Conn Smythe Watch: Who leads for Stanley Cup playoffs MVP? - ESPN

The Conn Smythe Trophy is unique in that a player's entire postseason performance is factored into who wins the Stanley Cup playoffs' most valuable player.

The first two rounds narrow the field and start defining narratives. The next two rounds are where legacies are made.

We asked close to two dozen potential voters and hockey media that have covered the playoffs for their top three players for postseason MVP. Those ballots were compiled to create this ranking. We attempted to have an equal number of Eastern and Western Conference media in the survey.

Here's a look at where the Conn Smythe race stands as the conference finals begin.

«Playoff Bob» finished just ahead of Rangers center Vincent Trocheck for the final spot in the ranking. He saw his save percentage for the playoffs rise to .909 with his 23-save shutout win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the New York Rangers.

He's picking up some momentum for the Conn Smythe, with some key high-danger saves behind a dominant defensive team in front of him. «He gives us a lot of confidence back there,» Matthew Tkachuk said after Game 1.

The Oilers star just nudged Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky to No. 10.

Only Connor McDavid could have 21 points in 12 games and have it considered a slight disappointment. But after 17 points in his first seven games of the playoffs (!), McDavid hasn't scored a goal in five straight games, fueling speculation that the Edmonton center is playing injured.

The idea that the Oilers could win a Game 7 on the road without a point from McDavid was previously inconceivable, but here we are. Still, given his point production overall, the potency of the Edmonton power play and the Stanley Cup being eight wins away, McDavid can't be