Yes, it’s early but it’s still deep enough into the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to begin our Conn Smythe power rankings.
Every week throughout the post-season, we’ll take a look at the contenders for Conn Smythe Trophy. Throughout the first two rounds, we’ll look at 10 contenders before the list shrinks to five for the final two rounds.
Obviously, a majority of the first-round match-ups still need to be decided and a bunch are tied at 2-2, so the players on the list will certainly fluctuate over the next week or so.
Nathan Mackinnon — for example — took a steep fall after Colorado dropped two straight games to the Minnesota Wild.
With that in mind, here are the current top 10 contenders for the playoff MVP award:
1) Patrick Marleau, San Jose Sharks — The Sharks were unable to sweep the Los Angeles Kings, but that didn’t hurt Marleau’s standing in the Conn Smythe power rankings. The under-appreciated forward has been San Jose’s most effective player, registering seven points in the first four games of the series. He also added the overtime winner in Game 3. Maybe this will finally be the Sharks year.
2) Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins — Once again, Rask is putting up spectacular numbers for Boston in the playoffs. In four games, Rask has a .966 save percentage with a goals-against average of 0.96. Thanks to incredible goaltending, Boston is within one game of advancing to the second round to take on the Montreal Canadiens. Not bad for a guy once traded for Andrew Raycroft.
3) Darcy Kuemper, Minnesota Wild — What a difference a goaltending switch can make. Since Kuemper was inserted into the starting lineup for Ilya Bryzgalov, the Wild have won back-to-back games after a 0-2 series deficit. Kuemper has been absolutely stellar in net, allowing just one goal with a save percentage of .979 in nearly 150 minutes of ice time. He could shoot up this list if Minnesota wins the series.
4) Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks — It’s always difficult choosing between Toews and Patrick Kane in this spot, but we lean to Toews, who has contributed more in all three zones. The Blackhawks captain is leading Chicago in playoff scoring (one goal, four assists in five games) while averaging just over 25 minutes per game. Remember, Chicago has played a few overtime games.
5) Brandon Dubinsky, Columbus Blue Jackets — Dubinsky is making a significant impact at both ends of the ice. He’s been assigned with shutting down Sidney Crosby, who has not been effective in the first four games of the series. Some believe Crosby’s ineffectiveness is related to injury, but Dubinsky’s defensive prowess has stood out. He’s also contributed on the offensive end, leading the Blue Jackets in scoring with four goals and five points in four games.
6) Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche — If we did this list at the beginning of the week, MacKinnon would’ve held the No. 1 spot. But since the Wild inserted Kuemper into the starting lineup, the series has completely shifted Minnesota’s way. MacKinnon hasn’t scored after posting an impressive seven points in the first two games of the series. His display in Game 2 was the best performance we’ve seen thus far in the post-season.
7) Rene Bourque, Montreal Canadiens — We thought about putting Carey Price and P.K. Subban in this spot, but Bourque was the player who stood out the most during Montreal’s opening-round sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning. The much-malgined forward didn’t lead his team in points (that honour went to Brandon Gallagher), but his breakout showing in Round 1 earns him a spot here.
8) Martin St. Louis, New York Rangers — St. Louis took a while to get started when he was first acquired by the Rangers at the trade deadline, but he’s finally found his game. The veteran forward has five points (two goals, three assists) to lead the Rangers in scoring in the first three games of the series. This is the St. Louis the Rangers were so eager to trade for.
9) Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues — The Blues weren’t able to hold onto an early 2-0 series lead, but the value of Tarasenko has been clear. He has four goals in four games against the defending Stanley Cup champions and has added a much-needed punch to an offence that has turned cold in recent playoffs. Tarasenko leads all playoff scorers with four goals, but his name of the list won’t last long if St. Louis doesn’t hold on in the series.
10) Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars — With Ryan Getzlaf all of a sudden banged up, there’s an opportunity for the Stars to pull off the upset over the No. 1 seed. If so, Benn will be a huge reason why. The Canadian Olympian has posted four points (three goals, one assist) in four games and played a critical role in helping Dallas overcome a 0-2 start to the series.
Honourable mention: Paul Martin, Pittsburgh Penguins
