Draisaitl to Win the 2025 Conn Smythe? Yes, Please

According to FanDuel Sportsbook’s latest NHL odds, Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl is +800 to win the 2025 Conn Smythe Trophy as the NHL Playoffs MVP.

The Conn Smythe favorite is Draisaitl’s linemate, the great Connor McDavid. 

McDavid is the reigning Conn Smythe recipient, having won the award despite the Edmonton Oilers’ 2024 Stanley Cup loss to the Florida Panthers. 

Should Edmonton close out the Dallas Stars tonight and eventually win the Stanley Cup, McDavid will have the inside track to become a repeat winner. 

Is there a case to make for Draisaitl to win the 2025 Conn Smythe Trophy, and should you make that wager? Here’s why I think Draisaitl for Smythe is worth a play. 

Draisaitl is Second in Playoff Scoring

Connor McDavid leads the league in playoff scoring with 24 points, but Draisaitl is second with 23 points. 

What could give the talented German forward the edge is his goal-scoring ability. Draisaitl is among the top playoff goal-scorers this year, with seven thus far. Should the Oilers advance, Draisaitl will once again play on hockey’s grandest stage, and a few clutch goals in the Stanley Cup Final may stick out to the voters. 

McDavid is McDavid. He’s the head and shoulders the best player in the game. In my opinion, Connor McDavid is the most all-around talented player since Mario Lemieux haunted goaltenders and defensemen in the 80s and 90s.

Yet, McDavid has scored only five goals these playoffs. I’d wager Draisaitl has a better chance of scoring a crucial goal for the Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final. 

Draisaitl Holds More Value

But it’s not as if Connor McDavid doesn’t hold any. As of right now, the Edmonton Oilers are +115 to win the 2025 Stanley Cup. McDavid to win the Conn Smythe is +175. 

Those odds should be a closer match. 

Think about it—a Canadian hero leading a Canadian team to a Stanley Cup victory for the first time since 1993, the game’s current greatest player who plays in the shadow of Gretzky and the Oilers’ dynasty staking his part of franchise history, all while likely leading the postseason in points. 

How could McDavid’s Conn Smythe price not be the same as Edmonton to win the Cup?

So, there is a slight value on McDavid at +175. 

But imagine another scenario: Edmonton and Florida once again push the Stanley Cup Final to a seventh game. In a close-checking battle, Draisaitl, close to McDavid’s point total, nets two as Edmonton claims the Stanley Cup. 

Wouldn’t you rather have the possible winning goal scorer at +800? I would. 

Draisaitl to Win 2025 Conn Smythe is a Good Bet

Awards markets like the 2025 Conn Smythe Trophy are often bet on conviction. If you believe the Florida Panthers will once again win, you’d want to bet on Sam Bennett or Matthew Tkachuk. 

If you believe the Oilers will advance out of the Western Conference and ultimately win it all, you wager on an Edmonton player. 

While I think it is more than likely that McDavid will once again claim the Conn Smythe if the Oilers win the Stanley Cup, Draisaitl at +800 is the better value wager.