Jonathan Quick is the overwhelming favorite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, according to online bookmaker Bovada.
Following are the odds for each candidate:
Jonathan Quick 11/10
Dustin Brown 4/1
Martin Brodeur 4/1
Ilya Kovalchuk 11/2
Anze Kopitar 10/1
Drew Doughty 12/1
Zach Parise 12/1
Mike Richards 25/1
Travis Zajac 25/1
David Clarkson 30/1
Dustin Penner 50/1
First off, it’s fantastic that Penner made the cut, long shot or not. Even bigger surprise than a Kings-Devils finals.
As for Quick, the Kings’ goalie is 12-2 in the playoffs with a 1.54 goals-against average and .946 save percentage. Tim Thomas was named MVP last year, finishing with a 1.98 GAA and .940 SV%. Granted, Thomas was at his best in the finals, and we don’t know how Quick will fare yet.
Teammate and captain Dustin Brown has been equally brilliant for Los Angeles, and he’d get a lot of votes now, if not the most. However, there’s probably a better chance Quick maintains his excellent play than Brown keeps on scoring game-winning goals. But if he does win it, Brown will become the first winger since Claude Lemieux (1995) to lift the award.
Brodeur is the understandable favorite on the Devils, even if his numbers (2.04 GAA, .923) pale in comparison to Quick’s. Whoever wins this series, it probably won’t be thanks to an offensive explosion, so the goalie will have had to play well. And you know sportswriters would love a reason to vote for a 40-year-old.
PS -- The Kings are the 10/17 favorites to beat the Devils (3/2) at Bovada.