Conn Smythe Trophy - Players that did a lot to win but never did

[Sergei Bure]

Which players did more in playoffs run until the Finals in their careers and never won the Playoff MVP? Your picks...

I go with Dominik Hasek, Ed Belfour & Sergei Fedorov.

Fedorov is a crime that he never won, he probably would have been the winner if the Wings had won in 1995, he was totally robbed in 1997, Mike Vernon was solid but you always need the goalie to do well in order to win the Stanley Cup, he was good but nothing out of this world. The Stanley Cup finals was won not because of Vernon, the reason of Detroit sweep was the Flyers turnovers and pretty weak goaltending from Hextall & Snow. And before that in the real "Stanley Cup final" against Colorado, the only game that i thought that Vernon was the reason for the win, it was game 3. If Fedorov name was Sidney Crosby, he would have won it easily. You can also make a case for Fedorov in 1998 & 2002, but i feel Yzerman deserved in 1998 and i have no problem with Lindstrom in 2002 winning.

Belfour went to the finals the first time in 1992, he had a good run until the Penguins got the best of him and the Blackhawks in the finals, after that he was just phenomenal in both Dallas run, he got the best of Fuhr, Roy and Hasek in 1999, and the year after he was even more amazing winning by himself against the Avalanche, the Stars were getting dominated but Eddie completely stole the series. In the finals with exception of Game 1 he was fantastic too, and looked much more impressive than Brodeur.

Hasek was the only reason the Sabres went to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1999, and he was pretty solid in 2002 (way more than Vernon in 1997), you can make a case for him, like you can make for Fedorov, Lindstrom, Shanahan and Yzerman, and even Forsberg whose team was not even in the Stanley Cup Finals.

 

[Staniowski]

I agree about Fedorov in '95 and '97. I would've voted for Fedorov in '95 even though they were swept in the Finals.

Jacques Lemaire may have been in the Conn Smythe conversation five times: 68, 71, 73, 77, 79, all Cup-winning seasons (it was won by teammates Dryden, Cournoyer, Lafleur, Gainey, and Glenn Hall in '68). Lemaire was Mr. Clutch for the Habs of that era.

And, in a sense, Lemaire probably deserved the Conn Smythe in '95 more than any Devils player!

 

[Sergei Bure]

And, in a sense, Lemaire probably deserved the Conn Smythe in '95 more than any Devils player!

i agree...

 

[WarriorofTime]

Kucherov could have two and neither would be weak

 

[Moose Head]

Denis Potvin

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Kucherov should have 2
Kessel should have one
Krejci led the playoffs in scoring twice and has none (not like he has a strong argument for one, but fun quirk)

 

[jigglysquishy]

Denis Potvin

He almost did in 1980 and was the leading candidate into the Cup finals.

The Windsor Star · ‎May 14, 1980
Move over Bill Barber. Let Denis Potvin get a finger on that Smythe Trophy. [Potvin scored OT winner]
Al Arbour said about Potvin, “he’s great offensively but we want him to be great defensively and take advantage of his offensive opportunities when they arise. Tonight he did.”


1976 is also pretty crazy. 19 points in 13 games (Islanders only scored 45 goals).


1983 is another year he could have won.

The Phoenix · ‎May 11, 1983
Smith got a desperation save from Denis Potvin seconds before Morrow scored.
Denis Potvin dived to deflect the puck away from Wayne Gretzky at the edge of the crease.


The Southeast Missourian · ‎May 15, 1983

There are perhaps a dozen Islander candidates for the playoff MVP, which Trottier won in 1980, Goring in 81 and Bossy last year. [Speculation that Smith might win it]

Potvin and Morrow have been the stars of the stellar defense which has thrown the vaunted Oilers’ attack into neutral and held the highest scoring team in NHL history (424 goals) to four goals in three games.

[On Gretzky’s lack of offense] The Islanders defense has been virtually impenetrable.

Herald-Journal · ‎May 19, 1983

Potvin, who was magnificent throughout the playoffs, especially in the shocking four-game sweep of the Oilers.


Potvin was the biggest factor shutting down Gretzky in 1983.

