Conn Smythe watch: Makar leads heading into Stanley Cup Final Game 4

It is time for another updated look at the race for the 2022 Conn Smythe Trophy as Stanley Cup Playoff MVP.

The Colorado Avalanche enter Game 4 of the series with a 2-1 series lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning, and have seen a collection of their players drift toward the top of the watch list with their impressive start to the series.

Defenseman Cale Makar is still the front-runner, but superstar forwards Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen are also very much in play.

Andrei Vasilevskiy and Nikita Kucherov remain Tampa Bay’s best bets at the moment, but with the Lightning down in the series they drop a little in the rankings. That can change with a Game 4 win on Wednesday to even the series.

Let’s check in with the full Conn Smythe Watch going into Game 4 on Wednesday night.

1. Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche. Simply an unbelievable talent and an absolutely incredible postseason to this point. In just his first three seasons in the league has already won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year; won his first Norris Trophy on Tuesday night; and now has a very realistic chance to add the Conn Smythe and Stanley Cup to his individual trophy case. He is at the center of pretty much everything that happens for the Avalanche this postseason. He is their leading scorer (and actually has an outside chance to catch Connor McDavid for the playoff lead), plays major minutes on defense, is a defensive force in his own zone, and completely dictates the pace of play when he is on the ice. If Colorado wins the Cup, Makar has to be the odds on favorite for playoff MVP at this moment.

2. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche. MacKinnon might not have the most points, but he has been as dynamic as any Avalanche forward this postseason. He