Conn Smythe Trophy Conversations: Jonathan Marchessault

Marchessault is tied for lead with 24 points and 13 goals this postseason.

With the Vegas Golden Knights being one win away from the winning the Stanley Cup Finals, it’s only fitting that original Misfit Jonathan Marchessault is in the conversation for the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff most valuable player.

But is he a legit candidate? Of course, he is.

Marchessault has been on fire since going scoreless in the first seven games of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He has 13 goals since that stretch and is tied for the lead in points this postseason with 24.

But the most impressive thing about Marchessault is when he scores goals. He just finds ways to score timely goals. Nine of this 13 goals have either given Vegas a lead or tied the game. He has three game-winners to his name, including a natural hat trick in Game 6 of the Western Conference Second Round that sealed the deal against the Edmonton Oilers.

Wingers rarely get the attention in the postseason, but when they are scoring at the clip Marchessault is making a case to be just the 10^th winger to win the award and the first since Washington’s Alexander Ovechkin in 2018, coincidentally against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Ovechkin had 27 points with 15 goals in that postseason, including three in the finals against the Golden Knights.

Now, part of Ovechkin’s win might partly name value, but Marchessault’s numbers are pretty on par with other previous winners from the wing, including Justin Williams’s Conn Smythe win in 2014.