The Oilers overcame a 3-0 deficit in the Stanley Cup Finals but crumbled in Game 7 to watch the Florida Panthers lift the trophy. Despite the loss, Connor McDavid is flying back to Edmonton with the Conn Smythe. Maybe? He never came out to claim it.
Connor McDavid did not come out to accept the Conn Smythe Trophy.
— BarDown (@BarDown) June 25, 2024
via @espn pic.twitter.com/9rHPNSAqFo
The Oilers captain was a massive -3000 betting favorite to win the Stanley Cup Playoffs MVP heading into the final game of the series. McDavid wrapped up the postseason with 42 points, the fourth most recorded in a single playoff year in NHL history. He is just the sixth player awarded the trophy despite losing the series.
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Connor McDavid (Edmonton) | -3000 |
| Aleksander Barkov (Florida) | +1200 |
| Sergei Bobrovsky (Florida) | +10000 |
| Matthew Tkachuk (Florida) | +10000 |
| Zach Hyman (Edmonton) | +50000 |
| Stuart Skinner (Edmonton) | +50000 |
| Evan Bouchard (Edmonton) | +50000 |
Odds as of June 22
connor mcDavid Wins 2024 Conn Smythe Trophy
After eight points across three straight wins, McDavid looks unbeatable as the favorite.
Game 5 was a true testament to the captain's reputation, setting up flawless plays to notch two assists and putting in two goals of his own.
CONNOR MCDAVID IS POETRY IN MOTION 😮💨
— ESPN (@espn) June 19, 2024
(via @NHL) pic.twitter.com/RO5YnQK329
With 42 points this postseason, McDavid has hit the fourth-most recorded points by a player in a single season, behind Gretzky twice (43, 47) and Lemieux (44).
He becomes only the sixth player to lose the Cup but win the Conn Smythe and only the second skater to do so. It's not the trophy McDavid wanted but it's the one he gets.
Conn Smythe Trophy Betting
If you think regular futures betting is tough, try selecting not only the winning team but the highest-performing player from that roster. It may seem as simple as selecting the team's best player, but the problem is that Stanley Cup-caliber squads have multiple best players.
| Year | Winner | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Connor McDavid (C) | Edmonton Oilers |
| 2023 | Jonathan Marchessault (RW) | Vegas Golden Knights |
| 2022 | Cale Makar (D) | Colorado Avalanche |
| 2021 | Andrei Vasilevskiy (G) | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| 2020 | Victor Hedman (D) | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| 2019 | Ryan O’Reilly (C) | St. Louis Blues |
| 2018 | Alexander Ovechkin (LW) | Washington Capitals |
| 2017 | Sidney Crosby (C) | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| 2016 | Sidney Crosby (C) | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| 2015 | Duncan Keith (D) | Chicago Blackhawks |
Colorado forwards Nathan Mackinnon and Mikko Rantanen can be the best players on the ice on any given night, and the same goes for Tampa Bay stars Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point. The problem is that they have teammates that are just as good. Even if you have a strong feeling about your Stanley Cup pick, stick to that market until the playoff narratives develop.
The area where you can truly find value in Conn Smythe betting is during the final round. Last year, Marchessault entered Game 4 as a -140 favorite to win the award. While he had just one assist that night, he moved to -500 to capture the award heading into Game 5.
A pre-Game 4 bet was essentially a bet on Vegas to win the series (which was -275), barring any other heroic performances, at a discount.
Conn Smythe: Little Love For Losers
A Stanley Cup Final loser has won the Conn Smythe only six times. Only two skaters have ever won it. Reggie Leach in '76, who had 11 more goals than the next-best player, and now Connor McDavid in '24 with 10 more points than anyone in the playoffs.
The six Final losers to win the Conn Smythe:
- 1966 - Roger Crozier (Detroit Red Wings)
- 1968 - Glenn Hall (St. Louis Blues)
- 1976 - Reggie Leach (Philadelphia Flyers)
- 1987 - Ron Hextall (Philadelphia Flyers)
- 2003 - Jean-Sebastien Giguere (Mighty Ducks of Anaheim)
- 2024 - Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers)
