Carolina Hurricanes’ Jordan Staal Is Conn Smythe Favorite – Hockey Writers – Carolina Hurricanes

With more than 24 hours to go from Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals, there has been plenty of news through the five games. Between multiple comebacks, shutouts, goalie changes, and historic scoring runs, this series had it all. Game 5 felt like a typical contest in a series that saw both teams score at least four goals in a game.

Going into the series, there was a lot of buzz surrounding Mitch Marner, Logan Stankoven, Taylor Hall, and Frederik Andersen as the favorites to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. However, as the Carolina Hurricanes are one win away from their second Stanley Cup in franchise history, there is a different name that has been charging the offense and has become the odds-on favorite to win it.

A Captain who Leads by Example

At 37 years old, Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal has turned the clock and is on a unique streak of scoring in five games in the Stanley Cup Final. Through five games, Staal has six goals, with goals in all five contests. His five game goal streak tied the Stanley Cup Final record. He joined Jean Beliveau (1956), Maurice Richard (1951), and Cyclone Taylor (1918) to score in the first five Stanley Cup Final games.

Staal has eight goals, 12 points, three power play goals, and four power play points through 18 games this postseason, all career bests. His eight goals on 35 shots gave him a 22.9% shooting percentage. When it comes to the faceoff dot, Staal wins at a 56.4% clip, also winning 69% of faceoffs in the Stanley Cup Finals.

According to BetMGM, Staal is set at -200 odds to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. Marner is +310, while Stankoven is +650 and Hall is +700. Imagine telling someone last week that Staal would be the favorite to win the Conn Smythe. While people will argue that Marner has the most points in every playoff game, it’s hard to argue with what Staal has done for the Hurricanes through five games.

Before their Game 5 win, Jordan Martinook explained that Staal is a leader no matter what time it is during any given season. “He puts up goals, points, and all that right now, but he leads us all year.” Obviously, everybody who’s been here all year, you see how Jordo plays every night.

Some episodes aren’t filled with as many goals as he is right now, but every night he sets the tone for our team. In the most important series of our season, he sets the tone every night and plays amazingly. That shows what kind of captain he is.”

When it comes to seeing Staal’s story during his tenure with the Hurricanes, Jaccob Slavin knows best, having worked with the team for 11 years. Slavin’s first season in Raleigh came in the 2015-26 season, a few seasons after Staal was traded to the Hurricanes before the 2012-13 campaign.

When asked about Staal’s game, Slavin said: “It’s unbelievable. I’ve had him for 11 years now; he’s been my captain the whole time. Obviously, he didn’t wear a letter the first few years, but he was a leader in this team, he’s always been there. It’s nice to see how old he is and he’s still working hard for the team at 37.

He puts in his time, always wanting to be better, and even learning from the younger guys, some young forwards. It’s the way he comes through the game, the way he is as a person; you couldn’t wish for anything better.”

Staal is considered a force to be reckoned with for the Hurricanes night in and night out. It could be between the Stanley Cup Finals or a random Tuesday night in Salt Lake City, Utah. No matter what the game, the Hurricanes captain is a voice and presence, the team is ready to play Hurricanes Hockey.

Head coach Rod Brind’Amour, after the win, described Staal as their biggest on and off the scoreboard, but he knows how the captain will prepare everyone for Game 6 on Sunday night. “It’s huge. This is unnecessary; you expect him to put up those numbers. If he does, it’s like an added bonus. He deserved it; he’s been playing well. He’s got to get that back, and he knows it and he’s going to prepare for our team.”

If Staal scores in Game 6 on Sunday night (June 14), he can add more to his legacy in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final. If he doesn’t, the priority is helping the team win its second Stanley Cup. When asked after the game Thursday night (June 11) about his continued scoring success, “It feels good. It’s a good time to heat up, and try to contribute in any way I can. Just win games, and the puck has been going in, and I just keep doing all the things I have to do to help win games.”

It will be interesting to see who wins the Conn Smythe Trophy when the series is all said and done. Whether he wins it or not, Staal has led the offense through five games so far. The ultimate goal is always winning the Stanley Cup, but like Cam Ward did in 2006, adding a Conn Smythe would be another bonus for Staal in his career. The Hurricanes have won another Stanley Cup, and will be looking to their captain to lead the way.

This team has been focused all season on reaching their first goal. Now they have a chance to conquer it all, 20 years after they reached the top of the mountain for the first time. When it comes to their focus during the playoffs, it has been the most intense in recent memory. They learned how to move forward and focus on what’s next in these tournaments. As for Sunday, it will be business as usual for them with the Stanley Cup in the building as they are one win away from glory.