
.940
4
Thomas stifled his opponents for two straight months to become the 15th goaltender in NHL history to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. He remains the oldest player to earn the honor, doing so at 37 years old.
The puck-stopper was incredibly clutch, collecting shutouts in Game 7 of both the Eastern Conference Final and the Stanley Cup Final. In the championship round against the Presidents' Trophy-winning Vancouver Canucks, Thomas allowed only eight goals in seven games.
His most memorable moment wasn't stopping the puck, however. Known for an unorthodox playing style and a short temper, Thomas cemented his place in the hearts of Bruins fans by flattening Canucks captain Henrik Sedin during Game 3 of the Cup Final.
2. Jonathan Toews, Blackhawks (2009-10)
GP
G
A
P
ATOI
xGF% (5-on-5)
22
7
22
29
20:58
55.35
At just 22 years and 41 days, Toews became the second-youngest player - and the youngest skater - in history to capture the Conn Smythe Trophy en route to his first of three Stanley Cups.
Toews' 29 playoff points tied a franchise best for a single postseason and ranked second among all players that year. The Blackhawks captain rode an incredible 13-game point streak into the Stanley Cup Final, where he added three more assists against the Philadelphia Flyers.
His defining moment came two rounds earlier. Toews torched the Canucks with a hat trick and five points on the road in Game 4 to give Chicago a 3-1 series lead. The Blackhawks eventually won that matchup in six games.
1. Jonathan Quick, Kings (2011-12)
Record
GAA
SV%
SO
16-4
1.41
.946
3
Quick's 2012 Conn Smythe run is simply unmatched. The 6-foot-1 netminder set modern-day playoff records with his sparkling 1.41 goals-against average and .946 save percentage, leading the eighth-seeded Kings on their Cinderella Stanley Cup run.
To break down his historic journey, consider the following: Quick allowed one or zero goals in half of his 20 postseason starts and never gave up more than three, conceding that number just twice. In the opening round against the league-best Canucks, Quick surrendered eight tallies through five games and recorded 40-plus saves in multiple appearances to help L.A. pull off the upset.
Relive Quick's monumental run through some of his highlights and the reactions of his teammates and coaches:
St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong doesn't think the NHL's hiatus will impact his club's ability to defend its Stanley Cup title should the 2019-20 season resume.
"With the knowledge of what we did last year, and that we have a mature team, we're not worried about whether they're preparing or what they're doing off the ice, eating correctly and doing whatever workouts they need to be doing; I know they are because they've shown that year in and year out," Armstrong told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.
"We feel excited that if we get the opportunity again that we'll be in a very good spot to put our very best foot forward."
The Blues continued their elite play this season and occupy the top seed in the Western Conference with the campaign on pause. The core group that brought the franchise its first Stanley Cup remains intact and star winger Vladimir Tarasenko, who missed most of this season following shoulder surgery in October, should also be back in the fold.
"You need to plan that you're going to play again," Armstrong said. "And we are planning that we're going to play again. We're very fortunate that we have a mature group, and the majority of our team is coming back that was here last year at this time. They did a really good job of putting themselves in a good spot throughout the regular season."
St. Louis pulled off one of the most incredible runs in NHL history in 2018-19. After sitting last in the league on Jan. 1, the Blues went on a 30-10-5 run that propelled them into the postseason and eventually to the Stanley Cup.
The NHL is temporarily cutting the salaries of league office employees by 25% due to the coronavirus pandemic that's put the 2019-20 season on pause, according to ESPN's Emily Kaplan.
The league is hoping the move will allow it to avoid layoffs, Kaplan's sources said.
The Montreal Canadiens, meanwhile, are proceeding with temporary layoffs. Groupe CH, which owns the Canadiens, announced Tuesday that it will temporarily lay off 60% of the organization's employees effective March 30. Ownership also created a $6-million fund to "enhance" affected workers' employment insurance benefits for eight weeks.
The NHL officially suspended play March 12 due to the growing threat of the COVID-19 virus.
The Minnesota Wild inked forward Mitchell Chaffee to a two-year, entry-level deal, the team announced Tuesday.
Chaffee, 22, tallied 16 goals and 29 points through 30 games for the University of Massachusetts in 2019-20. The 6-foot winger amassed 47 goals and 95 points in 108 outings over three seasons with the program. He was named to the Hockey East All-Academic Team in both 2017 and 2019.
The NCAA season was officially canceled on March 12 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Minnesota signed forward prospects Adam Beckman and Damien Giroux each to three-year, entry-level pacts on Monday.
The 2019-20 Canadian Hockey League playoffs and the Memorial Cup have been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the CHL announced Monday.
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, the Western Hockey League, and the Ontario Hockey League play under the CHL umbrella. The winner of each league's playoffs and the team from the host city then compete in a four-way tournament for the Memorial Cup. This year's event was scheduled to be held from May 22-31 in Kelowna, British Columbia.
The QMJHL season was canceled on March 17. The OHL and WHL both followed suit the next day.
The Memorial Cup's cancelation means there won't be a major junior champion for the first time in 102 years, per TSN's Bob McKenzie.
The Minnesota Wild inked forward prospects Adam Beckman and Damien Giroux to three-year, entry-level deals, the team announced Monday.
Minnesota selected Beckman in the third round of the 2019 NHL Draft. The 18-year-old winger led the Western Hockey League in both goals (48) and points (107) in 63 games for the Spokane Chiefs to take home the Bob Clarke Trophy, awarded to the league's top scorer.
Giroux, 20, led the Ontario Hockey League's Saginaw Spirit with 44 goals through 61 games this season. The Wild drafted the 5-foot-10 center in the fifth round in 2018.
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League season was canceled March 17 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The OHL and WHL followed suit the next day. The three leagues, all under the Canadian Hockey League umbrella, hope to complete the playoffs once it's deemed safe to play.
The Edmonton Oilers have inked forward Raphael Lavoie to an entry-level contract, the team announced Saturday.
Edmonton selected Lavoie, 19, with the 38th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft.
Traded by the Halifax Mooseheads to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens in January, the 6-foot-4 center racked up 38 goals and 82 points through 55 games between the two QMJHL clubs this season. The QMJHL officially canceled its season on March 17 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Lavoie also represented Canada at the 2020 world juniors, contributing two assists through seven games to help his team capture a gold medal.
Colorado Avalanche prospect Alex Newhook will return to Boston College for his sophomore season in 2020-21, barring unforeseen circumstances.
"I think for me, the plan has not changed as of now," Newhook said, according to The Athletic's Ryan S. Clark. Newhook added: "The Avs are a really strong team and they have a lot of depth. I am in a good spot at BC, and to be in a good spot like this and have this position of not being rushed and not being forced out of a good spot makes my situation that much better."
Selected by Colorado with the 16th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft, the 5-foot-11 forward was enjoying a terrific freshman campaign before the NCAA canceled its season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Newhook shared the team lead for both goals (19) and points (42) through 34 games and was just seven points shy of compiling one of the top five all-time campaigns by a freshman, according to Clark. The 19-year-old was named the Hockey East Rookie of the Year.
Boston College ended the season with a 24-8-2 record and ranked No. 5 in the USCHO.com Division I rankings.