Hypothetical - does McDavid win the Conn Smythe even if Oilers lose the cup? Assuming he has an above average finals

[NotASheep]

No - a different Oiler will win the Smythe when Oilers win the cup.

It will be Skinner, ainec.

Lol

 

[Regal]

I think a losing team player has to feel like he’s carrying a team that otherwise doesn’t deserve to be there and that’s not the case here despite McDavid being really good. I think the mentality surrounding it has changed to it not being a viable option and I just don’t see it happening.

 

[Fledgemyhedge]

you really need to re-think a lot of things over before you post. Just to save yourself the embarrassment

we’re watching a man completely unravel in the course of a couple months…. Sad

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

Bob is winning the Conn Smythe if Florida wins

 

[Mez]

Honestly they should only allow the Smythe for the cup winning team. It would be lame and I bet McDavid wouldn't even feel good accepting it.

 

[Mulletman]

Of course McDavid wins the Conn Smythe even if the oilers lose in the finals. Breaking Gretzky's assist record will make sure of that!

People forget how desperate the Canadian media was back in 2016 to give it to Crosby despite a subpar playoff were he was 6th overall in playoff scoring with just 19 points and a -2. The media tought that Crosby wouldn't get another good shot at it. McDavid is at the similar point in his career as Crosby was in 2016, but McDavid is the way bigger hockey legend and there is no way they won't gift McDavid with a Conn Smythe if he has 32 assists and loses in the finals.

 

[LaCarriere]

Honestly they should only allow the Smythe for the cup winning team. It would be lame and I bet McDavid wouldn't even feel good accepting it.

Exactly. Especially with the differential between his goals/assists. At 5/26 (G/A) its hardly an individual effort on his part. And to that point, 1/3 of his assists are secondary assists, so he's relying on multiple players to make good plays besides himself.

It's not like he's been lighting up the lamp himself. While assists can surely show your ability as a playmaker, it also means somebody else has to finish the play.

As a side bar... I've always taken issue with the wording of the Conn Smythe itself. The NHL describes the trophy as given "to the most valuable player for his team in the playoffs." That can easily be interpreted as each team having their own Conn Smythe (MVP). Of course nobody cares who the MVP is of a first round exit team... but the wording still sucks.

Simple solution would be to do it like the Olympics, and annouce an MVP from each team, with the MVP from the winning team getting the actual trophy.

 

[KrisLetAngry]

McDavid would have to play really well.

I have a very hard time personally giving the losing team the MVP for the playoffs.

 

[Video Nasty]

Of course McDavid wins the Conn Smythe even if the oilers lose in the finals. Breaking Gretzky's assist record will make sure of that!

People forget how desperate the Canadian media was back in 2016 to give it to Crosby despite a subpar playoff were he was 6th overall in playoff scoring with just 19 points and a -2. The media tought that Crosby wouldn't get another good shot at it. McDavid is at the similar point in his career as Crosby was in 2016, but McDavid is the way bigger hockey legend and there is no way they won't gift McDavid with a Conn Smythe if he has 32 assists and loses in the finals.

McDavid is going to win the Conn Smythe clean, because he’s not going to let his team get dismantled during their first visit to the Finals. If anything, they’ll be looking for ways to award others for Conn Smythes he should win in the future.

 

[Turin]

I don’t think a losing player will ever win the Smythe again.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

Would be hilarious to see McDavid crack 40 points and win the Smythe, only to lose the Cup and still have fans of other teams crap on him and say he can’t get it done in the playoffs because he’s Cupless.

 

[snag]

Was going to say this.

I just don't see how this happens, all while the Pathers don't have somebody who you can at least make a decent argument for. For McDavid to have that many points, all while losing, would easily suggest there must be somebody from the Panthers who also matches (or at least comes very close to matching) McDavid in performance.

I just don't see the NHL forcing the Oilers to stick around on the ice for McDavid to accept a mostly personal award, just to award the cup to the Panthers minutes later.

Hardly anyone who wins the Conn Smythe trophy celebrate it... it's generally a-la Cale Makar... skates back to his teammates without even raising it, hands it to a coach/trainer and then wait for the real trophy.

Since the CS is chosen by the PHWA....not really up to the league.

But you just gotta look at Giguere's face.... "Get me the f*** outta here...."

 

[ES]

I think Oilers have to get into game 7 and be in contention when the voting is conducted.

 

[GMR]

We all know that if the Oilers win McDavid is getting the award. There's not a chance on earth the voters will give it to Draisaitl or Bouchard. McDavid would have to completely crap the bed (which doesn't seem likely) to even start to counteract the narrative the media has of him finally getting his long deserved cup.

Crosby crapped the bed in the Finals and still won the Conn Smythe.

 

[bobholly39]

I don’t think a losing player will ever win the Smythe again.

I disagree.

Do I like when it happens? No it's absolutely stupid. I think there should literally be an official rule change that states "Conn Smythe is for a player on winning team only".

