Conn Smythe Watch: Who's leading for Stanley Cup MVP? - ESPN

Eight teams have packed their hockey bags and gone home. Eight teams still have a shot at winning the Stanley Cup — and one of their players will win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

Here's the first Conn Smythe Watch of the 2026 playoffs. Keep in mind that in the NHL, the Conn Smythe is based on a player's performance during the entire postseason, not just the championship round.

The award is voted on by an 18-person panel of Professional Hockey Writers Association members. We polled over a dozen writers for their current Conn Smythe top three.

Here's a look at some of the current leaders for MVP honors, as well as players on the cusp of breaking through in the MVP race.

Read more:
Full schedule
Playoff Central
Stanley Cup odds
Second-round picks
Offseason guide for eliminated teams

Andersen can be an adventure in the postseason. Sometimes he's out with an injury. Sometimes he's ineffective to the point of being replaced. And sometimes he goes on an absolute heater, going undefeated in his first six games with a .958 save percentage and a 1.02 goals-against average this postseason.

Andersen has been the playoffs' best goaltender and the backbone of the playoffs' best defensive team. Yes, the skaters in front of Andersen can smother an opposing offense like an anaconda, but Freddie is the key to Carolina's defensive effectiveness. He had nine goals saved above expected through five games. He's also their most important penalty killer, sporting a .923 save percentage on 26 opposing power plays (24 of which were successfully killed by the Hurricanes).

Again, the 36-year-old Dane can be a roller coaster. Every climb has a drop. But for now, Andersen is the reason the Hurricanes look like Eastern Conference favorites.