2025 Conn Smythe Trophy Odds: Stars’ Mikko Rantanen favoured to win playoff MVP

As we near the official halfway point of the playoffs, let’s take a look at the top Conn Smythe contenders.

Mikko Rantanen

Dallas’ Mikkor Rantanen was fairly quiet in the first four games of the first round, buy boy did he deliver when it counted most against his former Avalanche team. Rantanen finished the series against the Avs with 12 points, including a third period hat trick in Game 7 to eliminate Colorado. He followed that performance up with a second consecutive hat trick in Game 1 of the second round against Winnipeg and he’s up to a playoff-leading 19 points with the Stars one game away from reaching the Western Conference Final.

It’s hard not to be the playoff MVP favourite when you lead the postseason in points.

Connor McDavid

Last year, Connor McDavid joined the unfortunate list of players from the Stanley Cup Final losing team to win the Conn Smythe and you can be sure he’ll do everything in his power to win the Cup AND the Conn Smythe this year. McDavid, who is second in playoff scoring with 17 points, has the Oilers one win away from returning to the Western Conference Final in what looks like a heavyweight series against Dallas. Knocking off Rantanen and the Stars would go a long way to McDavid’s Conn Smythe case.

Maybe McDavid will actually be on the ice to accept the trophy this year?

Other contenders

Frederik Andersen

Carolina’s Frederik Andersen has easily been the best goalie in the playoffs. He’s the only goalie with a goals-against average below 2.00 (1.41) and his .935 save percentage is miles above the next closest goalie, Logan Thompson at .918.

Leon Draisaitl

Leon Draisaitl completes Edmonton’s two-headed monster attack, but he’s also been a force in his own right. The hulking German is third in playoff scoring with 15 points and he’s more than capable of having a three or four goal performance in the playoffs.

Aleksander Barkov

Aleksander Barkov has never relied on offensive flash to stand out and that’s why he spent years as easily the most underrated player in the NHL. Well, back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Final has garnered more respect for Barkov’s elite two-way play and oddsmakers have noticed.

Conn Smythe betting tips

Despite McDavid winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as a member of the losing Stanley Cup team last year, don’t bank on that happening again anytime soon. Only six players have ever won the Conn Smythe after losing the Cup and it’s only happened twice since 1987 (McDavid last year and J.S. Giguere in 2003). Of those six players, four were goalies.

While the Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded to the best player through the entire playoffs, voters typically weigh what you do in the Stanley Cup Final as more important. It might be better to wait until you get to the Final as two of the last three Conn Smythe winners have been the leading scorer of the playoffs; and 2023 winner Jonathan Marchessault was just one point behind Jack Eichel for the playoff scoring lead.