BUT - since it is legal/possible today, I can totally see it happening again. And this year is probably the most likely year since Giguere for it to happen. All the ingredients are there:

- McDavid possibly reaching 40+ points
- Florida's top player (Barkov) might end up at closer to half (~20-22 points? he has 17 now)
- McDavid is a generational player who has never won before, and Conn Smythe voters like to vote for them (see Crosby in 2016, Ovechkin in 2018)

I'm not saying it happens for sure, but I think it's more likely this year than almost any other year in the past 20 years, that a player entering the final could win the smythe win or lose.

I probably could have seen Carey Price be in contention in 2021 too - but he had some bad games to start final and it cost him. If he had been lights out all finals and still lost, he might have won.

Obviously - whether McDavid wins or not depends largely on how things shake out in the finals. But the premise of this hypothetical thread is McDavid is decent (I'm thinking ~6-8 points in ~6 games) and Edmonton lose. The assumption is there's also no absolute standout performer on Florida (if Barkov lights it up with 10 points, then he'd win). I think if this scenario played out, good chance McDavid takes the Smythe.

 

[dr robbie]

In order for a player to win it on the losing side, two things have to happen:

1- No one player stands out on the winning team
2- The player has to clearly separate himself from the rest of his team and above anyone on the winning team to deserve the award

I don't think either of these are likely. In regards to #1, I feel like Bob and Barkov are clearly ahead of the pack (maybe Tkachuk). Any one of them are likely to pull ahead in the finals assuming Florida wins it. In regards to #2, I personally feel like Drai has played better overall this playoffs. McD can still separate himself, but I doubt he could enough in a losing effort to clearly put himself head-and-shoulders above the field.

Regardless, I think if the Oilers win, he will almost certainly be given the Smythe. It's pretty much the default setting that ties or close calls will go to the captain. The NHL prefers it and the media prefers it. The best player in the world winning the most coveted trophy in the world while being recognized as the best player on the winning team just kind of writes itself.

 

[Bank Shot]

I think a losing team player has to feel like he’s carrying a team that otherwise doesn’t deserve to be there and that’s not the case here despite McDavid being really good. I think the mentality surrounding it has changed to it not being a viable option and I just don’t see it happening.

If McDavid did something crazy like recorded 14 points, setting the record for most points in an NHL finals series, and his 45 points would be second all time to only Gretzky in a single playoff season, then I could see it.

Other than that, if Florida wins, they also get the Conn Smythe.

 

[Voight]

The only way he could win it if the Oilers lose is he breaks Gretzky's points record IMO.

Reggie Leach won it because he broke the playoff goals record.

 

[Rec T]

Crosby crapped the bed in the Finals and still won the Conn Smythe.

Crosby was who I was thinking of while reading the thread. If the Oilers lose I think there's a better than even chance of McDavid winning the CS 'because' the voters are the ones who've been driving the McJesus narrative over the years. The best player in the world being Canadian & bringing a Canadian team close to earning The Cup... "We should give him the CS as a consolation prize..." (especially if he breaks a Gretzky record to 'justify' it).

On a winning team I think that McDavid will get the CS also. On a losing team though, as awesome as he is (& he is), he just hasn't been 'that' incredible to separate himself from all the others who have had very very good playoffs themselves to deserve the CS.

 

[tacogeoff]

If he keeps this pace he deserves it win or lose.

 

[Fataldogg]

Bob is winning the Conn Smythe if Florida wins

Bobrovsky is a .908. He isn't winning a Conn Smythe with numbers like that. There are better candidates on Florida to win it.

 

[Oak]

As much as I'd love to see McDavid glorified more than he already is. He is clearly the best player in the world. I don't think he gets it over Barkov or even another player who has been a key in the Panthers run like Tkachuk or Bennett.

 

[Mike C]

A Panther will win the Smythe, should they win the Cup

McDavid will win the Smythe, should the Oilers win the Cup.

Here's the one miracle situation where the Oilers lose and McDavid wins the Cup. McDavid (31) passes Gretzky (47) for points in a single playoffs - which would likely suggest he would also break Gretzky's single playoff season assist record. That means McDavid scores over 2 points a game and the Oilers lose. Don't see how that is possible but you never know.

If he scores 2 a game vs Fla system, the series won't go long enough for him to pass Gretzky I suspect

 

[CanadienShark]

If he keeps on trucking and no Panthers stand out, it's possible. Voters seem to only ever want the Cup winner to get the Smythe though, with very few exceptions.

 

[StreetHawk]

If he keeps on trucking and no Panthers stand out, it's possible. Voters seem to only ever want the Cup winner to get the Smythe though, with very few exceptions.

Think it's only been Hextall and Giguere that have won the Conn Smythe from the losing team in the Finals IIRC. But, points wise, he's quite a bit ahead of any Panther player. Probably, it would come down to McDavid and Bob for it should FLA win the Cup.