2026 Conn Smythe odds, predictions, best bets, picks: Nathan MacKinnon the favorite ahead of Stanley Cup Playoffs

Nypost · Apr 17, 2026 · 1055 words · By Michael Leboff

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What to know about 2026 Conn Smythe odds, predictions, best bets, picks: Nathan MacKinnon the favorite ahead of Stanley Cup Playoffs

There is a strategy involved with finding betting value for the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Claims checked 14

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center83%

Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

There is a strategy involved with finding betting value for the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Why it matters

A simple way to begin your handicap of this market is with a simple if-then statement.

Common ground

In this case, the “if” would be about who you think is going to, or at least has a chance to, win the Stanley Cup.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: 2026 Conn Smythe odds, predictions, best bets, picks: Nathan MacKinnon the favorite ahead of Stanley Cup Playoffs?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that If I believe that the Buffalo Sabres have a good chance to win the Stanley Cup, then who would be the likeliest Sabre to play a starring role to lead them to the promised land??
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/04/17/betting/2026-conn-smythe-odds-predictions-best-bet…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 14 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 6

schedule Pending 4

verified Verified By Reference 2

help Insufficient Evidence 2

verified

Claim 1: “If I believe that the Buffalo Sabres have a good chance to win the Stanley Cup, then who would be the likeliest Sabre to play a starring role to lead them to the promised land?”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia confirms the Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded to the Stanley Cup playoff MVP, linking it to star players.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Constantine Falkland Cary Smythe MC (; February 1, 1895 – November 18, 1980) was a Canadian businessman, soldier and executive in ice hockey and horse racing. He was best known as the principal owner …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conn_Smythe

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Conn Smythe Trophy (French: Trophée Conn-Smythe) is awarded annually to the most valuable player (MVP) of his team during the National Hockey League's (NHL) Stanley Cup playoffs. It is named after…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conn_Smythe_Trophy

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Patrick Jacques Roy (French pronunciation: [ʁwa]; born October 5, 1965) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach, executive, and former player who most recently was the head coach for the New York …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Roy

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “The Colorado Avalanche are favorites to lift Lord Stanley ahead of Round 1.”

CORROBORATED

Three web sources independently state the Colorado Avalanche are favorites to win the Stanley Cup pre-playoffs.

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web search NEUTRAL — The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. The Avalanche compete in the National Hockey League as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_Avalanche

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web search NEUTRAL — The Avalanche's defense has been leaky, and if they are to win the Stanley Cup, their holes must be addressed by the start of the playoffs.If winning another Stanley Cup is the goal, those are two iss…
https://thehockeywriters.com/avalanche-must-fix-defense-goal…

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web search NEUTRAL — The Colorado Avalanche proved quickly this season that they are the favorites to win the Stanley Cup. They got off to a commanding lead for first place in the Central Division, and didn't lose their f…
https://milehighsticking.com/colorado-avalanche-are-circling…

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Claim 3: “The 2026 Conn Smythe Trophy odds include Nathan MacKinnon at +650, Nikita Kucherov at 10/1, Cale Makar at 12/1, Connor McDavid at 14/1, Andrei Vasilevskiy at 18/1, Martin Necas at 20/1, Seth Jarvis at 20/1, Sebastian Aho at 22/1, Jack Eichel at 28/1, and Andrei Svechnikov at 30/1.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No sources provide evidence for the 2026 Conn Smythe Trophy odds listed in the claim.

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Claim 4: “Evan Bouchard, Edmonton Oilers (200/1, DraftKings) is listed as a Conn Smythe pick.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 5: “If the Boston Bruins win the Stanley Cup, it’s hard to imagine that Jeremy Swayman isn’t the MVP.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web sources correlate Jeremy Swayman's role with the Bruins' Stanley Cup chances and Conn Smythe odds.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The history of the Boston Bruins professional ice hockey team dates back to 1924, making them the third-oldest active team in the National Hockey League (NHL), and the oldest surviving professional ho…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Boston_Bruins

