The pretenders have been exposed. The contenders are starting to emerge.
And as playoff season in the National Hockey League continues, players of both high and low profiles are beginning their journeys toward ultimate team glory—and gaudy personal hardware.
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs and was captured last year by Ryan O'Reilly as he scored 23 points in 26 games while helping the St. Louis Blues to their first title.
It's been doled out to high scorers, hot goalies and myriad others, including five times to a player on the losing team in the finals—most recently when Jean-Sebastien Giguere backstopped the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to Game 7 before they were beaten by the New Jersey Devils.