Defending Conn Smythe winner McDavid heavily favored to repeat - ESPN

Connor McDavid is no stranger to winning NHL awards, including the Hart Trophy for MVP (three times), Ted Lindsay Award for most outstanding player (four times), and Art Ross Trophy for most points (five times) all by the age of 28.

However, one of his more peculiar distinctions is when he won the 2024 Conn Smythe Trophy, becoming the sixth player in NHL history to win playoff MVP as a member of the losing team in the Stanley Cup Final when his Edmonton Oilers fell to the Florida Panthers.

Stanley Cup headquarters: Odds | Expert picks | Schedule | Key stats

The Oilers captain will have another shot at hoisting both the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy, and sportsbooks and bettors alike believe he's the man to beat. McDavid shows -120 odds to win the Conn Smythe, according to ESPN BET, and is as long as only +110 at other books. Assuming that holds, that would make him the shortest Conn Smythe favorite headed into the Stanley Cup Final since 2021, when Tampa Bay Lightning goalie — and eventual winner — Andrei Vasilevskiy was also +110, according to ESPN Research.

McDavid defied history by winning playoff MVP as a member of the losing team last time around, the first since 2003, which could explain why bookmakers are giving him even more respect than the +200 he had going into last year's Final. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the Oilers are -130 favorites to win the Cup over the Panthers (+110), and that McDavid leads the playoffs in points (26). For comparison, his teammate Leon Draisaitl is just one point behind, has one more goal, and sits at +700 for the Conn Smythe, according to ESPN BET odds.

McDavid's major odds lead could also be chalked up to, in part, the public backing him at extraordinary levels. Since the