Mitch Marner Paces Conn Smythe Trophy 2026 Race With 29 Points
Mitch Marner has 29 points in 21 playoff games, and that line has pushed him into the conn smythe trophy 2026 debate. Carolina leads the Stanley Cup Finals 3-2, so one game can still swing the playoff MVP race in either direction.
Marner and Staal drive the vote
Jordan Staal has put up six goals and seven points in five games in the Finals, a burst that gives Carolina a clear front-runner inside its own dressing room. He had only five points in 13 games through the first three rounds, so his surge has come at the exact time the award discussion usually tightens.
Marner’s case rests on volume and consistency. He has eight different multi-point games in the playoffs, including two four-point performances, and his 29 points in 21 games leave him as the scoring leader for Vegas. That kind of production keeps him in the same conversation as Staal even with Carolina holding the series edge.
Andersen, Bussi, and the net
Frederik Andersen also enters the race with a resume built before the Finals. He went 12-0 with a.931 save percentage through 13 games in the first three rounds, then posted a.815 save percentage in 162 minutes in the Finals before being pulled partway through Game 3.
Brandon Bussi has steadied that spot since taking over. In two-and-a-half games, he has a.908 save percentage, which keeps Carolina’s goaltending part of the award picture even as the series reaches its last stretch.
Vegas names still in play
Vegas has more than one skater attached to the vote. Mark Stone and Jack Eichel were cited as potential Conn Smythe considerations, and Carter Hart had solid performances before the Finals. That gives the Golden Knights several paths to a late push if they force the series deeper.
Connor McDavid remains the recent benchmark after winning the award in 2024 with 42 points in 25 games. With Rod Brind'Amour having spearheaded Carolina’s last Cup win in 2006, this Finals now sits one game from deciding whether the trophy stays with a champion built on Carolina’s balance or shifts to a Vegas scorer who has kept piling up points all spring.
