Steadiness, reliability, dependability; they’re the attributes you look for in a goaltender and Bobrovsky has demonstrated all of those and more for the Panthers so far this postseason. Bobrovsky is 12-5 with a 2.11 goals-against average, .912 save percentage and three shutouts in 17 playoff starts and he’s one more Florida player who, despite going to the Stanley Cup Final for the third consecutive season, isn’t showing signs of fatigue. The 36-year-old still takes on a sizeable workload during the regular season (50 or more games in each of the past four seasons). He just makes it work, and he’s my vote for the Conn Smythe this year. — Tracey Myers staff writer
Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
Maybe I’m just being contrarian. Could be. But despite Connor McDavid getting most of the oxygen in Edmonton, I think we’re leaving a big piece out of the conversation. Draisaitl had a better regular season than McDavid and, once it’s all said and done, I think he will overtake him for the Conn Smythe as the Oilers take the Cup. Draisaitl trails McDavid by a single point in the playoffs this season, at 25 to McDavid’s 26, while having one more goal, at seven to McDavid’s six. And that’s where I think he’ll end up with the edge. While I know that McDavid is the captain and the Canadian and the favorite, I foresee Draisaitl coming from behind with some crucial goals to overtake McDavid for the trophy as the two combine to lead their team to the Cup. — Amalie Benjamin, senior writer
Connor McDavid, Oilers
There’s a lot of reasons why McDavid is the best player in the world. But one of the reasons I think the Oilers have made it this far again and will win this time is their commitment to team defense, which has greatly improved in the past two seasons. As skilled as McDavid is offensively, he has repeatedly pointed out Edmonton’s ability to defend during this run to its second consecutive Cup Final. And he’s been part of that, not only 5-on-5, where he leads the League’s forwards with a plus-113 shot differential, but also by becoming a regular part of the Oilers penalty kill this season after rarely playing shorthanded last season. By becoming a player who plays in all situations, he’s helped the Oilers become a complete team that will win their first championship since 1990. — Tom Gulitti, senior writer
What McDavid does for the Oilers on the ice — his unmatched talent, penchant for scoring big goals at the biggest times and (even though he doesn’t like to be asked about it) his commitment to the defensive end — has been discussed ad nauseum, so I don’t need to go there. But it’s what he does off the ice as well. In “FACEOFF: Inside the NHL” last season, the whole world saw how distraught he was after Game 7 of the Cup Final last year. For some athletes, that would be a defeat they never get over. But that defeat last year has clearly fueled McDavid, and in turn, the entire Oilers team, to get back this year and win it. He is the best player in the NHL, arguably the best captain in the NHL, and it’s why, he will win the Conn Smythe again this year along with the Stanley Cup. — Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief
