While one team will be lifting the Stanley Cup by season’s end, that isn’t the only hardware that will be handed out. The Conn Smythe Trophy also will be given to a player deemed to be the MVP of the playoffs.
It’s never easy to be able to predict who will win the award. It typically goes to the team that wins the Stanley Cup, however, that is not always the case. There have been five times in NHL history where the trophy has gone to a member of the losing team.
With the first round series beginning Monday, let’s take a look at the early favorites for the 2022 Conn Smythe.
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Who is the favorite to win the Conn Smythe in 2022?
Entering the postseason, there is a pair of Avalanche stars that are the frontrunners to win the award.
Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar are the two betting favorites at the beginning of the playoffs. The Avs hold the best odds at winning the Cup, which helps the argument that one of those two will earn the Conn Smythe.
Odds courtesy of Sports Interaction
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Who has won the Conn Smythe in the past?
A number of the NHL legends have a Conn Smythe to their name.
The trophy has been handed out every year since it became an award in 1965, except for 2004-05 when the NHL had its season canceled because of a lockout.
The award is not always guaranteed to go to a player on the winning team. There have been five times in its history that the honor has gone to a player on the losing club.
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- = 2004-05 did not have a winner because of the NHL lockout
