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- With the 2023 Stanley Cup Final hurtling to a close, the Conn Smythe race is getting tighter.
- The early favorites to win the annual NHL Playoffs MVP are falling, and new choices are emerging.
- The Vegas Golden Knights hold a 2-0 series lead over the Florida Panthers in the 2023 Stanley Cup Final.
The first winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy was Jean Beliveau of the Montreal Canadiens. He claimed the award in 1965. The Conn Smythe Trophy, named after legendary owner, general manager, and head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Conn Smythe, goes to the most valuable player for his team in the playoffs. With the 2023 Stanley Cup Final underway and the Vegas Golden Knights holding a 2-0 series over the Florida Panthers, it’s time to look at the players in the mix for the 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy.
The Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers have never won a Stanley Cup. With that, the NHL will see a first-time winner of that trophy at the end of the Golden Knights vs. Panthers series. Also, no player on either team has claimed the Conn Smythe in a previous season. With Vegas ahead in the series, it looks like a member of the Golden Knights will claim the playoff MVP award. However, there have been five players to win the Conn Smythe from losing teams, but no player has done so since Jean-Sebastien Giguere claimed the prize as a member of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in 2003.
Before we look at the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers players in the hunt for the 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy, check out the best NHL betting sites and our guide to betting on the 2023 Stanley Cup.
2023 Conn Smythe Trophy Betting Picks
| To Win 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy |  |  |  |
| Jonathan Marschessault | EVEN | EVEN | -110 |
| Adin Hill | +350 | +450 | +450 |
| Jack Eichel | +400 | +450 | +500 |
| Mark Stone | +1000 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Sergei Bobrovsky | +1000 | +1400 | +1200 |
| William Karlsson | +1000 | +2000 | +1400 |
| Matthew Tkachuk | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Shea Thedore | +2500 | +15000 | +10000 |
| Chandler Stephenson | +4000 | +8000 | +7500 |
| Reilly Smith | +5000 | +15000 | +15000 |
Jonathan Marchessault
During the 2023 NHL Western Conference Final, Vegas Golden Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault was listed at +1600 to win the Conn Smythe. If one plans to get a wager down on Marchessault, that bet should be made as soon as possible, because after his performance against Dallas and how he has played in the first two games of the Stanley Cup final against the Florida Panthers, the odds on Marchessault have become a lot tighter.
One of the original Vegas Golden Knights players, Marchessault, spent one year with the Florida Panthers before he was left exposed in the 2017 expansion draft. Vegas picked him up and he has rewarded the team with solid and consistent play since suiting up for the club in 2018. Marchessault led the Golden Knights in scoring in the Western Conference Final with seven points (4 goals, 3 assists). He had one game-winning goal in that series. Against the Panthers, Marchessault is tied with Jack Eichel in points with four, but he leads the team with three goals, two of which have come on the power play.
Marchessault is second to Eichel in playoff points this year with 21, but his 12 goals lead the team. He is also tied with Chandler Stephenson with three game-winners.
Jack Eichel
Jack Eichel has not scored a playoff goal since May 12 when he had a three-points in Game 5 against the Edmonton Oilers in the Golden Knights’ first-round series. Despite his lack of goal-scoring, Eichel leads Vegas in scoring with 22 points (6 goals, 16 assists) in the 2023 NHL playoffs. He also leads the team’s forwards in ice time, averaging 19:08 per game, and he is second in shots with 62, which only trails Marchessault’s 69 shots taken.
Eichel will get Conn Smythe votes because of his play with and without the puck during the playoffs. The Golden Knights players, and many analysts, have praised his work in this year’s postseason. However, his lack of goal-scoring will hurt him when it comes to winning the Conn Smythe. There is a chance that Eichel will find the back of the net before the end of the Stanley Cup Final. After all, he was second on the team in the 2023 NHL regular season in goals with 27. If that happens, and he picks up a few goals, especially if they are game-winners, Eichel’s chances of winning the 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy will increase.
Adin Hill
I consider Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill a longshot to win the 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy, but the man, who was at one point the fourth-string goalie for the team, has the numbers that put him in the running for the award. Since taking over in net for the Golden Knights in the Oilers’ series, Hill has a 9-3 record in the 2023 NHL playoffs, a .937 save percentage, and a 2.06 goals against average. The 27-year-old also has two shutouts in the postseason.
Hill has been excellent in net, but he’ll need to steal a game or two in the Stanley Cup Final to pick up enough votes to win the Conn Smythe. That won’t happen if Vegas keeps blowing out Florida on its way to winning the 2023 Stanley Cup.
Sergei Bobrovsky
If a Florida Panthers player is going to win the Conn Smythe, it will be Sergei Bobrovsky. He had an excellent playoff performance through the early rounds of the postseason. However, he has not played well in the games against the Golden Knights. He gave up four goals in Game 1 and another four in 27:10 of play in Game 2 to Vegas. Bobrovsky is a vet, and he is a player who has the skills to come back from two poor performances, but he’s going to need to shut the door on the Golden Knights and extend this series to six or seven games to get consideration for the Conn Smythe. That’s a hard thing to imagine with how well the Vegas Golden Knights are playing as a team.
Best bet for 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy
With his play throughout the 2023 NHL playoffs, Jonathan Marchessault is the best betting pick for the 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy. However, there is a lot of value in going with Jack Eichel, especially if he starts to score goals for the Golden Knights.
Betting Pick for the 2023 Conn Smyth Trophy: Jonathan Marchessault of the Vegas Golden Knights to win the 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy.
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