Which current player has the most to prove this postseason?

[GrandmaCookie]

Has in, which player under/over performance will affect their overall image around the league the most? And what would need to happen?

Leafs out in round 1 or 2 will mark Matthews as the ultimate loser? Or on the contrary, a push for Toronto past round 2 will change a lot about the opinion fans have of him? Or is it a cup or nothing?

McDavid? Is anything else short of another cup finals will start to tarnish his image? Will a cup win make him a contender for hockey mount rushmore?

Make or break playoff for Helleybuck maybe? Draisaitl?

This might be a hot take but I think a MVP for Kucherov or Mackinnon might gave them ammunition for best player in the league.

 

[BLNY]

Draisaitl has nothing to prove. His point production goes up in the playoffs. Short of playing on every line, there's little more he could do.

Hellebuyck or any of the Leafs would be the obvious choices.

 

[PROUD PAPA]

Landeskog.

Probably Helle.

 

[JKG33]

Hellebuyck or any of the Leafs would be the obvious choices.

This is the correct answer.

 

[Fatass]

Macdavid. Until he leads his club to the Cup, he will be the one with the most to prove.

 

[JKG33]

Another cup would be a helluva way for Ovi to cap off his historic season, but he certainly doesn't have to prove anything. A nice Washington playoff run would give Wilson a stage to lock himself in to Canada's lineup too (if hes not a lock already).

Rantanen is a name i think of. Playing against his former team in rd 1, and now being relied upon to be the best player on a team instead of 3rd best.

Seth Jones is a guy who hasn't played a lot of playoff hockey and has an undeserved bad reputation thanks to the spreadsheet jockeys. Big D-men who can play heavy minutes in all situations usually do well in the playoffs, and he's in a great position to succeed in Florida.

Kuemper in LA needs to keep up what hes done so far this season. He was terrible/injured in the playoffs for Colorado, and pretty bad for Washington the last couple regular seasons. A strong playoff showing, even if LA is out early would be nice to see.

Kaprizov is someone who hasn't done much in his playoff career either, but being in Minnesota the expectations are much lower than TOR/NYR/VAN. He needs a strong showing to elevate himself from the overpaid regular season merchant category he's close to entering with the Leafs trio, EP40 and Panarin.

 

[Bouboumaster]

I think the obvious answer is Marner/Matthew

Their best result they ever had was to get their ass kicked in the second round

 

[ViD]

The only correct answer is Hellebuyck

He’s got the worst play off reputation of all elite players aside from the Leafs trio

 

[TheGreatPandasage]

Matthews needs to show up. Imagine one off your league's most marketable stars turns into ghost in the playoffs.

 

[GlitchMarner]

Individual players as opposed to entire teams?

Toronto's core guys obviously, Hellebuyck, maybe PLD (a strong playoff run might be enough to shed the lazy floater label after a very strong regular season), perhaps some guys on LA and CAR.

 

[Mike C]

I think the obvious answer is Marner/Matthew

Their best result they ever had was to get their ass kicked in the second round

And get a car stolen

 

[Bounces R Way]

Auston Glassthews fer sure

 

[kevsh]

Matthews, Marner, Helle.

Probably in that order.

 

[crowfish]

Matthews & Hellebuyck

 

[pi314]

Besides the Helle, Leafs, McDavid picks already mentioned…

…I would add in Carolina and Dallas and certain star players on each team.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Helly is the correct answer, he's been a monster in the regular season only to fold in the playoffs.

Oettinger might be another good shout, he's always good the first 2 rounds and if the Stars make the WCF he always falls apart. He's another one.

Markstrom and the Canes goalies too, Markstrom for being heralded as the missing piece granted the Devils are injured. Andersen for last year's meltdown in G6 v NYR and Kotchekov always getting destroyed in the playoffs besides the one game he came in for relief for Andersen in the NYR series.

 

[K1900L]

Draisaitl and McDavid have proven multiple times that they can be even better than their regular-season selfs.

Matthews and Marner come to mind, so do Scheifele, Jason Robertson, Hintz and Ullmark.

 

[PhilJets]

Helly Matthews McDavid

but to say Helly has been bad througout his playoff career is not correct.
But yes we always only remember what what the last one. And he dis f{$€ the bed on that one and so all did the Jets and coaching staff vs the avs.

But hopefully him and Scheifele wins it for Winnipeg. They signed long term deals both with fair salary. They committed to the team when they could have walk and gotten more money somewhere else.

 

[The Panther]

Apropos of nothing in particular, but here are select players' (min. 70 GP) statistics in the playoffs, starting from the 2006 playoffs up to 2024, and averaged out to per / 82 GP and then ranked:

McDavid: 41G + 89A = 130 PTS (+31)
Draisaitl: 45G + 74A = 119 PTS (+11)
MacKinnon: 45G + 62A = 107 PTS (+31)

Kucherov: 30G + 64A = 94 PTS (+21)
Crosby: 32G + 59A = 91 PTS (+8)
Makar: 24G + 67A = 91 PTS (+27)
Point: 48G + 42A = 90 PTS (-2)

Malkin: 31G + 52A = 82 PTS (+3)

Kane: 30G + 49A = 79 PTS (+2)
Ovechkin: 39G + 37A = 76 PTS (+2)

Marchand: 29G + 43A = 72 PTS (+16)

Stamkos: 32G + 33A = 65 PTS (-7)

I don't think Matthews / Marner have played enough playoff games to merit fair comparison, but for what it's worth, they would look like this:
Matthews: 34G + 37A = 72 PTS (+3)
Marner: 16G + 56A = 72 PTS (+14)

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Matthews/Marner AINEC

 

[MrHeiskanen]

Hellebuyck

The guy is a complete playoff dud.

 

[MVP of West Hollywd]

Marner, Matthews, Helle are the obvious picks, Rantanen showing he's not just Mackinnon product. Kyle Connor has had an underrated career and could make his name with a run.

 

[Zybalto]

Helle probably.

9-23 record in his last 32 playoff games with a save% hovering around .900 (regular season he's a .920ish goalie) which is near the bottom for for starters. He hasnt got a ton of help in front but he needs to be the guy to win the close games like all the playoff great goalies do.

Matthews is 2nd as he has been an overall positive player for the Leafs but meh for expectations and he's a near generational goal scorer that needs to show it in the playoffs, injuries be damned. He's one of the faces of the league and we are waiting for him to break out.

I dont think McDavid belongs on the list and am a little mystified anyone is mentioning him. You win the Conn Smythe carrying a losing team to game 7 with Drai having a bad final and Skinner in net in a hard cap 32 team league then I dont think we should talk about him being a guy that needs to prove anything. One of the more impressive playoffs by any player in memory.

 

[Mad Dog Tannen]

As a Jets fan completely agree with Helle. Agree with Marner and Matthews as well.

I would add rantanen on to that list and deboer. Rantanen has done very little without MacKinnon. Whether that’s Mac being on his line or drawing top def away from rants line.

He’s making 12 mil next year. He’s gotta show he can drive offence on his own without Mac/makar.

Deboer - he needs to show he can win a cup. Tonnes of talented teams and never finished it.

 

[Emerald Duck]

Marner. His playoff performance will directly impact his UFA contract.

If he wants to get paid like he is "The Man" that franchises can build their team around then he needs to show he can carry his team to success in the playoffs.