Mitch Marner just locked up Conn Smythe Trophy whether Golden Knights win Stanley Cup or not

Thanks to their thrilling 5-4 overtime victory over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday evening, the Vegas Golden Knights are now just two wins away from capturing their second Stanley Cup championship in only nine years of franchise history, further cementing their status among the NHL’s elite organizations.

And it’s the contributions of one particular first-year Golden Knight who not only made Saturday’s victory possible but has also helped propel Vegas all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. Mitch Marner, who spent the first nine seasons of his NHL career with the Toronto Maple Leafs before last offseason’s blockbuster sign-and-trade to the Golden Knights, delivered arguably the finest playoff performance of his career in Game 3.

Marner made history by recording the fastest hat trick in a Stanley Cup Final since the late Hall of Famer Maurice “Rocket” Richard accomplished the feat in 1954, ending a 69-year drought. Marner needed just 6:10 to score three times, surpassing Richard’s previous mark of 6:21. In the process, he also added to his NHL-leading point total among all players in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Following Saturday’s performance, Marner now has 10 goals and 18 assists for 28 points in just 19 postseason games, producing well above a point-per-game pace. It’s a welcome sight for a player who endured years of criticism from Toronto’s relentless media for disappointing playoff performances earlier in his career.

Just over a year ago, Marner publicly berated his Maple Leafs teammates during a timeout in what became yet another crushing Game 7 collapse on home ice. It ultimately proved to be his final appearance in a Toronto sweater. Just weeks later, he was on his way to Sin City, where he has since emerged as one of the driving forces behind Vegas’ title run.

Because of what he’s accomplished, Marner has earned the right to be named the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy, regardless of what transpires in the Stanley Cup Final moving forward. And it wouldn’t be without recent precedent.

Just two years ago, Edmonton Oilers superstar captain Connor McDavid was named the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy, albeit after his team lost a heartbreaking seven-game series to the Florida Panthers; McDavid registered eight goals and 34 assists for 42 points in 25 games.

Additionally, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim goaltender Jean-Sebastian Giguere took home the award in 2003. Like McDavid, Giguere was on the losing side of a hard-fought seven-game series, but posted a 15-6 record with a 1.62 record and a .945 save percentage during the postseason, and was the main reason why his club advanced that far.

While Marner isn’t producing points at quite the same pace as McDavid’s superhuman playoff run in 2024, his offensive output remains one of the primary reasons the Golden Knights are now just two wins away from lifting the Stanley Cup. In the process, he’s completely transformed his reputation—from a player criticized for not being built for playoff hockey to one on the verge of cementing his place in NHL lore.

Marner is playing with confidence and freedom, and his impact is a major reason why Vegas finds itself in such a favorable position. A Conn Smythe Trophy win could very well be in his immediate future, and it would be a well-deserved honor regardless of how the remainder of the series unfolds.

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