Conn Smythe Trophy candidates at midway point of playoffs discussed by NHL.com

The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded each season to the player judged to be most valuable in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

It is one of the game’s most prestigious honors because it recognizes the ability to deliver in the clutch, the ability to use skill and mental fortitude to impacts games night after night across two months.

Many of the game’s biggest players have their name on the trophy, but so too do lesser-known players, those that find a way to rise to the occasion and deliver beyond expectations.

We are still weeks away before NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman presents the trophy to the Conn Smythe winner after the clinching game of the Stanley Cup Final.

But with playoff field down to the final four teams – the Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche, Montreal Canadiens and Vegas Golden Knights – NHL.com is taking a look at where the race stands on the eve of conference final play.

Here are the selections from the NHL.com staff (in alphabetical order):

Frederik Andersen, Carolina Hurricanes

It’s difficult to believe now, but there were questions about whether Andersen would start for the Hurricanes in Game 1 of the first round against the Ottawa Senators. The 36-year-old got the nod over rookie Brandon Bussi because of his experience, and made 22 saves in a 2-0 victory. That was the start of an impressive 8-0 run that has seen Andersen stop 191 of 201 shots in helping Carolina sweep the Senators in the first round and the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round. He leads the NHL with a 1.12 goals-against average and .950 save percentage, along with two shutouts. According to NHL EDGE, he also leads the playoffs with a .925 save percentage on high-danger shots on goal, stopping 49 of 53. Andersen will have to continue playing at this level for the Hurricanes to advance past the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since winning the Stanley Cup in 2006. -- Tom Gulitti, senior writer

Jakub Dobes, Montreal Canadiens

Let’s face it, Montreal would not be in the Eastern Conference Final without Dobes. In fact, the Canadiens wouldn’t have gotten out of the first round without the play of the 24-year-old rookie goalie. It was in Game 7 of the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning when Dobes made 28 saves in a 2-1 win, a game where his teammates managed just nine shots on goal. And there he was again on Monday in Game 7 against the Buffalo Sabres in the second round, making 37 saves in a thrilling 3-2 overtime win. His .910 save percentage and 2.52 goals-against average are each fourth among the five remaining goalies to play this postseason, but he’s been tested like none of the other have, and he’s come up big in the huge, huge moments. He is the epitome of a Conn Smythe Trophy winner. -- Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief

Taylor Hall, Carolina Hurricanes

The forward has been a 30-goal scorer and a Hart Trophy winner as League MVP, but at age 34, he might be playing the best all-around hockey of his career. Hall has been a do-everything force on the Hurricanes' best line, with Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake. Hall leads Carolina with 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in eight games, but he's done more than just score. Just watch Game 2 of the second round against the Philadelphia Flyers. In the first period he was in perfect supporting position to hold in a Rasmus Ristolainen clearing attempt during a power play that led to 21 seconds of extended offensive-zone time that ended with Nikolaj Ehlers' goal to make it 2-1. With eight seconds left in the third period, he kicked out his right leg to block a Noah Cates shot on an open look from the slot, and he capped his night by driving to the net to score in overtime. Hall has done everything the Hurricanes. -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche

You could go with Nathan MacKinnon or Martin Necas, among others from the Avalanche, but I’m taking Landeskog for several reasons. First, he’s back, healthy and playing great. That alone is worth accolades, considering everything he’s been through the past few seasons with injuries. Second, he’s been a great utility player for the Avalanche. With Artturi Lehkonen out, Landeskog has been on the top forward line. Otherwise, he’s on the second line or he can go to the third line. That versatility is great. Third, that priceless leadership the captain provides is back every day in the Avalanche room and on the ice. Landeskog has eight points (three goals, five assists) in nine postseason games and is averaging 18:24 of ice time per game. He’s just a great story. -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche

When the pace tightens and games are decided by inches, MacKinnon doesn't just elevate, he overwhelms. This has been evident through two rounds of the playoffs; he leads the Avalanche with 13 points (seven goals, six assists), five power-play points and six penalties drawn in nine postseason games. His explosive speed forces defenders back, his power through contact creates space that doesn't exist, and his relentless motor ensures every shift tilts the ice in Colorado's favor. What separates MacKinnon in 2026 is the complete impact: he drives offense and absorbs the toughest matchups without slowing down. Opponents game-plan around him but still can't contain him. The Conn Smythe isn't just about points, it's about being the reason your team wins. If Colorado lifts the Cup, it will be MacKinnon who made it inevitable. -- Mike G. Morreale, NHL.com senior draft writer

