Two red-hot and deserving teams matchup in the Stanley Cup Final, which began Tuesday, June 2nd - the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes.
The Hurricanes dominated the Eastern Conference on their way to their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 2006 - which they ended up winning.
The Canes are 12-1 in the playoffs after sweeping the Ottawa Senators in the first round and the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round before beating the Montreal Canadiens in five in the Eastern Conference Finals.
34-year-old Taylor Hall has been rejuvenated in his search for his first Stanley Cup of his career. He's leading the Canes in playoff points with 18 (six goals, 12 assists). Jackson Blake also has 18 points (six goals, 12 assists), while Logan Stankoven leads the team in playoff goals with 11.
While the offense has been great, it's the goaltending play of 36-year-old Frederik Andersen that has been the real story. His .931 save percentage and 1.41 goals allowed per game are the best of any goalkeeper in the playoffs before the Stanley Cup Finals got underway.
On Vegas' side, it's been a well-balanced attack with seven players recording at least 10 points in their 16 playoff games.
Mitch Marner has been everything Vegas was hoping for, and more, when they made the trade to get him in the offseason. He has 29 points (10 goals, 19 assists).
Longtime Knight Jack Eichel also has 18 assists, while Pavel Dorofeyev (10 goals) and Brett Howden (14 goals) have done most of the scoring.
This has been a hard-hitting, grueling series between the two elite clubs, and the Conn Smythe trophy race may come down to a late goal in a crucial game.
Let's take a look at the Conn Smythe trophy odds, provided by bet365:
2026 Conn Smythe Trophy Odds - Golden Knights vs. Hurricanes
Mitch Marner (VGK) | -115 |
Logan Stankoven (CAR) | +375 |
Taylor Hall (CAR) | +375 |
Jordan Staal (CAR) | +550 |
Jackson Blake (CAR) | +4000 |
Nikolaj Ehlers (CAR) | +8000 |
Seth Jarvis (CAR) | +12500 |
Mitch Marner is the frontrunner and only real contender for Vegas. With eight points in four games in the Stanley Cup Finals it's obvious why he leads all players in the odds.
Logan Stankoven and Taylor Hall are the two favorites to win the award for Carolina. Stankoven has two goals and one assist (three points) in the Finals, while Hall has one goal and one assist (two points).
Jordan Staal is making a push as well, scoring five goals and providing one assist in the Stanley Cup, including at least one goal in each of the first four games.
Discover more from bet365
Read about the series props and odds for Knights vs. Canes on site.
Read the latest NHL news on site.
All odds written in this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.
