Conn Smythe Trophy Best Bets
As we inch closer to the Stanley Cup Final, which starts on Saturday night, it’s time to start examining some of the individuals who could be up for the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
There are obvious choices on both sides, like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl for the Edmonton Oilers or Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk for the Florida Panthers, but there might be some sleeper picks as well. Is Sergei Bobrovsky a real possibility as well?
If I am narrowing down my Conn Smythe picks to three choices, it’s going to be the following three players, and I’ll explain why.
I know McDavid might be the most attractive pick, but there is a real argument to be made about Zach Hyman.
Jari Kurri and Reggie Leach are tied for the most goals in a single playoff run with 19, going into this year’s Stanley Cup Final, Hyman currently has 14 goals. If Hyman breaks that record, it will be tough not to give him this award. Whether the goals are pretty or not, they’re needed and they will be even that much more important against a team that defends as well as the Panthers.
Not only is Hyman putting the puck in the back of the net, but he’s also been producing at a point-per-game rate. He has 14 goals and 4 assists through 18 postseason games, and while McDavid has been excellent, he has only tallied five goals to this point.
I think there is excellent value in Hyman.
Zach Hyman to winn the Conn Smythe +7500
Let’s take a look now at some of the Panthers. To me, Florida has the edge in this series so the choices for them might be a little more straightforward. First, let’s take a look at Aleksander Barkov. Barkov is one of, if not the best two-way forwards in the entire NHL and has done a fantastic job through the playoffs at shutting down the opponent’s top players. It was Nikita Kucherov in the first round, David Pastrnak in the second round, and Mika Zibanejad in the Conference Final.
The job now gets a little harder for him as he will go up against McDavid, but if there’s one player that can handle the task, it’s Barkov. Let’s also keep in mind that Barkov has been producing at a point-per-game pace as well while defending some of the best players in the NHL. He has six goals and 11 assists in 17 games this postseason and only seven of those points have come on the power play. Barkov is the most important player on the Panthers, and if he can slow McDavid down while also producing offensively, it’s his award.
Aleksander Barkov to win the Conn Smythe +400
Lastly, everyone knows how talented the Oilers are offensively and especially on the power play. Sergei Bobrovsky has now beaten Andrei Vasilevskiy, Jeremy Swayman and Igor Shesterkin on his path to the Stanley Cup Final. Those are three of the best, if not the three best goalies in the NHL.
Bobrovsky’s save percentage might not be all that impressive right now as he is skating to a .908%, but it’s all about making timely saves. The Panthers and Rangers Eastern Conference Final had five one-goal games, you need your goalie to come up big in those moments. Bobrovsky will certainly be tested as the Oilers are averaging 3.50 goals per game and are at 37.3% on the power play. If McDavid, Draisaitl and Hyman can break through the Panthers’ defense and get to Bobrovsky, but he shuts the door, he can most definitely be the Conn Smythe winner.
Sergei Bobrovsky to win the Conn Smythe +450