Put the stats sheet away for a moment. Now just watch. And listen. It won’t take long for you to understand that MacKinnon is a unicorn in the modern game. You can’t take your eyes off him whenever he’s on the ice. He sometimes toys with defenders like the kid who should be in AAA but is still in house league. That’s how dominant he can be. As for his skating, one opposing GM summed it up perfectly. “He skates angry,” the GM said. “The sound of his steel blades digging and grinding deep into the ice is like no other.” Oh, did we mention he has 13 points in nine games? Ya there’s that too. -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

Mitch Marner, Vegas Golden Knights

The forward’s clutch ability has been key in the postseason, which is narrative-changing after he was often criticized for his lack of production later in playoff rounds when he was with the Toronto Maple Leafs. This year, Marner has been arguably Vegas’ best player in the later games of a series. He set the tone for Vegas in Game 6 against Anaheim with one of the prettiest goals you’ll see and set up Brett Howden for a short-handed goal, propelling the Golden Knights to a 5-1 series-clinching win. Marner had two goals and an assist in Vegas’s 5-1 series-clinching win against the Utah Mammoth in Game 6 of the first round. He had the assist on Howden’s double-overtime goal in Game 5 against Utah. He leads the postseason with 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists), and it seems Marner is getting better as the Golden Knights keep advancing. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

Marner is silencing all critics with his performance in the first two rounds of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Golden Knights forward leads all playoff scorers and scored a goal that will be on highlight-reels for years in the 5-1 win against the Anaheim Ducks in Game 6 of the second round. The Golden Knights needed every ounce of offense Marner was able to provide against Anaheim with captain Mark Stone sustaining a lower-body injury in the first period of Game 3 and missing the final three games of the series. Marner is helping make up for the lost offense in his first season with Vegas. -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

It isn’t just that Marner leads the Stanley Cup Playoffs in scoring by a three-point margin. It’s how he’s doing it. He’s filling whatever role Vegas needs, making his teammates better and coming through in the clutch. Marner has bounced from wing to center at even strength and to different spots on the power play, all while killing penalties. He’s a big reason Howden has eight goals, including three short-handed. In two series-clinching, 5-1 Game 6 wins, Marner had five points (three goals, two assists). This is exactly what Marner and the Golden Knights each envisioned when he came to Vegas in a sign-and-trade June 30 after nine seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs. -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

Alex Newhook, Montreal Canadiens

There are many worthy candidates for MVP at the halfway mark of the playoffs, but how many of them have scored game-winning goals in two Game 7s? That’s right, it’s one: Newhook. In fact, Newhook is only the second player in NHL history to score multiple Game 7 series-clinching goals in a single postseason after Nathan Horton did it 2011 for Stanley Cup-winning Boston Bruins. It’s not just those two goals, though. Newhook, who had 25 points (13 goals, 12 assists) in 42 games this season and who has never scored more than 15 goals in a regular season, now has nine points (seven goals, two assists) in 14 games in the playoffs, including the game-winner at KeyBank Center in the 3-2 win that sent the Canadiens to the Eastern Conference Final. He has come up big exactly when Montreal has need it, and that’s MVP-worthy. -- Amalie Benjamin, senior writer

Logan Stankoven, Carolina Hurricanes

Stankoven has shown why Carolina insisted on getting him back in the trade that sent Mikko Rantanen to the Dallas Stars on March 7, 2025. The 23-year-old forward has thrived this playoff season on a line with Hall and Blake, putting up eight points (seven goals, one assist) in eight games. He leads Carolina in postseason goals and is tied for third with Marner, and MacKinnon -- other Conn Smythe contenders -- and Matt Boldy of the eliminated Minnesota Wild. Stankoven began the playoffs with a five-game goal streak, including two goals in a 3-0 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on May 2 to open the Eastern Conference Second Round.  His goals have not only been plentiful, but timely. He had the opening goal in the first three games against the Ottawa Senators and the go-ahead goal in the third period of a 4-2 win to complete the Eastern Conference First Round sweep of the Senators. -- William Douglas, staff writer