By The Numbers: Eichel, Tkachuk among leaders in Conn Smythe race
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The NHL has reached the halfway point of this season’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, with the original field of 16 teams narrowed down to a final four competing to lift hockey’s Holy Grail.
It also allows an opportunity to acknowledge the players who have led their teams to this point, putting them in consideration for the Conn Smythe Trophy, which is awarded to the most valuable player of the playoffs.
Jaccob Slavin, D, Carolina Hurricanes
Slavin isn’t going to wow anyone with his offensive numbers, but the 6-foot-3 defenceman has been controlling the play on the backend for the Hurricanes.
The 2021 Lady Byng winner is leading all playoff performers with a plus-14, including a plus-12 rating in five games against the New Jersey Devils in the second round.
He is second on the Hurricanes with 22:10 of average ice time behind Brent Burns (23:55) and leads the Hurricanes on the penalty kill, averaging 2:26 a game while a man short.
“I’ve watched him for many years and he might be one of the best defencemen to ever play that position the way he plays it,” head coach Rod Brind’Amour said after their 3-2 overtime victory on May 11. “Everyone raises their eyes at me. I’ve been watching it every night, but at defending, I haven’t seen anyone better.”
Matthew Tkachuk, LW, Florida Panthers
Tkachuk’s play throughout the 2022-23 season has left a lasting impact on the Florida Panthers.
The 6-foot-2 winger led the Panthers in scoring during the regular season with 40 goals and 109 points, leading him to being named a Hart Trophy finalist.
He continued to lead the Panthers offensively in the playoffs by scoring five goals and 16 points in 12 games, which sits him sixth in the NHL in playoff scoring and second among players who are still alive.
Tkachuk led all scorers with five goals and 11 points during the Panthers’ 3-1 series comeback against the Boston Bruins in the first round, including two goals and seven points in the team’s three elimination games.
“That guy is a – and then you put a long string of profanity – gamer” head coach Paul Maurice told reporters after Tkachuk scored the overtime winner in Game 5 over the Boston Bruins on April 27. “There’re 700 guys in the league, 640 of them jam that thing as fast as they can and lose it, and he pulls it across. He’s just a gamer.”
NHL Playoff Top Scorers Among Remaining Teams
| Player | Team | Games | Goals | Assists | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roope Hintz | Dallas Stars | 13 | 9 | 10 | 19 |
| Matthew Tkachuk | Florida Panthers | 12 | 5 | 11 | 16 |
| Jack Eichel | Vegas Golden Knights | 11 | 6 | 8 | 14 |
| Carter Verhaeghe | Florida Panthers | 12 | 5 | 7 | 12 |
| Mark Stone | Vegas Golden Knights | 11 | 5 | 7 | 12 |
| Jason Robertson | Dallas Stars | 13 | 2 | 10 | 12 |
| Max Domi | Dallas Stars | 13 | 3 | 8 | 11 |
| Joe Pavelski | Dallas Stars | 13 | 8 | 2 | 10 |
| Chandler Stephenson | Vegas Golden Knights | 11 | 6 | 4 | 10 |
| Sebastian Aho | Carolina Hurricanes | 11 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| Jonathan Marchessault | Vegas Golden Knights | 11 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
Roope Hintz, C, Dallas Stars
Through two rounds of the playoffs, much of the Dallas Stars’ offence has flown through Hintz.
The 6-foot-3 centre has nine goals and 19 points to lead not only his team but all players who haven’t been eliminated in goals and points.
He dominated the Minnesota Wild in the first round by registering five goals and 12 points en route to a six-game series win. He followed that up with another four goals and seven points against the Seattle Kraken, including a goal and three assists during the Stars’ 5-2 win in Game 5 to give his team a 3-2 series lead.
He also scored the opening goal 16 minutes into the second period of a tightly contested Game 7 to help lead the team to 2-1 victory.
“He’s been an absolute monster for us this playoffs at the most important times,” head coach Peter DeBoer told reporters after the Stas’ 5-2 victory over the Kraken in Game 5 on May 11. “This is obviously a critical game for our group. He comes out in the first 10 minutes and basically lets everybody in the building know he’s here to play.”
Jack Eichel, C, Vegas Golden Knights
After spending the first seven seasons of his NHL career trying to find his way into the playoffs Eichel has made the most of his first opportunity this season with the Vegas Golden Knights.
The 6-foot-2 centre leads the Golden Knights in scoring this postseason with six goals and 14 points, and has been a key cog in the team’s five-game series win over the Winnipeg Jets in the first round and hard-fought six-game victory over the Edmonton Oilers in the second round.
With the Oilers up 2-1 during the second period of Game 5 and the series at two games apiece, Eichel managed to draw two consecutive penalties to allow Mark Stone and Reilly Smith score power-play goals seconds apart to swing the game and eventually the series in the Golden Knights’ direction.
“This is his coming-out party for the playoffs,” Cassidy told reporters after Eichel’s goal and four-point performance in Game 5’s 4-3 victory. “First against Winnipeg, and now against McDavid and the Oilers in round two. I’m impressed with his assertiveness. You’re seeing a guy rise to the occasion.”