Conn Smythe Trophy winner for Lightning, Stars debated

The 2020 Stanley Cup Final between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Dallas Stars remains up for grabs after five games.

The Stars, who won 3-2 in double overtime of Game 5 on Saturday, trail the best-of-7 series 3-2. The Lightning will have their second chance to clinch in Game 6 in Edmonton, the hub city for the Cup Final, on Monday (8 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, SN, TVAS). Game 7, if necessary, is Wednesday.
With the Lightning trying to win the Cup for the first time since 2004 and the Stars hoping to win their first championship since 1999, which player has emerged as the favorite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association?
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NHL.com polled six writers who have been covering the series for their opinion.
Here are their thoughts:

Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning

There are several strong candidates for the Lightning if they win the Stanley Cup, including forwards Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. But to me, Hedman controls everything for Tampa Bay with his skating and smarts and both ends of the ice. The defenseman leads the Lightning in average ice time per game (26:31) in the playoffs and plays in all situations. Hedman's 10 goals are the third most by a defenseman in a single postseason behind Brian Leetch (11 with the New York Rangers in 1994) and Paul Coffey (12 with the Edmonton Oilers in 1985). Hedman's three game-winning goals are one behind the NHL record for a defenseman shared by Slava Voynov with the Los Angeles Kings in 2013, Leetch with the Rangers in 1994, Al MacInnis with the Calgary Flames in 1989 and Coffey with the Oilers in 1985. -- Tom Gulitti, staff writer

Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning

Throughout the playoffs I've been continually amazed by Point's talent, skill and presence even having watched him through the years, even knowing how good he is. He's simply taken his game to another level and, though I doubted his candidacy a bit when he missed two games in the Eastern Conference Final against the New York Islanders, he's come back and hasn't skipped a beat. Point is tied with Joe Pavelski for the playoff lead in goals with 13, and has 32 points, one behind Kucherov. The forward has also been at his best in the biggest moments, with two overtime goals, and has a 19.7 shooting percentage. Though I agree with Tom that Hedman and Kucherov each have excellent arguments for winning the Conn Smythe, Point's might be just a touch better - but not by much. -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer

John Klingberg, Dallas Stars

Game 5 was a reminder that the Stars are not going to go quietly and Klingberg, one of the calmest, most reliable players out there, is a big reason why. Like Hedman, Klingberg has 21 points (four goals, 17 assists). Yes, his are more tilted toward assists, but production is production. It was his shot off which Stars forward Corey Perry scored in the second overtime of Game 5, and he's averaging 23:17 of ice time. Miro Heiskanen has gotten more attention on the Stars side in the Conn Smythe conversation, but he's also shown his youth at times with positioning or errors. There's a very good chance this year's Conn Smythe will be won by a defenseman for the first time since Duncan Keith of the Chicago Blackhawks was a unanimous selection in 2015. Keep Klingberg in mind for that.-- Tracey Myers, staff writer

Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning

Tom did a great job documenting the impressive statistical argument in Hedman's favor. My case revolves around the eye test. It seems every time he's on the ice, you notice his impact and the way he controls the game. Don't just take my word for it though. Consider that he was endorsed by two of the all-time great defensemen during recent interviews with NHL.com. "He's out there both on the [penalty kill] and the power play, he plays against the other team's top lines … he's been very impressive," former Red Wings great Nick Lidstrom said. Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara agrees. "He's pretty much grown into what you see now - a complete package and a presence at all times, every shift," Chara said. "I think that's just what you're noticing now is that he's taking charge." How can you argue with a Hall of Famer in Lidstrom, and a future Hall of Famer in Chara? I'm certainly not going to. -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning

I'm not going to argue with Gulitti or Zeisberger, let alone Lidstrom or Chara. At this point, my vote would go to Hedman for the reasons they cited. But I'd like to raise this question: If Anton Khudobin helps the Stars force Game 7, would he be the most valuable player no matter what happens next? Remember, the award is for the playoffs, not the Cup Final, and you could argue no player will have made a bigger difference for his team in the playoffs than Khudobin. Even if the Stars lose in Game 7, there is precedent. Five times, the Conn Smythe has gone to a player from the team that lost the Final. Four of those times, it went to a goalie: Roger Crozier in 1966, Glenn Hall in 1968, Ron Hextall in 1987 and Jean-Sebastien Giguere in 2003. The argument for Khudobin to join them wouldn't be based on numbers; Vasilevskiy's are better. It would be based on this: If this goes to Game 7, even if the Lightning win, can you say they relied on any of their excellent candidates more than the Stars leaned on Khudobin to get to that point? Does the fact they have so many excellent candidates suggest not? -- Nick Cotsonika, columnist

Anton Khudobin, Dallas Stars

I'm with Tracey on this one, sort of. This series is going to a Game 7. It's 2020, the entire postseason has been historic for when, where and how it was played, so will anyone be surprised if we find ourselves in double, or maybe triple, overtime Wednesday? But if it does, it's Khudobin, not Klingberg, not Pavelski, not Heiskanen, who is most responsible for the Stars going that far. Remember, he was the backup goalie when the postseason began, but has had to play with Ben Bishop unfit to play. What other team in these playoffs could have gotten this far with its backup goalie? No one thought the Stars had a shot against the Colorado Avalanche or Vegas Golden Knights because Khudobin was in goal, and yet here they are, going to at least a Game 6 of the Cup Final, and maybe a Game 7. If the Lighting win in six games, I agree it's Hedman, but if the Stars can take Tampa to a Game 7 and possibly win the Cup, it's Khudobin in a landslide. -- Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief