Through the first two games of the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals matchup between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers, the headlines have been dominated by one player, who has established himself as the man to beat for the Conn Smythe Trophy.
No, not Connor McDavid. No, not Matthew Tkachuk. Or Leon Draisaitl. Or Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Evan Bouchard, Carter Verhaeghe, or Zach Hyman.
No, the man to beat for Conn Smythe Trophy honors is Florida netminder Sergei Bobrovsky, who has allowed a solitary goal in the first 120 minutes of the series to help the Panthers move within two wins of lifting the hallowed Cup for the first time in franchise history.
In Game 1 last Saturday, Bobrovsky saved all 32 Edmonton shots he faced as he and the Panthers blanked the Oilers 3-0. In Game 2 last night, he was beaten by Mattias Ekholm at 11:17 of the first period, but the doors were shut from there as Florida scored four unanswered goals to claim a 4-1 win and a 2-0 lead.
The series now shifts to Edmonton for Games 3 (Thursday, 8:00 pm ET, ABC) and 4 (Saturday, 8:00 pm ET, ABC), which means that the Oilers can’t be counted out by any means at this point.
But if Bobrovsky continues his fine form, the Panthers could be eyeing a sweep on Saturday or an opportunity to clinch their first Cup in front of their home fans in Sunrise next Tuesday (8:00 pm ET, ABC). And the two-time Vezina Trophy honoree could have some additional individual hardware to take home.
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Conn Smythe Trophy Odds
- Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida Panthers -160
- Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers +500
- Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers +500
- Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers +1600
- Evan Rodrigues, Florida Panthers +2000
- Carter Verhaeghe, Florida Panthers +2500
- Evan Bouchard, Edmonton Oilers +2500
- Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers +2500
- Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers +6000
- Gustav Forsling, Florida Panthers +6000
See the rest of the Conn Smythe trophy odds and favorites at BetUS.
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Bobrovsky Bidding to Bring Netminders Back into Conn Smythe Spotlight
If Bobrovsky does go on to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, he will become the 18th goaltender to win the award and the first since Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy in 2021.
In recent Conn Smythe Trophy history, it has become increasingly rare for netminders to nab the top individual playoff award.
Since Tim Thomas (Boston Bruins) and Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles Kings) went back-to-back in 2011 and 2012, Vasilevskiy is the only goalie to win it. And since the 2004-05 NHL lockout, only four goalies have won the Conn Smythe Trophy (out of 18 postseasons): Carolina’s Cam Ward (2006), Thomas, Quick, and Vasilevskiy.
Position Breakdown of Conn Smythe Trophy Winners
- Center: 19 (Most Recent: Ryan O’Reilly, St. Louis Blues, 2019)
- Goaltender: 17 (Most Recent: Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning, 2021)
- Defenseman: 12 (Most Recent: Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche, 2022)
- Winger: 10 (Most Recent: Jonathan Marchessault, Vegas Golden Knights, 2023)
If Bobrovsky does win the award, it will only further beef up his Hockey Hall of Fame resume.
Since the Vezina Trophy adopted its current criteria in 1981, six players have won the award multiple times. Patrick Roy, Ed Balfour, Dominik Hasek, Martin Brodeur, Thomas, and Bobrovsky.
The first four are all in the Hall of Fame, while Thomas’s comparatively brief NHL career is why his selection may take some time. Of that group, Roy and Thomas are the only two to win the Vezina multiple times and win the Conn Smythe at least once. That is some elite company, and if Bobrovsky joins it in the next week or so, his eventual enshrinement in Toronto will be a near-certainty.
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Recent Conn Smythe Trophy Winners
- 2023: Jonathan Marchessault, RW, Vegas Golden Knights
- 2022: Cale Makar, D, Colorado Avalanche
- 2021: Andrei Vasilevskiy, G, Tampa Bay Lightning
- 2020: Victor Hedman, D, Tampa Bay Lightning
- 2019: Ryan O’Reilly, C, St. Louis Blues
- 2018: Alexander Ovechkin, LW, Washington Capitals
- 2017: Sidney Crosby, C, Pittsburgh Penguins
- 2016: Sidney Crosby, C. Pittsburgh Penguins
- 2015: Duncan Keith, D, Chicago Blackhawks
- 2014: Justin Williams, RW, Los Angeles Kings
- 2013: Patrick Kane, RW, Chicago Blackhawks
- 2012: Jonathan Quick, G, Los Angeles Kings
- 2011: Tim Thomas, G, Boston Bruins
- 2010: Jonathan Toews, C, Chicago Blackhawks
- 2009: Evgeni Malkin, C, Pittsburgh Penguins
- 2008: Henrik Zetterberg, C, Detroit Red Wings
- 2007: Scott Niedermayer, D, Anaheim Ducks
- 2006: Cam Ward, G, Carolina Hurricanes
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