The Conn Smythe Trophy is a highly coveted award in the NHL and is given “to the most valuable player for his team in the playoffs.”
In these Stanley Cup playoffs, there are a few names that would rightly fit that description and have solidified themselves as Conn Smythe Trophy front-runners as we inch closer to the conference finals.
Funny enough, two of those players were longtime members of the Toronto Maple Leafs once upon a time. Yet, they could arguably be considered the best skater and goaltender of this post-season.
That, of course, is Vegas Golden Knights right winger Mitch Marner and Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen.
For the last week or so, Marner has been the talk of the playoffs, and for good reason.
He leads the playoff scoring race with 18 points, made up of seven goals and 11 assists, across 12 games.
During his nine-year career with the Maple Leafs, he was never the playoff performer that he is this year. Though he had four playoff campaigns in which he averaged at least a point per game, it was often in the final three games of a series where he lacked production.
However, it’s a whole new narrative for Marner. In the first round against the Utah Mammoth, the 29-year-old stepped up in a big way for Vegas. He recorded a point in every contest but Game 3, and eliminated the Mammoth in Game 6 with a two-goal, three-point performance.
Then, he entered the next series against the Anaheim Ducks with a statement. In Game 1, he put up a couple of points, followed by a hat trick and four-point outing in Game 3, and another three-point night in Game 4. In Game 6, he scored a highlight-reel goal and added an assist.
Thanks to his contribution, the Golden Knights got into the third round for the fifth time in franchise history.
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As for Andersen, he’s been just as impressive, if not even more so, with his play in the crease for the Hurricanes.
Andersen played five memorable seasons in Toronto, evolving into a star goaltender in some campaigns.
In the post-season as a member of the Maple Leafs, Andersen’s numbers are certainly respectable and were better than his regular-season contributions in some years.
Though he never saw the second round with Toronto, his best playoff campaign for the Leafs was actually in the qualifying round against the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he posted a 1.84 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage.
However, his statistics this year for Carolina don’t compare to anything he’s accomplished in his NHL career at 36 years old.
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The Hurricanes booked their place in the Eastern Conference final almost one week ago on Saturday after sweeping the Philadelphia Flyers. That’s in addition to sweeping the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the playoffs.
Therefore, Carolina has quite literally been perfect so far in this post-season, with Andersen backstopping the Canes every step of the way.
Along with his flawless 8-0 record in these playoffs, Andersen has also registered an astounding 1.12 GAA and a .950 SP. He also hasn’t allowed more than two goals in a game so far and has posted a pair of shutouts.
Before May 14 playoff action, BetMGM listed Andersen as the second favorite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy at 5.75 (+475) odds. Marner is available at 16.00 (+1500) on the seventh-best odds.
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