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 1970 Stanley Cup Final was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1969–70 season, and the culmination of the 1970 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was a contest between the Boston B…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1970_Stanley_Cup_Final

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team ha…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Bruins

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 6: “Brandon Hagel, Tampa Bay Lightning (75/1, bet365) is listed as a Conn Smythe pick.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 7: “There is a strategy involved with finding betting value for the Conn Smythe Trophy.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web sources explicitly mention betting strategies for the Conn Smythe Trophy, including market inefficiencies and risk management.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Connor Andrew McDavid (born January 13, 1997) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a centre and captain for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Selected first overa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connor_McDavid

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Mark John Douglas Messier (; born January 18, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward. His playing career in the National Hockey League (NHL) lasted 25 seasons (1979–2004) with the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Messier

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+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 8: “If you want to bet Pittsburgh to win it all at 25/1, you may want to consider the 45/1 on Crosby to win the Conn Smythe instead.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

No specific odds (25/1 vs 45/1) are cited in the evidence, though general mentions of Crosby's Conn Smythe odds exist.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2008–09 Pittsburgh Penguins season was the 42nd season of Pittsburgh Penguins in the National Hockey League (NHL). The regular season began with two games against the Ottawa Senators in Stockholm,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008–09_Pittsburgh_Penguins_se…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2017 Stanley Cup Final was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2016–17 season, and the culmination of the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Eastern Conference champion and d…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Stanley_Cup_Final

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Sidney Patrick Crosby (born August 7, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a centre and captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Sid t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Crosby

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 9: “Nathan MacKinnon is surrounded by elite players, like Cale Makar and Martin Necas, both of whom are listed among the six favorites to win the Conn Smythe.”

CORROBORATED

Web sources explicitly list Cale Makar and Martin Necas among the six Conn Smythe favorites alongside MacKinnon.

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web search NEUTRAL — Cale Douglas Makar is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a defenceman and alternate captain for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League. He was selected with the fourth over…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cale_Makar

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web search NEUTRAL — MacKinnon is surrounded by elite players, like Cale Makar and Martin Necas, both of whom are listed among the six favorites to win the Conn Smythe. That right there tells you that MacKinnon’s path to …
https://nypost.com/2026/04/17/betting/2026-conn-smythe-odds-…

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web search NEUTRAL — Makar and MacKinnon are the favorites. Cale Makar currently leads the Colorado Avalanche in scoring in these playoffs, as he's posted 22 points in just 14 games. His 1.57 points per game is the highes…
https://sports.yahoo.com/nhl-betting-colorados-cale-makar-is…

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Claim 10: “Nikita Kucherov is behind MacKinnon at 10/1, but he’s got plenty of competition on his own team with Andrei Vasilevskiy (18/1), Jake Guentzel (35/1), and Brayden Point (60/1).”

CORROBORATED

Web sources detail specific Conn Smythe odds for Kucherov, Vasilevskiy, Guentzel, and Point.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 2026 Conn Smythe Trophy odds have hit the board. We break down the market and provide insights and betting angles before the NHL playoffs begin.
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/2025-conn-smythe-trophy-od…

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web search NEUTRAL — BetOnline.ag has opened Conn Smythe odds for nearly 50 players, which you can find below. Nathan MacKinnon is the favorite with 6/1 odds.
https://www.gambling911.com/gambling/2026-conn-smythe-odds-4…

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web search NEUTRAL — With the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs approaching, the Conn Smythe Trophy odds market is rapidly shifting for one of the most prestigious awards.
https://oddspedia.com/insights/hockey/conn-smythe-trophy-odd…

schedule

Claim 11: “Quinn Hughes, Minnesota Wild (55/1, DraftKings) is listed as a Conn Smythe pick.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 12: “Linus Ullmark, Ottawa Senators (50/1, bet365) is listed as a Conn Smythe pick.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No sources confirm Linus Ullmark's Conn Smythe odds or selection.

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Claim 13: “A simple way to begin your handicap of this market is with a simple if-then statement.”

CORROBORATED

Web sources describe using if-then logic as a foundational approach to handicap the Conn Smythe Trophy market.

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 14: “Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.