NHL Playoff MVP Odds: Jeremy Swayman Skyrockets Up Conn Smythe Trophy Leaderboard
The first round of the NHL Playoffs is in the books and second round action has begun.
That means it's not only time to look at the latest odds to win the Stanley Cup, but let's take a peek at the latest odds to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as well. The Conn Smythe is awarded to the playoff MVP, which is almost always a member of the Stanley Cup-winning team.
Here are the latest odds:
Conn Smythe Trophy Odds After Round 1
Jeremy Swayman Conn Smythe Odds Skyrocket After Round 1
The two names atop the list of odds are the usual suspects in Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon, who were the favorites at the beginning of the playoffs. The third name on the list is one that would have been surprising to see just a few weeks ago.
That name is Jeremy Swayman, the goaltender for the Boston Bruins. The Bruins didn't have a set plan to start Swayman in every game in the postseason and they even opted to start Linus Ullmark in Game 2 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. After he lost that game, they went back to Swayman and he's delivered ever since.
Through seven playoff games, he has a sparkling 1.42 goals against average and .955 save percentage. His strong play carried into the beginning of Round two as he stopped 38-of-39 shots in Game 1 against the Florida Panthers and led the Bruins to a 5-1 victory.
At +1300, he has a 7.14% chance of winning the award. If you were to bet $100 on him to achieve the feat, you'd win a profit of $1,300 if he's able to do it.
Considering the Bruins' odds to win the Cup are at +1100, it's a near guarantee that if they do, Swayman will be named the playoff MVP and Conn Smythe Trophy winner.
Cale Makar Best Dark Horse Bets to Win Conn Smythe Trophy
By far the best value bet on the board to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, in my opinion, is Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche. Nathan MacKinnon is second on the odds list at +1200, but Makar has just as many points as MacKinnon with nine through the first round. Not only that, but Makar has managed to do that as a defenseman!
Makar was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner when the Avalanche won the Cup two years ago, why can't he do it again? It seems like the most obvious bet on the board as of writing this article.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
You can check out all of Iain's bets here!