The halfway point of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is a perfect time for reflection.
The elite teams remain, four contenders for the Stanley Cup. A dozen other teams that qualified are planning to be better and go deeper next season.
A month of grueling month of hockey remains before a champion is crowned.
The Eastern Conference Final between the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers and the Carolina Hurricanes starts with Game 1 at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; MAX, TNT, SN, TVAS, CBC). The Western Conference Final between the Dallas Stars and the Edmonton Oilers, a rematch of last season, starts with Game 1 at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; ESPN+, ESPN, SN, TVAS, CBC).
So far several players have had a star turn or more. Each is building a case to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded annually to the most valuable player in the postseason.
Each of the four remaining teams has multiple candidates vying for attention.
So whose candidacy is the strongest at the halfway point of the hardest tournament in pro sports? That's the question before our panel of eight NHL.com writers. Here, in alphabetical order, are their answers:
Frederik Andersen, G, Carolina Hurricanes
Quick question? Of the remaining starting goalies in the playoffs, who has the best goals-against average and save percentage? It's Andersen and it's not really close. The Hurricanes goalie has a 1.36 GAA and .937 save percentage in nine games. He's a big reason the Hurricanes were able to dispatch the high-scoring Washington Capitals in five games in the second round and he's a big reason they are back in the conference final for the second time in three seasons. If the Hurricanes are going to defeat the stingy Panthers, he will be a big reason why. So at this moment, and going forward, he's my Conn Smythe winner. -- Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief
Bill laid enough facts for why Andersen is a smart choice; I'll add more to show why he has been so impactful to the Hurricanes playing the fewest games to get to the third round. Andersen has allowed 12 goals in nine games. That's half as many as the goalie closest to him who has played in at least the same number of games (Logan Thompson, Washington Capitals, 24 goals allowed in 10 games). But most important has been Andersen's goaltending at the rare times the Hurricanes have broken down in front of him. He leads all goalies during the playoffs with a .923 save percentage against high-danger shots on goal, according to NHL EDGE Advanced Stats. He stopped 30 of 31 high-danger shots on goal against the Capitals during the second round. Andersen doesn't get a lot of action, but he has made game-changing saves, especially early in games, to allow the Hurricanes to find their footing. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer
Sergei Bobrovsky, G, Florida Panthers
It's Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final; who do you want in net? For me, it's Bobrovsky. He isn't going to be perfect (2.31 GAA, .901 save percentage in 12 games), but when the games get big, he's there. It's why you so often hear the Panthers players saying, "We trust in Bob." They do and they should. After a rocky first three games in the second round against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Bobrovsky locked it down, allowing four goals in the final four games of the series, shutting down the Maple Leafs' usually dynamic offense (with a healthy dose of help from the Panthers defense, of course). Allow one or two of those William Nylander breakaways? This could have been a different series. But he didn't, and it wasn't. I firmly believe Bobrovsky should have won the Conn Smythe last season when the Panthers won the Cup. For me, he's the leading candidate this season, which might end once again with Florida lifting the Cup. -- Amalie Benjamin, senior writer
Thomas Harley, D, Dallas Stars
Will the defenseman win the award when all is said and done? It's unlikely with sexier names on the board and on this list. Plus, all but the most offensively adept defensemen are shunned by Conn Smythe voters traditionally. But to this point, where would the Stars be without Harley? Sure, forward Mikko Rantanen has delivered the goals expected from him and goalie Jake Oettinger has made the saves expected from him. But the biggest question heading into the first round was who would replace injured No. 1 defenseman Miro Heiskanen. The answer was a player with just two full seasons of NHL play under his belt but also two runs to the Western Conference Final. The 23-year-old has found another gear this postseason. He is averaging 26:37 of ice time per game, the most of any defenseman still in the playoffs, and his 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 13 games are second among NHL defensemen this postseason. His impact will abate a bit as Heiskanen gets up to full strength, but Heiskanen only has this opportunity because of what Harley did in his stead. -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial
Connor McDavid, F, Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers captain won the Conn Smythe Trophy last season after leading all players with 42 points (eight goals, 34 assists) in 25 games. His point-per-game production is down in the playoffs this season with 17 points (three goals, 14 assists) in 11 games, but McDavid still is the most dynamic offensive player in the NHL. He is capable of taking over a game at any moment and will be tough to shut down during the Western Conference Final against the Stars, motivated by the memory of a 2-1 loss in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final to the Panthers last season. I expect the three-time Hart Trophy winner (2017, 2021, 2023) as regular-season MVP to take his game to another level through the rest of the postseason and believe once everything is settled, he will be the obvious choice to win his second Conn Smythe Trophy. -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer
Jake Oettinger, G, Dallas Stars
The Stars offense has been up and down throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs. You know what's been constant? Jake Oettinger. The Stars goaltender has been outstanding once again, going 8-5 with a 2.47 GAA and .919 save percentage in 13 games. In the second round he ultimately out-dueled Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who is expected to win his second consecutive Vezina Trophy, awarded annually to the top goalie in the NHL, and is a finalist for the Hart Trophy. Oettinger has been one cool customer for the Stars, and he's a huge reason why they're in the Western Conference Final for the third straight season. -- Tracey Myers, staff writer
Mikko Rantanen, F, Dallas Stars
Rantanen leads the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists) in 13 games. But it isn't just how much you score; it's when you score. The Stars looked like they were about to be eliminated in Game 7 of the Western Conference First Round, trailing the Colorado Avalanche 2-0 less than a minute into the third period. Then in the final 12:11 of the third, Rantanen erupted for three goals and an assist, becoming the first player with a third-period hat trick in a Game 7 in NHL history and carrying the Stars to a 4-2 win. Then he had another hat trick in Game 1 of the second round, leading the Stars to a 3-2 win at the Winnipeg Jets -- their first Game 1 win in nine tries. That stole home-ice advantage, which became critical in that series. No one has been more valuable so far. -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist
Jamie Benn, Matt Duchene, Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen, four of the key cogs on the Dallas Stars roster, have combined for one goal during the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. One. That's only one more than I have. And yet somehow, someway, the Stars are in the Western Conference Final anyway. Why? Look no further than Rantanen. Sure, Robertson and Heiskanen only made their postseason debuts this spring in the second round because of injuries. But that makes what Rantanen has done even more impressive. The Finland-born wing literally has carried this team, leading the playoffs in goals (nine) and points (19). He almost single-handedly got Dallas to advance out of the Western Conference First Round by becoming the first NHL player with a hat trick in a Game 7. Case closed. -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer
