PenguinSpeed
Registered User
- Oct 4, 2017
- 1,799
- 898
I agree with you that there does seem to be a voter-style change in Conn Smythe trophies.
For a fun comparison..
1987 Finals (5.71 GPG):
Gretzky: 2G + 9A = 11 PTS (+5)
Result: no hardware
2016 Finals (4.50 GPG):
Crosby: 0G + 4 A = 4 PTS (0)
Result: Conn Smythe
I mean, I know Crosby did other things before the Finals in 2016, but I don't like it when the guy who wins the Conn Smythe wasn't dominant in the Finals. To me, that's really what it's about -- performance against the other 'best' team that year, in the big show. Of course rounds one and two 'count', but to me the real deal is being the best player on the biggest stages.
I really hate it when voter-fatigue (and its converse: voter-novelty) or voter-narrative becomes evident in hockey awards. Both lead to disastrous selections. Crosby was a legit Conn Smythe winner in 2017, but not in 2016. He only won it by a slim margin, and the difference there is likely voters who wanted to reward him for his career and give it a nice capper. Only they should have given it to someone else and waited to give one to Crosby in 2017, when he actually deserved it.
-I dont want to beat a dead horse on this. But Crosby had 3 game winning goals in 2016 on the top line, Phil Kessel had 0 on the 3rd line. One player is the captain, one player played on the 3rd line. The only other player deserving of the Conn in 2016 was Matt Murray. I simply cannot fathom or see any argument for Phil Kessel getting it.