From The Silky Mitten State: Have we reached the point where Connor McDavid deserves the Conn Smythe, whether the Oilers beat the Panthers or not?
To state the obvious, Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid is in the midst of one of the great Stanley Cup postseasons of all time.
Jun 15, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) skates with the puck the puck against the Florida Panthers. McDavid recorded his 32 assist in the playoffs setting a new NHL record, in game four of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers PlaceThrough 23 games, he has 42 points—eights goals and 34 assists. That is the highest total for a single playoff since Mario Lemieux in 1991. McDavid is now one of the three NHL players ever to score 40+ points in a single postseason, along with Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky. He is five points shy of tying Gretzky's all-time record for playoff points (47 in 1985), and he already owns the record for most assists in a single postseason.
It's not that McDavid is the only reason the Oilers have rallied from a 3-0 against Florida to force a Game Six Friday night back home in Edmonton. Of course, the Oilers couldn't get by on McDavid alone, and Stuart Skinner deserves serious credit for the way he turned around his postseason in the third and now fourth rounds. However, there is also an obvious reason Edmonton remains alive, and it wears jersey number 97.
On the latest episode of The Silky Mitten State, my co-host Connor Earegood and I debated whether McDavid deserves the Conn Smythe as postseason MVP at this point, regardless of whether Florida or Edmonton prevails. You can check out a sample of that conversation via the featured video above and then find the full episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts: