I don't always agree with my colleagues on the Conn Smythe Trophy winner. For example, in 2006, I felt Chris Pronger should have won it despite the Edmonton Oilers not winning the Stanley Cup, but Cam Ward won it instead.
The same would have happened this year if I had been voting. I would have chosen Brad Marchand as my winner, and it would not have been close in my mind. My second choice would have been Sam Bennett, and my third would have been Sergei Bobrovsky.
Marchand was my Conn Smythe favourite going into the final, and his clutch performances in Games 2 and 5, in my opinion, turned the series.
The good thing is that, even without the Conn Smythe on his career resume, Marchand has officially become a first-ballot Hall of Famer with his performance in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Watch today's video column for more, and share your thoughts.
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