 

[Moose Head]

Kucherov should have 2
Kessel should have one
Krejci led the playoffs in scoring twice and has none (not like he has a strong argument for one, but fun quirk)

Rick MacLeish also led the playoffs in scoring the two years the Flyers won. Incidentally, they lost the final the following year, with MacLeish out. It was a sweep, but every game except one was decided by a goal. Habs only outscored the Flyers by 5 in a 4 game sweep. A healthy MacLeish and Parent, and that series becomes a whole lot more interesting.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

if i had a vote, i would have voted for pronger and doughty multiple times

brodeur and kopitar also belong in this thread

 

[JackSlater]

Fedorov is a great answer, as are Hasek, Potvin and Kucherov. Pronger is another.

Doughty could have won a few, probably should have one. Esposito could have won a few, didn't deserve one over Orr but that's a special circumstance.

Of the players mentioned so far to me Fedorov is the only player with one year, 1997, where he obviously should have won it. The others have multiple worthy playoff runs.

 

[Michael Farkas]

A lot of good names in here already. I'm just gonna pitch a low end name for funsies...Marian Gaborik. Not only did he lead the playoffs in goals in 2014, but his run in 2003 is underappreciated...not only was he a young player in a tough era, but he played on a team with a bunch of construction workers...

 

[MadLuke]

brodeur

Wait, he never won, that true ! I think it is the first time I fully realize that and what 2003 mean. Took me a second to realize it was not a mistake there.

1994-2003 Brodeur (21-30 years old), 83 win, 55L, .922, 1.83 GAA, 62 goal saved above average, scored 8 pts even doing so, that is a lot of winning (3 cups, 4xfinals, 5xconference finals).

His save percentage was exactly the same as Roy-Belfour, his winning the same as Roy has well...

And after that he had prime Luongo playoff career from 2004-2013 pretty much...

As we go down the list, Forsberg is a case of all time playoff performer that did not get really close to win it, while "being" on a 2 cup champ, there is a chance he was never top 3 in the ballot and a really good one he was never top 2.

Forsberg specially if we say until the final (so his 2001 run, his 1999 run when he lead the playoff in points without reaching the final, 2002 when he lead the playoff again without reaching the final again, fully count as much as they can).

In the 3 first round category, Forsberg must be really high all time in the non-smythe winner.

Danny Briere did a lot of damage in the first 2-3 round of the playoff for a while, did reach 120 playoff games and did get out of the first round on a constant basis (has we go lower down the list).

Brett Hull is another strong playoff scorer that never won it, if the 00 Stars win maybe ? (Belfour-Modano-Hatcher-Zubov they had a list....)

 

[Buffalowing1988]

if i had a vote, i would have voted for pronger and doughty multiple times

brodeur and kopitar also belong in this thread

Pronger was the best player in the 06 and 07 playoffs. Most impactful guy on teams that made their mark. I can only think of a handful of guys who came even close to that level of dominance in the playoffs post lockout (Malkin, McDavid, Kuch maybe). He basically just erased the best forwards he went up against and was a force on offense, too. The suspensions/penalties hurt him a bit but I think he had to play on the edge to succeed.

 

[wetcoast]

I agree about Fedorov in '95 and '97. I would've voted for Fedorov in '95 even though they were swept in the Finals.

Jacques Lemaire may have been in the Conn Smythe conversation five times: 68, 71, 73, 77, 79, all Cup-winning seasons (it was won by teammates Dryden, Cournoyer, Lafleur, Gainey, and Glenn Hall in '68). Lemaire was Mr. Clutch for the Habs of that era.

And, in a sense, Lemaire probably deserved the Conn Smythe in '95 more than any Devils player!

Fedorov and Potvin both with great 4 year consecutive runs where the first names that came to mind.

Too many people, sometimes, focus too much on who wins any trophy and the Conn Smythe is probably the best example of this.

Many players have had Conn Smythe worthy runs but aren't on the SC winning team or don't make the Finals or there is some weird pick like Justin Williams some years.

 

[MadLuke]

Marian Hossa won 118 playoff games in his career (87 loss)...

In those 118 win, he went
47 goals-74 assists-121 points, +66

In the 87 loss he went just:
5 goals, 23 assists, 28 points and minus 41

pace per 82 games
33 G, 51 A, 84 pts, +46
vs
~5 G, 21A, 26 pts, -39

That a lot of winning and that a lot of scoring, with a really huge gap in production between the 2, I wonder if anyone with such a big career sample size has an over 3x ratio like that.

Those wins are all from 00-04 deep DPE and then between 2008-2016, after the 06-07 higher scoring and before it restart to go up around 2017....

He reached the final 5 times, conference finals 7 times, all that without I think ever being that close to win the Smythe.

