Who Will Win the Conn Smythe Trophy 2019? Predictions for the Stanley Cup MVP

Jordan Binnington put together one hell of a rookie campaign that ended with a nomination for the Calder trophy – the award for the NHL’s rookie of the year. How great would a Conn Smythe award look along with that? Although regular season statistics do not get accounted for when determining the playoff MVP, Binnington carried his strong play over as if he never skipped a beat. He has had a few minor hiccups this postseason, and that’s why he is our number four on this list.

Binnington has played 20 games this postseason and the 25-year-old has put together a playoff record of 12-8. His goals against average for the playoffs sits at 2.40 and his save percentage is .915 – impressive numbers for a goalie that has played more minutes than any other this postseason (1,225 minutes). Binnington has also managed one shutout and even had an assist on one St. Louis goal.

3. F – Brad Marchand – Boston Bruins

At the time of writing, Brad Marchand was behind only Logan Couture for the playoff scoring lead. With a minimum of three games left in the Stanley Cup finals, it’s a pretty safe bet that he will surpass Couture by the playoffs end.

Marchand sits second in playoff scoring with eight goals and 11 assists in 18 games. He has a 1.06 goals per game average and is a plus-5 on the ice. Marchand has two power play goals and ten power play points. He has also added two game-winners. He has 61 shots on goal, giving him a 13.1 shooting percentage. He’s been averaging just over 20 minutes of ice time per game and can draw penalties out of an opposing team better than anyone.

The reason he ranks just behind out number two is because of the incredible supporting cast that Marchand has at his disposal (Bergeron, Kuraly, Chara, Krejci, Pastrnak, Backes, et al.)

2. F – Jaden Schwartz – St. Louis Blues

Schwartz’s playoff run started a little on the slow side. His presence was felt but the offensive contributions weren’t coming immediately. Two hat tricks later and Schwartz finds himself third-overall in the playoff scoring race and, like Marchand, could also likely see his name at the top of that list by the time the playoffs have concluded.

Schwartz has 12 goals and five assists in the postseason with the St. Louis Blues. He has a .85 goals per game average and is a plus-6 across 20 games played. He has two power play goals and two game-winning goals. Schwartz has 54 shots on net and a shooting percentage of 22.2 percent. He averages 17.5 minutes of ice time per game and has a faceoff percentage of 60 percent. He is the only player this post season to tally two hat tricks.

1. G – Tuukka Rask – Boston Bruins

Tuukka Rask is an experienced, Stanley Cup winning goalie, and the deeper the Bruins get into the playoffs, the stronger his play has become. Where most would expect a goalie to be more than a little burnt out by the time the finals begin, Rask has actually steadily improved and looks better than ever heading into the Cup finals.

Rask playoff statistics lead all goalies in the 2019 playoffs. His goals against average has improved with every round and is currently at 1.85. His save percentage also continues to raise and he currently sits at an astonishing .940. The 31-year-old has played 18 postseason games this year and has a record of 13-5. He has played 1,101 minutes and has two shutouts. His play is most likely to only improve from here with the Stanley Cup (and the Conn Smythe) within reach. That’s why he’s our number one candidate for the award.

Conn Smythe Trophy Winner Odds

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