Can Connor McDavid put himself into serious Conn Smythe consideration? 

Even after losing Game 4 by a score of 8-1, the Florida Panthers winning the Stanley Cup feels like a matter of when, not if after taking a 3-0 lead in the series. The Edmonton Oilers making a dramatic comeback is very much possible, but it’s a daunting task against a Panthers team that was playing well before the Game 4 rout.

But after Connor McDavid broke Wayne Gretzky’s record for most assists in a playoff season with his 32nd in Game 4, the Oilers captain has suddenly put himself in the conversation for the Conn Smythe trophy, even if the Oilers lose the series. It’s a feat that hasn’t been achieved since Jean-Sebastien Giguere won it in 2003 when the Anaheim Ducks lost to the New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup Final, but if anyone can do it, it’s McDavid.

Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk talked on Daily Faceoff Live about McDavid’s chance of winning the Conn Smythe if the Oilers lose, and how far into the series or how productive he’d need to be to do it.

Frank Seravalli: Probably at least Game 6. If you get to Game 6, all of a sudden you start to get into the McDavid Conn Smythe territory, even potentially in a losing fashion.

It also depends on how split the votes would be between Aleksander Barkov and Sergei Bobrovsky. I feel like that part cracked open a little bit with Bobrovsky getting pulled.

You would agree with me though that McDavid wasn’t in the first or second spot in terms of being the Oilers MVP through three rounds.

Tyler Yaremchuk: No but then I would also argue that the gap between where you’ve gone from McDavid and what you’ve gotten from Evan Bouchard and Leon Draisaitl, who would have been one and two, it’s been pretty significant in this Stanley Cup Final.

Frank Seravalli: Yeah, I would agree, totally. Draisaitl has just been off.

Tyler Yaremchuk: Yeah, and they could use a nice little vintage Draisaitl three-game heater here if they want to keep this series alive.

You can watch the full episode here…