Chelios won 149 playoff games which could be the most of the no-Smythe group, 3 cup, at least 3 other final that I can think of

 

[Staniowski]

Fedorov and Potvin both with great 4 year consecutive runs where the first names that came to mind.

Too many people, sometimes, focus too much on who wins any trophy and the Conn Smythe is probably the best example of this.

Many players have had Conn Smythe worthy runs but aren't on the SC winning team or don't make the Finals or there is some weird pick like Justin Williams some years.

People have different philosophies about what the Conn Smythe is...obviously it's generally awarded to the MVP of the Cup-winning team, with some emphasis in importance on the final two series, and especially the finals.

I think if I were voting. I would vote for the best player among the two finalist teams, regardless of which team wins.

I also think voting for somebody who loses in the semis should be considered in exceptional cases.

But, in any event, it's naturally an award that is highly dependent on team success, which makes it relatively unimportant.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Potvin, Kessel , Hasek and Kucherov

 

[Staniowski]

Denis Potvin

I don't think Potvin was ever actually in the running for the Conn Smythe, which isn't to say he was undeserving.

But I think the four winners - Trottier, Bossy, Goring, Smith - were likely the big four vote getters over the four years, combined. Especially Bossy and Trottier, and then followed by Goring and Smith.

 

[WarriorofTime]

That a lot of winning and that a lot of scoring, with a really huge gap in production between the 2, I wonder if anyone with such a big career sample size has an over 3x ratio like that.

Those wins are all from 00-04 deep DPE and than 2008-2016, after the 06-07 higher scoring and before it restart to go up around 2017....

He reached the final 5 times, conference finals 7 times, all that without I think ever being that close to win the Smythe.

It's too bad Hossa's winning year didn't overlap with his big scoring years (which to be fair were also high league scoring years, but coincide with his likely peak age wise anyways).

His 2007-08 postseason would have been a pretty good Conn Smythe compared to some actual ones if Pittsburgh had won. Crosby would have taken it like 99 % certain, but Hossa 12 goals 14 assists (26 points) in 20 games +8 was very strong.

Other thing that hurt Hossa reputation a bit the whole playing on losing side in B2B Pittsburgh/Detroit Finals which people will use NBA logic to mean wasn't very good or spot got upgraded/downgraded, etc., but it's still difficult in Salary Cap Era to make B2B finals regardless.

Hossa big part of the Chicago Cups but never really a Smythe candidate. I suppose Kane won in 2013 when Chicago scoring was all pretty bunched up (and very low scoring series generally), so a few more points any way maybe sees it go differently.

Has any Forward ever really gotten Conn Smythe off the strength of 2-way puck possession? The 2010s may have been a good time to go that route with how low scoring postseasons were especially from western conference champions.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Has any Forward ever really gotten Conn Smythe off the strength of 2-way puck possession?

Gainey and Toews

 

[WarriorofTime]

Gainey and Toews

Toews won it in 2010 because he was Hawks best point producer that playoffs imo. Hossa "out-analaytic'd" him but had like half the points. Toews was phenomenal analytically speaking in 2013, but didn't have a lot of production with a very low on ice team shooting % in postseason. Gainey probably fits the bill, at least reputationally, he was pretty far behind Lafleur and Lemaire in points.

 

[FinLurker]

If we are staring career playoff point totals or goal scoring and two-way play. Jari Kurri comes to mind. He was never close to winning one for obvious reasons, but his playoff resume is better than anyone mentioned earlier.

 

[MadLuke]

The fact Kurri was not the first name to pop-up could be telling, but like Brodeur I would have had to make a year by year mental check-list before saying he never won it.

He did lead the playoff in goals on the stanley cup winning team 4 times, that more than Maurice Richard or Mike Bossy so I am tempted to say he did it the most ?,

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

The fact Kurri was not the first name to pop-up could be telling, but like Brodeur I would have had to make a year check-list before saying he never won it.

He did lead the playoff in goals on the stanley cup winning team 4 times, that more than Maurice Richard or Mike Bossy so I am tempted to say he did it the most ?,

Kurri is a tough sell, not to diminish him but is there an Oilers cup you can argue he was the 2nd most important player let alone the most important?

 

[MadLuke]

Kurri is a tough sell, not to diminish him but is there an Oilers cup you can argue he was the 2nd most important player let alone the most important?

That could be true, but how many players that never won the Smyth would have took 2nd most important player on those cup winner on their average great run ?

And he did it year after year after year, etc...