Connor McDavid is already a member of an exclusive Conn Smythe Trophy group; could he earn another one this spring?
Last season, McDavid joined a rare club of players who won the playoff MVP (Conn Smythe Trophy) despite their team not winning the Stanley Cup. It`s a distinction that requires significant individual performance in a losing effort.
He is only the second forward to achieve this, the other being Reggie Leach of the Flyers. The list also includes four goaltenders: Roger Crozier (Detroit), Glenn Hall (St. Louis), Ron Hextall (Philadelphia), and Jean-Sebastian Giguere (Anaheim).
Among this group, Hall and Leach had previously won championships. Giguere later won the Cup in 2007, four years after his 2003 Conn Smythe. Crozier and Hextall never lifted the Cup.
For McDavid, the hope is that if he claims the Conn Smythe Trophy again this year, it will be accompanied by winning the Stanley Cup.
If McDavid wins the 2025 Conn Smythe, he would be only the fourth player in history to win it in consecutive years. The current members of this elite group are Bernie Parent (Philadelphia, 1974-75), Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh, 1991-92), and Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh, 2016-17).
McDavid`s Oilers have reached the Western Conference Final for the second consecutive year and third time in four seasons. While the team`s success isn`t solely dependent on its top players, McDavid (No. 97) continues to show his clutch ability, leading all players with eight or more playoff games in points per game (1.55).
Advancing this far requires standout performances. Here are the Conn Smythe power rankings at the approximate midpoint of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
1. Mikko Rantanen, Dallas Stars
Although Rantanen`s scoring pace slightly decreased at the end of Dallas` six-game series win against Winnipeg (no points in the last two games), he remains the playoff leader in goals (nine) and points (19). He has exceeded expectations for the Stars, but they will need other players to contribute offensively as well.
2. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
McDavid has only been kept off the score sheet in two of his 11 playoff games this year. The fact that Edmonton won their second-round series in five games, compared to a tough seven-game series last year against Vancouver, might help McDavid and the Oilers stay fresher as they advance deeper into the playoffs.
Duncan Priestley