🏒 Conn Smythe Predictions: Best Bets for NHL Playoff MVP Through Two Rounds

I'm offering my Conn Smythe Trophy predictions as we approach the midway mark of the playoffs, featuring four favorites and a best-value pick. 

With seven teams still in the fight, the list of potential MVP winners remains extensive. However, the top of the odds leaderboard is jam-packed with players from the Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes, three of whom constitute increasingly appealing picks. I've also featured players from the Vegas Golden Knights and the Montreal Canadiens.

📊 Conn Smythe Trophy odds 2026

2026 Conn Smythe Trophy odds via our best NHL betting sites.

🏆 Conn Smythe Trophy favorites

The top six players on the Conn Smythe odds leaderboard play for the Avalanche or Hurricanes, while Golden Knights players occupy sixth and seventh position. 

Nathan MacKinnon (+300)

With the sixth-most points per game (1.33) in 102 contests, Nathan MacKinnon is built for the postseason.

He has five goals and five assists in the last four games, including 3 points in three straight in the decider against the Los Angeles Kings and Games 1 and 2 against the Minnesota Wild. 

MacKinnon elevates his level in the postseason and, despite his relentless aggressiveness on the ice, leads his team with poise. There's also the little nugget that the Avs are a juggernaut with the second-shortest Stanley Cup odds, expected to at least represent the West in the final. 

For me, it's between MacKinnon, Logan Stankoven, and Frederik Andersen. I'm going with MacKinnon because I believe the Avs are the superior team, albeit only slightly. 

Frederik Andersen (+525)

While Andersen has the best collective defense protecting him every night, take nothing away from what he has thus far achieved.

He hasn't allowed more than two goals in the entire playoffs. In eight games, he has outrageously stingy numbers, including a 1.12 goals-against average (GAA), .950 save percentage, and 11.2 goals saved above expected. 

Those stats are obviously top in class. 

Most importantly, Andersen has the best save percentage (.923) on high-danger shots, showcasing his ability to bail out his team, not the other way around. 

Logan Stankoven (+1400)

If it weren't for Andersen's heroics, Stankoven would be my pick from the Hurricanes. The 23-year-old is the embodiment of clutch.

He's tied with Matt Boldy for the lead in playoff goals (seven), scoring the opener in the first three games and his fourth late in the third period of Game 4 to put the Ottawa Senators on the brink.

He followed that up with two goals in the Round 2 opener and the overtime winner in Game 4 to send the Philadelphia Flyers packing. He has at least one point in six of eight games and is the person the Hurricanes turn to when a monumental moment is required. 

Mitch Marner (+1800)

Marner has flipped the script from his previous playoff experiences, showcasing how elite he is, both as a setup man and a goal scorer. He leads the playoffs with 16 points, notching seven in the previous two games. 

In Game 3 against the Anaheim Ducks, he scored his first playoff hat trick in a four-point explosion. Marner has at least a point in eight of 10 contests, scoring two points or more four times. He's also only one goal shy of a share of the playoff lead. 

I expect the Golden Knights to find a way past the Ducks, setting up a thrilling Western Conference final. My issue with Marner is that I don't expect Vegas to win the West. Head to BetMGM if you want the best price. 

🏆 Conn Smythe Trophy: Best value bet 

Jakub Dobes (+2200)

The Montreal Canadiens can win the Stanley Cup on one condition. Dobes must stand on his head throughout the postseason.

He's off to a pretty good start, almost single-handedly dispatching the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 of the first round. Since Game 2 of the opening round, he's had one sub-zero goals saved above expected once. That occurred in the Game 1 defeat to the Buffalo Sabres. 

The rookie netminder has the second-best goals saved above expected of the remaining goaltenders (6.1), trailing Andersen. If he pulls off the improbable, he'll join an exclusive club of rookie goaltenders who won the Conn Smythe, which includes Montreal legends Ken Dryden and Patrick Roy. 

Of the best sports betting sites, DraftKings offers the best price.