Conn Smythe Rankings: Rantanen top dog after Game 7 heroics

The first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is in the books, and the race for the Conn Smythe Trophy is beginning to take shape.

This list will have plenty of turnover as the playoffs progress, and a handful of players eliminated in Round 1 would have been firmly in the mix had their teams won. Adrian Kempe, Kirill Kaprizov, and Nathan MacKinnon put forth phenomenal performances, but we can't be giving too much praise to players no longer competing.

Here's who's in the mix with Round 2 upon us.

5. Frederik Andersen, Hurricanes

There's a glut of skaters near the top of the scoring race with similar outputs, and with such thin margins separating them, we're going to give this spot to the best goalie in Round 1. Andersen leads his peers in save percentage and goals saved above expected while ranking second in goals-against average after a terrific showing against the New Jersey Devils.

New Jersey netminder Jacob Markstrom was stellar despite the lopsided series, so Andersen needed to be at his best. He was, and it's a big positive for the Carolina Hurricanes that Andersen's injury in Game 4 doesn't appear to an issue entering Round 2. Andersen has a long way to go to remain a legitimate Conn Smythe candidate, but he's in the conversation right now.

4. Kyle Connor, Jets

Round 1 was far from a cakewalk for the heavily favored Jets, but it could have ended tragically if not for the play of their leading scorer. Connor delivered 12 points, including four in Games 6 and 7 to oust the St. Louis Blues.

Connor deserves credit for remaining productive while linemate Mark Scheifele missed the final two contests of the series. He's is a certified game-breaker, and he continued to show off his clutch gene with two game-winning tallies in the series and assists on the equalizer and overtime clincher in Winnipeg's unforgettable Game 7 comeback.

3. Leon Draisaitl, Oilers

Draisaitl's ability to elevate in the playoffs inspires awe every spring. His career 1.47 points per game in the postseason ranks fifth in NHL history, and he put forth another heroic series performance against the Los Angeles Kings with 10 points and his first overtime winner.

That goal completely flipped the momentum Edmonton's way and is the type of legacy moment that will matter in Conn Smythe voting if the Oilers keep advancing.

2. Connor McDavid, Oilers

McDavid looks primed for a repeat of last year's record-breaking postseason. He's tied for second in the playoffs with 11 points, 10 of which have come at even strength. That's a bit surprising considering how lights out Edmonton's power play typically is, but it speaks to how dominant the Oilers captain was against the Kings for the fourth consecutive year.

McDavid's averaged more ice time than any forward still in the playoffs, and his five-on-five stats are otherworldly so far. On top of a sterling expected goals rate, the Oilers controlled 63.07% of shot attempts and 67.83% of scoring chances with him on the ice.

1. Mikko Rantanen, Stars

To have thought after Rantanen's first four playoff games that he'd now be a Conn Smythe favorite would have been borderline insane. He had one assist over that span and was a minus-4, which had some wondering if the spotlight of a series against his old team was too much to handle.

It wasn't. Rantanen went on to essentially win the series himself. He had 11 points over the final three contests to shoot to the top of the playoff scoring race and became the first player to ever register a hat trick in the third period of a Game 7. He's also the only skater to have multiple four-point periods in a single postseason. Rantanen's underlying stats aren't impressive, but the way he closed out Colorado is the definition of MVP.

(Analytics sources: Evolving-Hockey, Natural Stat Trick)

Keep an eye on:

• Logan Thompson, Capitals
• Evan Bouchard, Oilers
• Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs
• Andrei Svechnikov, Hurricanes
• Sam Reinhart, Panthers