The Florida Panthers have made their third consecutive appearance in the Stanley Cup Final, a remarkable feat. However, despite their significant playoff success, it`s notable that the team has yet to have a player win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
This spring marks the 60th anniversary of the award, first presented to Montreal Canadiens legend Jean Béliveau in 1965. Since then, only a select few teams – the late-60s St. Louis Blues, the mid-70s Philadelphia Flyers, the late-70s Habs, the early-1980s New York Islanders, the early-2020s Tampa Bay Lighting, and the current Panthers – have reached the Final three years in a row.
Five of those previous teams won at least one championship and had a Conn Smythe winner. Even the Blues, despite losing three straight Finals (partially due to the league structure post-1967 expansion), had a playoff MVP in goaltender Glenn Hall in 1968.
Florida lost the 2023 Final in five games to the Vegas Golden Knights, with Jonathan Marchessault earning the MVP award. In 2024, even though the Panthers lifted the Cup, the Conn Smythe went to Edmonton`s Connor McDavid, making him one of the few players to win the award while on the losing team.
This means Florida, along with the Boston Bruins teams of 1977 and 1978 (who lost both times to the Canadiens), are the only teams to play in the Final two years in a row without producing a Conn Smythe winner among their roster players. (The case of the 1969 and `70 Blues is slightly different, as Hall won in `68 and their Final appearances were influenced by the expansion format).
The absence of a playoff MVP for Florida is particularly surprising given the number of players on their roster who seem custom-built for the intensity of the post-season. Players like two-way center Aleksander Barkov, power forward Matthew Tkachuk, impending free agent Sam Bennett, overtime hero Carter Verhaeghe, and goalie Sergei “Playoff Bob” Bobrovsky have all shown they can thrive in crucial moments.
Their consistent success, including an Eastern Conference three-peat, speaks volumes about the depth of talent on this team.
So, will a Panthers player finally claim the Conn Smythe this year, regardless of whether they win the Cup? The competition is fierce, but several Florida players are strong contenders. Remember that voting criteria unofficially weighs performance equally between the rounds before the Final and the Final series itself.
Here is our final Power Ranking for the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Conn Smythe Trophy:
1. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
McDavid has a chance to join a very exclusive club by winning the Conn Smythe in back-to-back years, following Bernie Parent, Mario Lemieux, and Sidney Crosby. He leads the playoffs in scoring (26 points), points-per-game (1.63), and even-strength points (22). If the Oilers win the championship, it`s difficult to imagine the award going to anyone other than No. 97.
2. Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
Draisaitl was highly productive in the Western Conference Final with nine points and is the only player in these playoffs with two overtime winning goals. He and McDavid rank third and fourth all-time respectively in career playoff points-per-game, behind only Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. Draisaitl will be motivated to improve upon his performance in last year`s Final against Florida, where he registered only three assists and no goals.
3. Sam Bennett, Florida Panthers
Bennett has been a consistent goal scorer throughout the playoffs, with three goals in Round 1, three in Round 2, and four in the Conference Final. His total of 10 goals leads all players still competing in the Final. His strong post-season play has undoubtedly boosted his value as he approaches unrestricted free agency.
4. Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers
Barkov`s offensive game has recently elevated, contributing nine points in his last six contests. A major part of his role in this series will be centered around attempting to contain Connor McDavid. Should Florida win, Barkov`s success in neutralizing the game`s best offensive player would be a compelling argument for him to receive the Conn Smythe.
5. Evan Bouchard, Edmonton Oilers
It`s easy to be overshadowed by linemates like McDavid and Draisaitl, but Evan Bouchard`s playoff production has been impossible to ignore. Since the start of the 2023 playoffs, he has accumulated an impressive 66 points in 53 games, which is more than double the output of any other defenseman in the league (Miro Heiskanen is second with 32 points). This year, he leads all defensemen with 17 points in 16 games and averages the most ice time (25:01 per game) of any player participating in the Final.
