McDavid seen as a sure thing for Conn Smythe at FanDuel
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Based on the betting odds, Connor McDavid appears close a sure thing to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, whether or not the Edmonton Oilers win Game 7 against the Florida Panthers on Monday night.
As of Monday morning, McDavid was listed at -3500 to win the award for playoff MVP. His odds have moved throughout the Stanley Cup Final, starting the series at +200, going all the way to +1700 with the Oilers down 3-0 and entered Friday's Game 6 at -220.
Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov has the next-highest odds at +1200, with Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky third on the list at +9000.
McDavid appears set to add to a trophy collection that already includes five Art Ross Trophies, three Hart Trophies and the 2023 Rocket Richard. If he were to be named the Conn Smythe winner after an Oilers loss, he would become the sixth player to win it in a losing effort since the trophy was first handed out in 1965. Jean-Sebastien Giguere was the most recent player to do so as the Anaheim Mighty Ducks goaltender won it in 2003 after being eliminated in the Stanley Cup Final by the New Jersey Devils.
The 27-year-old centre had a record 34 assists in the playoffs already and sits five points behind Wayne Gretzky for the all-time record in a single postseason. Entering Monday's game McDavid's 42 points are fourth-best all-time, but he could still jump Gretzky's total of 43 in 1988 and Mario Lemieux's 44 from 1991.
McDavid appeared to start pulling away as the Conn Smythe favourite with back-to-back four-point performances in Games 4 and 5. He was held off the scoresheet in Edmonton's 5-1 win in Game 6.
The Oilers enter Game 7 as a very slight underdog at FanDuel at -106, with the Panthers at -113.