The Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panther epic 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Final Game 7 is over. The Panthers won the Cup. And right after the conclusion of the deciding game, the Conn Smythe Trophy was presented. Some quick facts about the history of the Conn Smythe, that Bobby Orr became the first two-time winner way back in 1972. And Patrick Roy is the only three time winner. So the fact that McDavid is still only 27 years old, it is just another trophy on his mantle, that already included three Hart Memorial Trophy victories as regular season MVP.
The 2024 Conn Smythe as NHL Playoff MVP Has Been Awarded
After Game 3 of the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Final, it did appear we had an obvious favourite for the Conn Smythe Trophy. With the Florida Panthers having thrown the boat in cruise control up 3-0 against the Edmonton Oilers, their goaltender, Sergei Bobrovsky, had emerged as the favourite.
Who’s Going to Become the MVP Winner from the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Final?
Through the first eight periods of the final series, Bobrovsky was hot, to say the least. He had stopped 78 of 80 shots, good for a .975 SV% including the Game 1 shutout. He was on pace for one of the great, all-time Cup final performances. However, even though the Oilers would eventually lose Game 3, they came alive in the third period of that game. Game 4, the Oilers really turned up the heat, winning 8-1, five of those goals coming against Bobrovsky. Since the third period of Game 3, he had saved 73 of 88 shots on goal, good for a disappointing .830 SV%. So bad in fact, it more than likely took him out of contention for the playoff MVP title.
However, Connor McDavid had an all-time playoff.
| Year | Team | Name | GP | G | A | Pts |
| 1984-85 | Edmonton Oilers | Wayne Gretzky | 18 | 17 | 30 | 47 |
| 1990-91 | Pittsburgh Penguins | Mario Lemieux | 23 | 16 | 28 | 44 |
| 1987-88 | Edmonton Oilers | Wayne Gretzky | 19 | 12 | 31 | 43 |
| 2023-24 | Edmonton Oilers | Connor McDavid | 24 | 8 | 34 | 42 |
McDavid Wins the Conn Smythe Trophy
It seemed like the Conn Smythe winner would be one of Connor McDavid, Sergei Bobrovsky, or Aleksander Barkov.
Aleksander Barkov is the Florida Panthers best player. Furthermore, he is widely-known as the top-defensive forward in the entire NHL currently. Therefore, his inclusion in this playoff MVP discussion is very warranted. In the playoffs, he played in all 24 of the Panthers playoff games. He scored eight goals and added 14 assists for 22 points. Not bad for a player known as a defensive one. He really does do it all in 21 minutes a night and carries a strong faceoff win percentage these playoffs.
In Game 6, Barkov was doing his best to carry his team to the Cup on that night. His early third period marker led to an intense final frame to that contest. Moreover, that really set the stage of tonight’s Game 7 decider. He was definitely a factor tonight.
Connor McDavid’s entire 2024 playoffs had been great, but the finals saw him elevate his status among the all-time greats of the game. His finals performance was truly where he elevated his game, in attempt to lead his Oilers to the first Stanley Cup championship of his career. His third assist (32nd in this year’s post-season) in Game 4 saw him eclipse Gretzky’s all-time assist record.
Game’s 4 and 5 of the series saw McDavid record four points in each. In addition, this was the most points (eight) in a two-game span in the history of the Stanley Cup finals. Right from the third period of Game 3, as we mentioned with Bobrovsky’s struggles, McDavid put the Oilers on his back and took this series over.
CONNOR MCDAVID HAS BROKEN THE RECORD FOR MOST ASSISTS IN A SINGLE POSTSEASON 🍎🚨 pic.twitter.com/MA6q8giUXf
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 16, 2024
Main photo credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
