How Connor McDavid Felt About Losing Cup, Winning Conn Smythe

The Oilers lost Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night, but their captain still got his hands on prestigious hardware.

Edmonton was not able to pull off a historic comeback on the NHL's biggest stage. After initially trailing the Panthers 3-0 in the best-of-seven series, the Oilers stormed all the way back but fell 2-1 in the winner-take-all tilt at Amerant Bank Arena.

But before Aleksander Barkov skated the Cup and passed it off to his Florida teammates, McDavid was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy. The three-time Hart Trophy winner understandably wasn't elated about the honor, which is given to the best player of the entire postseason.

"Yeah, obviously, I guess it's an honor," McDavid told reporters, per ESPN. "With the names on that trophy. But ... yeah."

McDavid became only the sixth player in league history to claim the Conn Smythe Trophy without winning the Stanely Cup. But the 27-year-old was a borderline undeniable recipient, as his 42 points in the Oilers' run were the fourth-most in a single postseason in NHL history.

The seven-time All-Star now will wind down in the offseason ahead of his 10th season in Edmonton. The Oilers currently are tied for the fourth-shortest odds at FanDuel Sportsbook to win the Cup in the 2024-25 campaign, and McDavid is a heavy betting favorite to win the Hart again next season.