Conn Smythe Leaders Entering the NHL’s Conference Finals

The conference finals are set to get underway tonight. With only four teams remaining in the NHL playoffs, it’s time to take a look at who’s leading the Conn Smythe race as we inch closer to the Stanley Cup Final. In no specific order, here are some of the leading candidates in the Conn Smythe race.

Frederik Andersen

When you’re 8-0 through two rounds of the playoffs, your goaltender has to be a significant factor, right? Frederik Andersen enters the Eastern Conference Final with a save percentage of .950, and he’s saved 13.71 goals above expected. There’s probably a bit of regression coming at some point. A .950 save percentage is difficult to sustain throughout the playoffs, but he’s been arguably the Hurricanes’ best player through two rounds.

As Andersen prepares for the Montreal Canadiens, he faces a new challenge. The Canadiens are not afraid to absorb pressure and counterattack off the rush. While the Hurricanes had one of the worst rush defenses during the regular season, it hasn’t been an issue so far in the playoffs. We’ll see if that changes against Montreal and if it affects Andersen.

Nathan MacKinnon

The Colorado Avalanche are getting contributions up and down the lineup, but Nathan MacKinnon is still very much their leader. He has seven goals and 13 points through nine games and was dominant against the Minnesota Wild, totaling nine of his 13 playoff points in that series.

The Avalanche have had no problem tilting the ice in their favor during MacKinnon’s five-on-five minutes. They’re controlling 59.89 percent of the expected goals and outscoring teams 8-3. MacKinnon does need to produce at five-on-five a bit more than he has; he has just four five-on-five points through nine games. Still, there’s no doubting his impact through two rounds.

Mitch Marner

Mitch Marner is doing plenty to rewrite his narrative, isn’t he? He has 18 points in 12 games, which leads all skaters in the 2026 playoffs. He was particularly impressive against the Anaheim Ducks in Round 2, totaling 11 points in six games en route to the Golden Knights eliminating the Ducks.

Marner has been one of the Golden Knights’ better five-on-five players through two rounds. He’s totaled seven five-on-five points and has an xG% of 51.27 percent. The Golden Knights have a difficult task ahead in the Avalanche. They will need Marner to continue his torrid scoring pace to have a chance at pulling off the upset. If he can, perhaps the Golden Knights can give the Avalanche a run for their money.

Jack Eichel

All the attention has been on Marner in Vegas, but Jack Eichel has quietly been excellent as well. Eichel has only one goal, but he has totaled 14 assists. He’s right behind Marner for leading the playoffs in scoring, but that isn’t the only way he contributes to the Golden Knights.

Eichel is the Golden Knights’ best two-way forward and gets plenty of the difficult matchups. He has an xG% of 52.71 percent through two rounds, and the Golden Knights have outscored their opponents 13-9 with Eichel on the ice. It’ll be interesting to see how John Tortorella deploys Eichel against the Avalanche, but I suspect he’ll get plenty of minutes against MacKinnon to try and slow him down.

Taylor Hall

Taylor Hall isn’t the player he was in his prime, but he’s still a solid middle-six contributor. He finished the regular season with 18 goals and 48 points, but has taken his game to another level in the playoffs. He leads the Hurricanes in scoring, with 12 points in eight games.

Just about everyone on the Hurricanes is a solid five-on-five player at worst, but Hall has been their best at that game state. Ten of his 12 points have come at five-on-five, and he has an outstanding xG% of 71.24 percent through eight games. The Hurricanes have outscored their opponents 11-1 when Hall has been on the ice at five-on-five. The Canadiens are not a particularly great five-on-five team, so there’s room for him to do more damage.

Jackson Blake

Blake, along with Logan Stankoven, has been Hall’s linemate during these playoffs, so it’s not surprising to see him having success. He has four goals and 11 points through eight games, and like Hall, he’s been dominant at five-on-five.

Nine of Blake’s 11 points have come at five-on-five. The Hurricanes are demolishing teams during Blake’s five-on-five minutes, totaling an xG% of 68.19 percent. They’ve also outscored teams 9-1. You could argue the Hurricanes haven’t had the most difficult road to the Eastern Conference Final, but I disagree. The Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers were two of the hottest teams entering the playoffs, but the Hurricanes ran each out of the rink. Blake, Hall, and Andersen deserve their flowers.

Lane Hutson

A significant reason the Canadiens are in their current position is the play of Lane Hutson. He has two goals and 14 points through 14 games, placing him seventh in scoring among all skaters in these playoffs.

Granted, Hutson has not dominated at five-on-five like some of his peers. The Canadiens are actually getting outshot and out-chanced in Hutson’s five-on-five minutes, which could prove to be a problem against the Hurricanes. But he’s a gamebreaker and finds ways to produce. If the Canadiens advance to the Stanley Cup Final, he will be among the Conn Smythe candidates.

Jakub Dobeš

When a team survives being outplayed as much as the Canadiens, a good portion of that is usually on the back of goaltending. Jakub Dobeš has played in all 14 of the Canadiens’ games and has shown no signs of fatigue. He has a .910 save percentage and saved an impressive 12.17 goals above expected. The Canadiens likely don’t win either of their Game 7s without his performance. If they upset the Hurricanes, he’ll likely have a significant say in it.

It’ll be interesting to see who advances to the Stanley Cup Final. Odds are on the Avalanche and Hurricanes, but don’t rule out anything at this point. That could make for a different than expected field of Conn Smythe candidates.

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