Sergei Bobrovsky, the 34-year-old veteran goaltender for the Florida Panthers, has the best odds to win the 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy.
The NHL playoffs are heading into the Stanley Cup Finals with the Florida Panthers and Sergei Bobrovsky securing their spot after sweeping the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday.
The Vegas Golden Knights, on the other hand, are one win away from sweeping the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference finals, leading the series 3-0. The Conn Smythe Trophy is an annual award given to the player who is the most valuable to his team during the playoffs.
The winner of the trophy is decided by the Professional Hockey Writers Association after the last game in the NHL Stanley Cup Final.
The Florida Panthers and the Vegas Golden Knights players have the best odds to win the Conn Smythe Trophy.
The odds for the 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy are listed below:
2023 Conn Smythe Trophy Odds
Sergei Bobrovsky is the favorite to win the 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy
Sergei Bobrovsky was instrumental in the Florida Panthers clinching a spot in the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. Since the commencement of the playoffs, the veteran goaltender has been a wall in front of opponents, making him the Panthers' best asset between the pipes.
Bobrovsky allowed only seven goals in the Eastern Conference finals against the Carolina Hurricanes. His best playoffs performance came in Game 1 of the ECF when he made 63 saves in the sixth-longest game in NHL history.
Bobrovsky is currently 11-2 in 14 games with a 2.21 goals-against-average and a.935 save percentage. It will thus come as no surprise if he is awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy.
The player with the second-best odds to win the trophy is none other than Matthew Tkachuk, who has been a driving force behind the Panthers' offense. Tkachuk scored two crucial winning goals in the OT against the Carolina Hurricanes which helped the Panthers to take an early 2-0 lead in the series. He also scored a series-clinching goal in Game 4.
Matthew Tkachuk is currently the second-leading goal scorer in the playoffs with 21 points (nine goals and 12 assists) in 16 games.
Meanwhile, the Golden Knights' Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, and Jonathan Marchessault are the other three contenders who can shift the odds in their favor.