MVP Without the Cup? McDavid’s Case for Playoff Glory

By: Carter Rennyson

It is no secret that Connor McDavid is the best hockey player on Earth. But just how good has he been since entering the league in 2015 as the No. 1 overall pick? The answer: sensational.

Connor McDavid has dazzled sports fans with his lightning-fast stick handling and skating ability combined with his wickedly accurate shots. McDavid has 982 points in his career and leads all players in assists since 2015 with 647. McDavid has shown that he is an elite distributor and an all-around superstar on the ice.

These playoffs have been no different. McDavid broke Wayne Gretzky’s record for assists in a postseason with his 32nd helper in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. Although the Panthers still lead the series 3-1, Edmonton dismantled Florida in Game 4 by a score of 8-1. The series shifts back to South Florida, where Lord Stanley’s Cup will once again be in the building. Florida can clinch the Stanley Cup with a victory on home ice.

With tomorrow possibly being the end of the playoffs, there is much speculation as to who will win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Since the trophy was first awarded in 1965, only five players have ever won it as a member of the losing team. The last man to accomplish this feat was Jean-Sebastien Giguere in 2003 with Anaheim.

McDavid’s numbers this postseason have been good enough to consider him as the playoff MVP. He leads the postseason in assists and points and has led Edmonton to its first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 2006. McDavid has added six goals, including a highlight-reel dangle in Game 6 versus Dallas. If McDavid is able to get two more points, he will become only the third player ever to reach 40 points in a single postseason. The other two? Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. Pretty good company. If there was ever a year for a member of the losing team to take home Playoff MVP, this is the year.

With all that being said, Aleksander Barkov and Sergei Bobrovsky have been phenomenal for the Florida Panthers. Barkov has made a name for himself as one of the best two-way players in the NHL by winning his second Selke Trophy, awarded to the best defensive forward in the league. Bobrovsky started off the playoffs by making an incredible backhanded save in Game 2 versus Tampa Bay in the first round and has turned in many impressive performances throughout the playoffs. Don’t be surprised if one of those two players takes home the Conn Smythe Trophy.

However, it is impossible to ignore the body of work McDavid has turned in these playoffs. In ten seasons, McDavid has wowed viewers by skating down the ice at high speeds and finishing off incredible plays. This year may not be the year McDavid gets his hands on the Stanley Cup, but he can still add to his legacy even if his team falls just short.