The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the most valuable player in the NHL Playoffs, and Colorado Avalanche teammates Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon are atop the oddsboard at DraftKings.
Makar, who leads the Avs with 12 playoff points on three goals and nine assists as a defenseman, was the betting favorite at +450 as of Wednesday afternoon. MacKinnon shares the team lead in postseason goals with five, and he was priced at +600 as the second betting favorite.
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Here are the top Conn Smythe Trophy contenders and their odds from DraftKings:
| Player | DraftKings NHL Playoff MVP Odds |
|---|---|
| Cale Makar | +450 |
| Nathan MacKinnon | +600 |
| Andrei Vasilevskiy | +650 |
| Connor McDavid | +700 |
| Nikita Kucherov | +900 |
| Victor Hedman | +1200 |
| Gabriel Landeskog | +1600 |
| Igor Shesterkin | +1800 |
| Darcy Kuemper | +2000 |
| Steven Stamkos | +2200 |
Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association vote on the MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In the last 10 years, an offensive player has won the NHL Playoff MVP award on six occasions. But Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy (goaltender) and Victor Hedman (defenseman) are the past two winners of the Conn Smythe Trophy, respectively. The Lightning, of course, won the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021.
Vasilevskiy Bids To Repeat As NHL Playoff MVP
Vasilevskiy (+650 at DraftKings) has already helped carry the Lightning to the Eastern Conference Finals, where Tampa Bay awaits the winner of the New York Rangers-Carolina Hurricanes series. FanDuel offered the Lightning at -135 to win the East ahead of Wednesday night’s playoff action.
Vasilevskiy has played in all 11 of Tampa Bay’s playoff games this year with a record of 8-3. His goals against average is a stellar 2.22. The Lightning defeated Toronto in the opening round of the playoffs, 4-3. Vasilevskiy then helped Tampa Bay sweep the top-seeded Florida Panthers, who owned the NHL’s best record in the regular season.
Vasilevskiy has a chance to become the first player to win the NHL Playoff MVP award in consecutive seasons since Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby turned the trick in 2016-2017.
There are three goalies in the race for the 2022 Conn Smythe. New York’s Igor Shesterkin, at +1800, has been exceptional in the series against Carolina allowing just six goals in four games. But Shesterkin was shelled in the opening series against Pittsburgh on two occasions, and his odds reflect that.
Colorado’s Darcy Kuemper (+2000) has the lowest goals against average among the remaining playoff goaltenders at 2.14. The Avalanche are the consensus favorite at sportsbooks to win the Stanley Cup, but Makar and McKinnon will likely receive the lion’s share of NHL Playoff MVP votes in Colorado.
Also read: Rangers-Hurricanes Updated Series Price, Game 5 Betting Line | Blues-Avalanche Series Price Update, Game 5 Line
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