The Conn Smythe is given annually to the player most valuable to his team during the postseason. I don’t know if there’s ever been more candidates for the award this late into the postseason, but each team has a number of players that can make a case for themselves.

Here’s a look at the players that I think have the best case to this point:

Andrei Vasilevskiy | G | Tampa Bay Lightning

I think there’s a very reasonable case to be made, and in a recent poll of NHL players it was affirmed, that Vasilevskiy is currently the NHL’s best goaltender. He’s going to have a trophy cabinet full of awards and if Tampa manages to win the Cup again, he’s probably going to have a Conn Smythe in tow. The Russian netminder owns a .935 save percentage, which is tops in the league, all while facing more shots than any goalie this postseason. The Lightning have an elite team in front of him, but Vasilevskiy remains one of the key factors in their success.

Carey Price | G | Montreal Canadiens 

Where would the Habs be without their goaltender? Not here, that’s for sure. Price owns a .930 save percentage in the postseason, second among all goaltenders, but he’s probably doing it with the weakest supporting cast of his fellow goaltenders. Price has faced 390 shots so far in the playoffs and, in some of the games he’s played, it doesn’t even look like he’s broken a sweat. That aura of confidence seems to be rubbing off on the rest of Price’s Montreal teammates. When you’ve got your elite goalie going as well as he is, it boosts the performance of the whole club.

Marc-Andre Fleury | G | Vegas Golden Knights

Are you sensing a theme yet? This has been an awesome playoffs for goaltenders and each team has benefitted greatly from the play of their starters. Fleury has played the second-most minutes among all goaltenders, faced the third most shots against of any goalie and owns a .923 save percentage while picking up nine wins between the pipes for the Golden Knights. The 36-year-old is playing some of the best hockey of his career this year, very well could win his first Vezina Trophy, and if his team claims the Cup, he’ll be the most likely to lift the Conn Smythe as well.

Nikita Kucherov | F | Tampa Bay Lightning

The playoffs leading scorer by a fairly wide margin, Kucherov has 23 points in 14 games. His 1.64 points per game is the highest, by far, of any player still participating in the playoffs. Have you seen some of the passes he’s been making in these playoffs? After not playing at all during the regular season, Kucherov looks just about as good as ever and this is a guy with a Hart Trophy as league MVP in his back pocket already. Tampa is never out of a game when he’s in it.

Brayden Point | F | Tampa Bay Lightning

The top goal scorer in these playoffs, Point has a great case for the Conn himself. He just has two teammates ahead of him that might have more impressive numbers. Either way, any time you watch the Bolts play, Point is doing something that makes your jaw drop.

Mathew Barzal | F | New York Islanders

After a slow start to the postseason, Barzal came alive in the second round and has been a factor against the Lightning as well. He has 11 points in 15 games and has been a buzz saw at times. He’s not the top scorer on the Isles in this postseason - that honor goes to J-G Pageau, but Barzal has been the engine driving his team forward.

Mark Stone | F | Vegas Golden Knights

He has eight points in the playoffs, which is hardly MVP-scoring level, but Stone has been a defensive force as well. He helped shut down Nathan MacKinnon in the last series and continues to make an impact in all zones for Vegas. It’s pretty clear he’s one of the real engines of his team and that will resonate with Conn Smythe voters.

Tyler Toffoli | F | Montreal Canadiens

Currently on an eight-game point streak as I write this, Toffoli is a consistent scorer on a team that has a hard time scoring. He’s made so many plays for Montreal and scored some big goals, including a series clincher.

Alex Pietrangelo | D | Vegas Golden Knights

Playing more than 24 minutes a game, Pietrangelo has been everywhere for Vegas. One of the best two-way defensemen going right now, the former St. Louis Blues captain has been engaged in the Vegas offensive attack throughout these playoffs. He has 10 points and leads all players with 60 shots on goal.

Victor Hedman | D | Tampa Bay Lightning

The top-scoring defenseman in the playoffs, Hedman already has a Conn Smythe and is in the hunt for another. I don’t think he can overtake Kucherov or Vasilevskiy, but he’s been an impact player at both ends of the ice.

Brock Nelson | F | New York Islanders

Need a big goal? Brock Nelson is probably going to find a way to score it. Tied with Kyle Palmieri for most goals on the Islanders and third in the postseason overall, Nelson has really broken out this postseason. He’s long been an underrated, integral player for the Islanders and now more people are seeing that.

Semyon Varlamov | G | New York Islanders

Varlamov’s candidacy is impacted slightly by the fact that he hasn’t been the starter in every game these playoffs, but it’s hard to deny his impact on the Islanders. He has a .923 save percentage in 10 games.

Visit Betway's NHL betting page.