NHL Notebook: McDavid chasing all-time greatness, favoured as playoff MVP

For the second consecutive year, the Edmonton Oilers will square off against the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Finals for another chance to play for the Stanley Cup.

It’s sure to be a fiery contest, with Edmonton hungry for the glory they narrowly missed last season, and Dallas looking to avoid a third consecutive Conference Final defeat.

With Round 3 kicking off Wednesday night for the Oilers, it’s a great time to look at one player who may have the most to fight for right now: Connor McDavid. Already considered one of the greatest players of the modern era, Daily Faceoff’s Paul Pidutti took a moment Wednesday to consider what the series could mean for the 28-year-old’s legacy.

Having won the Conn Smythe last year despite losing to the Panthers in Game 7, what would achieving the ultimate crown, along with a second consecutive playoff MVP title, mean for his reputation in the long run?

Well so far, McDavid has three Hart Trophies, five Art Ross Trophies, four Ted Lindsay Awards, one Rocket Richard and one Conn Smythe. Nothing to shake your head at, Pidutti writes:

McDavid’s individual trophy case and honours are among the greatest of any era. Should he scoop a Smythe in a winning cause (to go with 2024’s in a losing cause), he would start his own club. He’d also join Crosby (2016-17), Lemieux (1991-92), and goaltender Bernie Parent (1974-75) with playoff MVPs in consecutive seasons. A second Smythe would be a monumental addition to his résumé.

And ultimately, to secure your place as one of the greats, you need to add a Stanley Cup ring to that rotation. As he reaches perhaps the peak of his physical abilities, with a strong Oilers group surrounding him, now is the time to strike. If he lands a second Conn Smythe, and this time in a winning effort, he may just cement himself as a top-5 all-time talent, with many more years left in his career.

Is McDavid the favourite to win playoff MVP?

Speaking of the Conn Smythe, Daily Faceoff’s Scott Maxwell ranked the current favourites to pick up the title of playoff MVP on Wednesday. Landing at number one was none other than Edmonton’s captain.

With three goals and 14 assists, he sits second in points with 17, behind only the Stars’ Mikko Rantanen. The two are now set to face off, giving McDavid a prime opportunity to overtake him, though it won’t be easy against a goalie as locked in as Jake Oettinger is right now.

For Maxwell, it comes down to what McDavid brings night after night for the Oilers without fail:

If it’s consistency you prefer, McDavid is definitely your guy. He’s been held off the scoreboard twice in the playoffs, and has generally found a way to get on the board, even if he hasn’t had those standout games that Rantanen has had … when the margins are so close between two players, you also have to look at their performance at the other end of the ice, and that’s where McDavid far exceeds Rantanen. Among the four teams remaining in the playoffs, his 1.96 5v5 expected goals against per 60 is eighth in the league among forwards that have played at least 100 minutes. Rantanen is much, much lower, with his 2.98 rate is the fifth worst among remaining forwards. Considering both players are playing top competition, it’s certainly more impressive that McDavid is winning his minutes at both ends of the ice.

While Rantanen and McDavid have both been strong for their respective teams, the question of playoff MVP will all but certainly first come down to which team can claw their way to the Cup Finals. And if McDavid can get his group there, can he finish the job they started last year?