Florida Panthers fans rejoiced as the clock hits all zeros and the team in red threw off their gloves. After blowing a 3-0 series lead to the opposing Edmonton Oilers, the Panthers were able to claim Game 7 by a final score of 2-1 to win their first ever Stanley Cup.
Fans eagerly awaited the presentation of Lord Stanley’s famous trophy, but were given a bit of a sidetrack during the preceding Conn Smythe Trophy. The Conn Smythe, according to the NHL, is awarded “to the most valuable player for his team in the playoffs.”
That definition was something that Commissioner Gary Bettman made very sure to exclaim before announcing that this year’s Conn Smythe Trophy was going to Connor McDavid, captain of the fallen Edmonton Oilers.
Florida fans were, understandably, not thrilled with that. And McDavid, understandably, did not come out to accept the award.
It was the first time since 2003 that the Conn Smythe Winner belonged to the losing team, when J.S. Giguere won it despite his Mighty Ducks of Anaheim falling in seven games to the New Jersey Devils, setting up one of the most awkward photos of all time.
Giguere finished the 2003 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a league leading .945 save percentage, 659 total saves, and a 1.62 goals-against average, which was second in NHL history at the time (with a minimum of 20 games played).
McDavid is just the sixth player in NHL history to win the Conn Smythe Trophy despite not winning the Stanley Cup. Of those six, he is just the second skater (non-goalie) to do it, joining Reggie Leach in 1976.
McDavid had just as, if not a more impressive statistical run in the playoffs. He recorded 8 goals and 34 assists for 42 points in 25 Stanley Cup Playoff games, which stands as the fourth-most in a single postseason.
If you’re curious, Wayne Gretzky holds the record of 47 points, scoring 17 goals and adding 30 assists for the same Oilers team in 18 Stanley Cup Playoff games back in 1985.
McDavid was far and away the points leader in this postseason; the second place finisher was teammate Evan Bouchard, who put up 32 points from the blueline, and in any other year would be getting a lot more attention.
However, should McDavid have won it? There’s two main arguments against him winning it: 1) his lack of production in the final few games, and 2) him still losing the Stanley Cup Final.
Despite the sheer totals McDavid tallied this year in the postseason, that first argument is valid. He did not record a single point in either Game 6 or Game 7 for the Oilers, despite playing nearly 45 minutes in both of those games combined.
Whether it was more because he had emptied the gas tank earlier in the Oilers’ run, or that Florida had done an excellent job of shutting him down, Edmonton’s biggest star was missing when his team needed him most.
Perhaps if McDavid had found a way to get on the score sheet in Game 7, we are having a very different conversation.
Then again, it’s hard to ask much more from a guy who put up 42 points thus postseason. He was a full 20 points clear of anybody on the opposing Panthers team. That’s just insane.
In the end, he was not the one hoisting the Stanley Cup. Despite all of the highlights and all of the multi-point games, his Oilers are making a dreaded tri back across the border with nothing to show for it.
Can somebody really, truly, be the playoff MVP if they did not end up winning the championship?
That’s a question many are asking right now, and will continue to as the dust settles on this season.
My personal take? This didn’t need to happen.
McDavid had recorded four points in both Games 4 and 5 for Edmonton, and he was on top of the world as the Oilers had started to plant seeds of doubt in Florida’s minds.
But when the Oilers were looking like they might actually have a chance at pulling off the unthinkable and reverse sweeping the Panthers, McDavid couldn’t find a way to generate offense.
Had McDavid had another one of those four point games in Game 7, or even if he had scored one timely goal or made an electric pass for a goal like he did with Corey Perry earlier in the series, then you could make the case for McDavid.
But his stat sheet in a Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final had zeros across the board, and he didn’t win. For me, given that there were deserving players on the Florida side, you could have gotten away with giving the award to a Panther.
After all, McDavid may have been deserving, but I very highly doubt that Conn Smythe award means anything to him right now. I would be comfortable guessing it won’t mean a damn thing to him for the rest of his NHL career, unless he wins a Stanley Cup.
That award will just sit as a reminder of a time he was oh so close to hoisting Lord Stanley, and the longer it takes the Oilers to return to hockey’s biggest stage, the more it will haunt him.
At the end of the day, give that award to somebody who actually wants it. McDavid doesn’t.
(Featured photo from NHLI via Getty Images)
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