Even more acclaimed than the Hart Trophy, which usually accompanies a Stanley Cup, the Conn Smythe Trophy is the award every player dreams of winning.
While everyone wants it, only a select few achieve one of the greatest honours. Which favourites offer the best value, and who do I think will win the award?
Odds to Win the Conn Smythe Trophy
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Jordan Staal | -200 |
| Mitch Marner | +310 |
| Logan Stankoven | +650 |
| Taylor Hall | +700 |
Prediction: Who Will Win the Conn Smythe Trophy?
I predict Jordan Staal will win the Conn Smythe Trophy.
In a seismic turn of events, Staal has shot to the top of the hockey odds leaderboard at the BetMGM sportsbook to win playoff MVP.
If Carolina wins the Stanley Cup, which I predicted in my Hurricanes vs. Golden Knights preview, Staal will almost assuredly take the individual silverware.
Favourites and Best Bets for NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs MVP
In just over a week, Staal’s odds have improved from +50000 to -200, a remarkable turnaround for the Hurricanes’ captain.
That’s an implied win probability shift of 0.20% to 66.7%.
Staal scored in a fifth consecutive Stanley Cup Final game, helping propel Carolina to within one win of the Stanley Cup. The Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup odds also shortened markedly, which is unsurprising given that about 74% of teams that win Game 5 also secure the Cup.
Staal is the fifth player in Stanley Cup history to score in five straight final games and the first since Yvan Cournoyer in 1973. The other three to achieve the feat are: Jean Beliveau (1956 with the Canadiens), Maurice Richard (1951 with the Canadiens) and Cyclone Taylor (1918 with the Vancouver Millionaires).
He has seven goals in the previous seven games, helping him eclipse his previous best of six goals in the playoffs, which he achieved twice.
The 37-year-old also tied his previous best mark of scoring in five straight. The only other time he achieved it was in the 2007 regular season as an 18-year-old with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
He leapfrogged a few players, including long-time favourite Mitch Marner, thanks to his unprecedented rise.
Marner’s odds decreased to +310, implying a 24.39% chance. However, Marner will almost assuredly return to the top of the list if the Golden Knights can extend the series to a seventh and deciding game.
The 29-year-old failed to register a point in Game 5 for the first time in the final, making his quest to record the most points in a Stanley Cup Final almost impossible.
Logan Stankoven, Taylor Hall, and to a lesser extent, Nikolaj Ehlers remain in the race to take the plaudits.
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