Draisaitl, McDavid of Oilers, Barkov, Bobrovsky of Panthers among selections
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The Stanley Cup Playoffs are at the quarter pole and the field for the potential winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player of the postseason has come into further focus with two teams remaining in contention for the Stanley Cup.
The Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers will start the best-of-7 Final with Game 1 at Rogers Place on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; TNT, truTV, MAX, CBC, TVAS, SN). It’s a rematch of last season’s Final, which the Florida Panthers won in seven games.
Oilers captain Connor McDavid won the Conn Smythe last season with a league-best 42 points (eight goals, 34 assists) in 25 games. It was 10 points more than any other player in the postseason and he was the sixth player from a losing team to be named MVP of the playoffs and first since goalie Jean-Sebastian Giguere for the Anaheim Ducks in 2003.
McDavid is leading the playoffs in scoring again this postseason with 26 points (six goals, 20 assists) in 16 games, one point more than teammate Leon Draisaitl (seven goals, 18 assists).
McDavid might be the favorite to win the Conn Smythe two straight seasons, becoming the fourth player in history to do so, joining goalie Bernie Parent of the Philadelphia Flyers (1974-75) and Pittsburgh Penguins forwards Mario Lemieux (1991-92) and Sidney Crosby (2016-17).
But there are other players in contentions as well. We asked eight NHL.com writers for their take on the Conn Smythe favorites heading into the Cup Final.
Here, in alphabetical order, are their choices.
The Florida captain doesn’t put up video game scoring totals. He’s never been gaudy, but has always been dependable. He has 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 17 games this postseason, but he’s always been there when the Panthers need him most and that is at either end of the ice. Look at Game 5 against the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final. The Hurricanes were making a push, playing at home and scoring the first two goals in the hopes of forcing a Game 6, but then the Panthers started to fight back and Barkov’s fingerprints were all over it. His assist on the goal by Carter Verhaeghe that proved to be the game-winner in a 5-3 victory is an illustration of what he means to the Panthers. He controlled the puck down low, protected it, made a perfect pass and let Verhaeghe have the glory. That is who Barkov is and has been since he got to Florida. It’s time the hockey world embraces it. — Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial
CAR@FLA, Gm3: Barkov’s 2nd goal of the game puts the Panthers up by 4 in the 3rd
Steadiness, reliability, dependability; they’re the attributes you look for in a goaltender and Bobrovsky has demonstrated all of those and more for the Panthers so far this postseason. Bobrovsky is 12-5 with a 2.11 goals-against average, .912 save percentage and three shutouts in 17 playoff starts and he’s one more Florida player who, despite going to the Stanley Cup Final for the third consecutive season, isn’t showing signs of fatigue. The 36-year-old still takes on a sizeable workload during the regular season (50 or more games in each of the past four seasons). He just makes it work, and he’s my vote for the Conn Smythe this year. — Tracey Myers staff writer
Maybe I’m just being contrarian. Could be. But despite Connor McDavid getting most of the oxygen in Edmonton, I think we’re leaving a big piece out of the conversation. Draisaitl had a better regular season than McDavid and, once it’s all said and done, I think he will overtake him for the Conn Smythe as the Oilers take the Cup. Draisaitl trails McDavid by a single point in the playoffs this season, at 25 to McDavid’s 26, while having one more goal, at seven to McDavid’s six. And that’s where I think he’ll end up with the edge. While I know that McDavid is the captain and the Canadian and the favorite, I foresee Draisaitl coming from behind with some crucial goals to overtake McDavid for the trophy as the two combine to lead their team to the Cup. — Amalie Benjamin, senior writer
There’s a lot of reasons why McDavid is the best player in the world. But one of the reasons I think the Oilers have made it this far again and will win this time is their commitment to team defense, which has greatly improved in the past two seasons. As skilled as McDavid is offensively, he has repeatedly pointed out Edmonton’s ability to defend during this run to its second consecutive Cup Final. And he’s been part of that, not only 5-on-5, where he leads the League’s forwards with a plus-113 shot differential, but also by becoming a regular part of the Oilers penalty kill this season after rarely playing shorthanded last season. By becoming a player who plays in all situations, he’s helped the Oilers become a complete team that will win their first championship since 1990. — Tom Gulitti, senior writer
What McDavid does for the Oilers on the ice — his unmatched talent, penchant for scoring big goals at the biggest times and (even though he doesn’t like to be asked about it) his commitment to the defensive end — has been discussed ad nauseum, so I don’t need to go there. But it’s what he does off the ice as well. In “FACEOFF: Inside the NHL” last season, the whole world saw how distraught he was after Game 7 of the Cup Final last year. For some athletes, that would be a defeat they never get over. But that defeat last year has clearly fueled McDavid, and in turn, the entire Oilers team, to get back this year and win it. He is the best player in the NHL, arguably the best captain in the NHL, and it’s why, he will win the Conn Smythe again this year along with the Stanley Cup. — Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief
EDM@DAL, Gm5: McDavid extends Oilers’ lead in 2nd period
The best player has been the best player and he will be awarded with the trophy that goes to the best player. This is pretty simple. No. 97 is the engine that drives the Oilers and they’re motoring to their first Stanley Cup championship in the McDavid era. He is the most feared and most dangerous player every single time he goes over the boards. That’s why he’s the MVP. No other player impacts the game the way McDavid impacts the game. He will have a huge Stanley Cup Final and be involved in enough big moments to push the Oilers to their first championship since 1990. Like his team, McDavid learned last year what it takes. This year, he will take it, and in the process, he will happily accept the Conn Smythe Trophy on the ice. — Dan Rosen, senior writer
The Oilers captain appears to be a mission this season, evident by his play and demeanor so far in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. McDavid has been all business and can cement his legacy as one of the best players in NHL history by leading the Oilers to a Stanley Cup victory. It will take a tremendous effort by the Panthers to deny him. McDavid is capable of taking over a game at any point and he has demonstrated that ability throughout the playoffs this season. He has been able to wrestle momentum back for the Oilers on numerous occasions this postseason and is an offensive threat every time he’s out on the ice. Great players rise in big moments and McDavid has consistently risen to the occasion for Edmonton and I expect him to do the same going into the Final healthy, refreshed and with a strong supporting cast. — Derek Van Diest, staff writer
No one in hockey can crush the will of an opponent with the lethal flair of “the world’s best player,” as teammate Corey Perry calls him. Sure, the Oilers captain is leading the playoffs in points, but it’s far more than that. It’s the timing of his difference-making moments that have made McDavid’s postseason so impressive. Exhibit A: his spectacular breakaway goal in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars that proved to be the series winner in their 6-3 victory Thursday. The building had just been going bonkers after the Stars scored twice to narrow the Oilers lead to 3-2. Then McDavid muzzled the joint with his heroics. It’s what he does. — Mike Zeisberger, staff writer
FLA vs. EDM
FLA vs. CAR | EDM vs. DAL
FLA vs. TOR | CAR vs. WSH | DAL vs. WPG | EDM vs. VGK
OTT vs. TOR | FLA vs. TBL | MTL vs. WSH | NJD vs. CAR
STL vs. WPG | COL vs. DAL | MIN vs. VGK | EDM vs. LAK
