With the Stanley Cup Finals closing in on a finish, this is the time we think about who could be the Conn Smythe Trophy winner. We not only ask that, we also ask who is the deserving recipient of the prestigious honor? So here are a few guys from both the Los Angeles Kings and the New York Rangers that I believe deserve the Conn Smythe Trophy:
LA Kings:
Johnathan Quick: Quick has been nothing short of stellar the entire length of the playoffs. He was a big part of the Kings comeback from 3-0 in the first round, a big part of their 2nd round win, and a huge part of the Kings eliminating the defending champs, Chicago Blackhawks, in 7 games in the Conference Finals. They say “Defense wins championships” and Quick is a huge part of the reason the Kings are so close to their 2nd cup in 3 years. Out of the 48 winners of the trophy, 15 of them have been Goaltenders, including Quick winning it in 2012. I believe he ends up winning it twice.
Dustin Brown: The captain in LA has come up with some clutch offensive plays in this year’s playoffs. He scored the game winner in game 2 of the finals, and ever since then the Kings have had the momentum. Brown has been criticized a lot but there’s no denying talent and goal scoring, in which he has both. He may surprise a few people if he wins but he definitely won’t surprise me.
Marian Gaborik: Gaborik leads the playoffs in goals scored with 12. He had an assist in game 3 and a goal in game 2. Gaborik is a dynamic offensive player who has been overlooked in the past years. He was traded from New York to Columbus, then from Columbus to LA and game 3 was Gaborik’s first trip to MSG since the trade. He is definitely being considered as the Conn Smythe winner and rightfully so.
New York Rangers:
Henrik Lundqvist: Lundqvist has a .100 GAA in 4 elimination games. He and the Rangers are close to elimination and if history is any indication, then the Rangers probably aren’t all that worried. Lundqvist is, regardless of the outcome of the Cup Finals, is a contender to the Veznia trophy. Lundqvist has high expectations for the finals, as this is the Rangers first Cup Finals trip since 1994. If the Rangers win, Lundqvist will be a huge part of that.
Martin St. Louis: St. Louis hasn’t won a cup since ’04 when he won it with Tampa Bay. He was one of the best players that year too. St. Louis has had a very emotional ride through these playoffs and winning the cup and the Conn Smythe will make things a lot better and it’s a win win situation. He wins the cup, like he wants to, and he wins the Conn Smythe, which makes him the best player of these playoffs.
Carl Hagelin: Hagelin being the 9th top scorer overall and the 2nd top Rangers scorer of the Playoffs, he has produced goals that the Rangers have needed to win key games. He is 5th in points for the Rangers throughout the playoffs. He has done more than his fair share this year.
