The Conn Smythe Trophy race has a front-runner, and it is not the player who needed the most early questions answered. Freddie Andersen entered the playoffs with doubts around him and has turned that into a postseason that already looks award-worthy, with 12.5 goals saved above expected in 13 games and a playoff-leading.931 save percentage.
That is why his name sits at the center of the discussion as the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights head into the Stanley Cup Final. The Conn Smythe goes to the most valuable player of the playoffs, and Andersen’s numbers are the kind that can survive deep into a final series because they show up in every game, not just one hot streak.
He is not alone. K'Andre Miller has built his case on all-around impact for Carolina, with a plus-5.9 Net Rating that led all players this postseason, nearly 24 minutes a night, and eight assists in 13 games. The Hurricanes outscored opponents 16-3 with him on the ice, a number that matches the way he has been described by one of the sport’s most famous voices. Wayne Gretzky said during the conference finals that Miller was defending as well as he had ever seen a blueliner defend in the playoffs, adding that nobody could get around him because he was like a brick wall.
Carolina’s depth is also feeding the race. The Stankoven-Hall-Blake line has outscored opponents by eight and posted an expected goals rate north of 70 percent, with Hall leading the trio in points with 16, Jackson Blake adding 15 and Stankoven pacing the Hurricanes with nine goals. That kind of support matters because the Conn Smythe often goes to the player who drives results when the games tighten, not just the one with the flashiest total.
Vegas still has a contender of its own in Shea Theodore, but the loudest challenge to Andersen may come from Mitch Marner. Marner led all players with 21 points in 16 games, including three assists in four games against the Avalanche, yet much of that scoring came against weaker opponents and his output slowed in that series. That contrast is what keeps the race open: one player has the best overall stat line, another has the best goalie case, and the Final will decide which performance holds up under the heaviest pressure.
The closest goaltenders behind Andersen were Dan Vladar and Linus Ullmark at roughly 6.5 goals saved above expected, while Vegas goalie Carter Hart was 9.5 goals back. That gap is real, but it is not final. One series can still tilt a vote, especially if a skater takes over or a goalie steals a game when the championship is on the line. For now, Andersen’s edge is clear, Miller has the strongest all-around profile, and Marner is still the name most likely to change the conversation before the trophy is handed out.
