With only four teams remaining in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the contenders for the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the postseason’s MVP, have significantly narrowed down. A few top candidates have emerged as favorites on the oddsboard.
Connor McDavid from Edmonton is currently leading the odds at +350 as the postseason heads into the conference finals. McDavid clinched this award last year, marking him as only the second player since 2003 to earn it without securing a Stanley Cup victory.
Following closely behind McDavid in the odds are Mikko Rantanen (+400) from the Dallas Stars and Frederik Andersen (+550) from the Carolina Hurricanes as they advance into the conference finals.
Sergei Bobrovsky (+800) is the only other player with single-digit odds at BetMGM Sportsbook and is the only Florida Panther in the top six on the oddsboard.
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Conn Smythe odds
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Connor McDavid | +350 |
| Mikko Rantanen | +400 |
| Frederik Andersen | +550 |
| Sergei Bobrovsky | +800 |
| Leon Draisaitl | 11/1 |
| Jake Oettinger | 14/1 |
| Aleksander Barkov | 15/1 |
| Sam Reinhart | 20/1 |
| Matthew Tkachuk | 25/1 |
| Andrei Svechnikov | 25/1 |
| Sebastian Aho | 28/1 |
| Seth Jarvis | 35/1 |
| Brad Marchand | 35/1 |
| Sam Bennett | 60/1 |
| Jaccob Slavin | 66/1 |
| Carter Verhaeghe | 80/1 |
| Thomas Harley | 80/1 |
| Stuart Skinner | 80/1 |
At this point in the playoffs, you have a pretty good idea of who the contenders are for each of the teams left in the field. If the Oilers win the Stanley Cup, it is very likely that McDavid or Leon Draisaitl (11/1) will win the Conn Smythe.
Rantanen, the current scoring leader in the playoffs, feels like a pretty safe bet if the Stars win it all, though goaltender Jake Oettinger (14/1) could play his way into the conversation.
The Eastern Conference teams feel a little less firm.
Andersen has been superb in goal for the Hurricanes, but a couple of poor performances could see him get knocked down a few pegs and open the door for the likes of Andrei Svechnikov (25/1), Seth Jarvis (35/1) or Jaccob Slavin (66/1).
Things are even more wide open for the Florida Panthers. Bobrovsky has found his game, but the Cats have so many stars that a big series could vault them to the top of the board. Brad Marchand (35/1) and Eetu Luostarinen (250/1) lead the Panthers in scoring, but Aleksander Barkov (15/1) is the skater with the shortest odds for the Cats.
Betting on the NHL?
Conn Smythe best bet
There are two players in very different sections of the betting board that have my attention before Round 3.
Leon Draisaitl is one of the favorites to win the award and McDavid’s presence makes backing the German a little dicey, but I think he’s great value at 11/1.
Draisaitl leads the Oilers with five goals in the playoffs and is just one point behind McDavid for the team lead in scoring, so there’s no reason he should be triple the price of No. 97. One big game from Draisaitl early in Round 3 and these odds will flip.
The other bet I think has serious legs is Seth Jones of the Florida Panthers at 500/1.
Jones was an absolute monster for the Cats in the business end of Round 2, and earned a ton of praise from the media for his performance against the Maple Leafs.
Jones has six points in 12 games, which is the eighth-most among defensemen in the postseason, so he’ll likely need to amp up his production to make a run at this award, but he’s playing nearly 26 minutes a night for the Panthers, so he’ll have every chance of doing so for however long they’re in the mix.
The Plays: Leon Draisaitl (11/1) and Seth Jones (500/1)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
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