Conn Men

2022-06-04

At the very minimun, we're two games away from the conlusion of the RHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. And while it is every simulated player's dream to hoist a simulated cup above their head, there is another piece of hardware that will be handed out beforehand.

Of course I'm talking about the Conn Smythe trophy. So let's take a look at who might be selected as the recipient for both Arizona and New Jersey. We'll pick three players from each team: a shoo-in, a runner-up, and a wild card.
Let's start with......

Arizona Coyotes

Shoo-In: Connor Hellebuyck (G) - He's had his ups and downs throughout the playoffs, but it's safe to say that the Coyotes wouldn't be in the Final without Hellebuyck. He's been the backbone of the team, playing every single minute of playoff hockey thus far. When his team has needed him to step up and have a big game, he has delivered. In two game 7's he's allowed just two goals and boasts a .971 SP%. In 23 games total, he has 2.36 GAA and .921 SP%.

Runner-Up: Johnny Gaudreau (F) - Johnny Hockey has been on the ice more than any other forward for the Coyotes, averaging over 22 minutes of ice time per game. He's a fixture on the first line and PP1 and at times head coach Paul Maurice has used him as the third line center. ANd while not a natural center, he's sporting a 51.7% at the dot. All of that to go along with his team-leading 21 points (8-13-21).

Long-Shot: Jamie Oleksiak (D): Look, I know, this isn't going to happen. But everytime I'm running through game stats Oleksiak always jumps out at me. He's one half of the top defensive pairing (with Travis Sanheim) and plays a ton. His 9 assists don't scream out at you, but he's thrown 39 checks, 31 blocked shots, 21 takeaways, and a playoff leading 29 penalty minutes.
If anyone looks into it, they'll find that Travis Sanheim actually has slightly better stats, but he's also played two more games. Now, does any of this make him MVP worthy? Not at all. But I digress.

New Jersey Devils

Shoo-In: Alexander Radulov (F) - So shoo-in might be a stretch, but if the Devils won the Cup and I had to vote on someone today, I would pick Radulov. He started off slowly, but has been gaining momentum the further the Devils have gone. Up until last night's loss to Arizona, he was on a 7 game point streak where he had amassed 6 goals and 6 assists. I mean, he pretty much beat the Florida Panthers himself. His stat line is nearly identical to that of Aleksander Barkov, and Dylan Larkin does have more points, but if Radulov has one more big game or another overtime game-winner, the MVP is his.

Runner-Up: Jacob Markstom (G) - I know what you're thinking. He has better stats than Connor Hellebuyck, who you picked as your shoo-in for Arizona. And you're right. His 1.81 GAA and .931 SP% are superior, and up until the Game 3 loss had played every minute in the crease.
Markstrom and Radulov are closer to a 1a and 1b in the Shoo-In category. It's possible he garners the majority of the votes when it comes down to it, but we'll just leave him here for now.

Long-Shot: Devon Toews (D) - He isn't a long-shot like Jamie Oleksiak is for Arizona. But it's not likely he wins the MVP over the likes of Radulov or Markstrom. Or could he? Toews has gone about business through the playoffs doing a bit of everything. And doing it well. in 19 games, he has 15 points (3-12-15). He leads the team in takeways wiith 16 and has blocked 21 shots. His 24:42 of ice time per game is just 6 seconds more than Brent Burns, but is tops among all Devils skaters.

So there's my quick take at potential Conn Smythe winners. Agree? Disagree? Leave your thoughts and who you think should win in the comments.