The NHL’s Stanley Cup final starts Wednesday, and players on the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers are making a strong case for winning the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Whether it’s piling up the points like nobody else, coming in with timely contributions, playing well at both ends of the ice or combining skill with grit, the front-runners for the NHL’s playoff MVP award should give us some entertaining hockey in the final.
Here’s more on the Conn Smythe Trophy contenders for each team.
Florida Panthers’ Conn Smythe Contenders
The Panthers didn’t need a Conn Smythe winner to win the first Cup in franchise history last season, as Oilers superstar Connor McDavid took home the trophy despite losing the final.
If Florida comes through once again, there are three clear candidates from the Panthers to win the award.
The Panthers’ best all-around player is captain Aleksander Barkov, who was just named the winner of the Frank J. Selke Award as the NHL’s best defensive forward for the second straight season.
Barkov has six goals and 17 points in 17 games, but his play at both ends of the ice sets him apart from most NHLers. Last year, Barkov posted eight goals and 22 points in 24 playoff games, so he’s essentially on the same point-per-game pace. He deserves all the laurels that come his way.
Another candidate is goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who has a .912 save percentage, 2.11 goals-against average and three shutouts in 17 games. Bobrovsky hasn’t been perfect, but he’s made big saves when needed, including outplaying Frederik Andersen in the Eastern Conference final, and that counts for something.
However, our pick for the Panthers’ Conn Smythe front-runner is center Sam Bennett. He has 10 goals, including one game-winner, and 16 points in 16 games. That’s already better than the seven goals and 14 points Bennett had for Florida in 19 playoff games last season. Bennett also has four more playoff goals than the next-highest-scoring Panther.
Bennett’s done it all for Florida, especially his hard-nosed play, which makes him so effective. It’s why he will be one of the most coveted free agents this summer. Bennett has already done enough to be the Conn Smythe winner this year, and an individual honor on top of his second Cup win would be icing on the cake for the 28-year-old.
Edmonton Oilers’ Conn Smythe Contenders
The Oilers have thrived because they’ve gotten terrific contributions from up and down the lineup, including from defenseman Evan Bouchard, the injured Zach Hyman, center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and greybeard left winger Corey Perry. That said, we like three other Oilers as the Conn Smythe winner this year.
Believe it or not, that includes goaltender Stuart Skinner.
Yes, Skinner has been in the lineup only for 10 playoff games this season and was not good against the Los Angeles Kings. But he came up strong in Edmonton’s Western final win over the Dallas Stars, and another strong performance against the Panthers would improve his .904 SP and 2.53 GAA.
He probably won’t win the Conn Smythe, but Skinner does deserve credit for his turnaround this post-season.
That said, it should be obvious that Edmonton’s most valuable players in this post-season are superstar centers McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
McDavid – who posted an incredible 34 assists and 42 points in 25 games last post-season – is currently the Oilers’ top scorer, with 20 assists and 26 points in 16 games.
McDavid is also far and away the most involved Oilers forward, averaging 23:16 of ice time – nearly a minute-and-a-half more than Draisaitl. The Stars, Kings and Vegas Golden Knights had no answer for McDavid, and he’s intent on imposing his will on the Panthers.
McDavid and Draisaitl are tied for the team lead in game-winning goals, with two apiece. But McDavid looks determined to ensure the Oilers come out of this year’s Cup final in the winner’s circle.
At 28 years old, he’s in the prime of a Hockey Hall of Fame career, and he’s essentially putting his team on his shoulders and showing a tenaciousness and hunger that Edmonton needs to be able to knock off the Panthers.
Draisaitl is an all-world player in his own right, but McDavid is our choice for this year’s Conn Smythe – and that goes whether or not the Oilers win the Cup.
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