NHL analyst weighs Connor McDavid's Conn Smythe chances in consecutive Stanley Cup losing efforts to Panthers 

As the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers gear up for a Stanley Cup Final rematch, all eyes are on Oilers superstar Connor McDavid and whether he can win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP for the second straight year.

McDavid made history last season, becoming the first player since Anaheim's Jean-Sebastien Giguere in 2003 to claim the Conn Smythe on the runner-up squad. With Edmonton and Florida clashing again for the Stanley Cup, could McDavid possibly repeat the feat if the Oilers fall short again?

According to NHL analyst Mike Rupp, it's not out of the question.

"In theory, I would say, I don't know if they would vote for him, because he got that last year in a losing effort," Rupp said on the "Upper Deck" podcast. “I want to say from the team, but they like to mix it up.

Rupp noted that if the series goes to seven games, Connor McDavid could rack up 16 or 17 points — and in that case, you'd expect the Oilers to come out on top.

“But this guy's all-world, so I'm gonna say, yeah. There's not many people I think that would be able to repeat in a losing effort. But if there's someone to prove everybody wrong, it's probably McDavid," Rupp added.

The oddsmakers agree McDavid has a shot. According to BetMGM, he leads the Conn Smythe odds at +100, followed by Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (+250), forward Aleksander Barkov (+500), Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (+700), and Florida's Matthew Tkachuk (+2500).

McDavid was sensational last postseason, recording a league-best 42 points in 25 games. This season, he has 26 points in 20 games.

Game 1 of the Oilers-Panthers Stanley Cup Final rematch is set for Wednesday at Rogers Place.

Former player Devan Dubnyk's take on Connor McDavid's chances at Conn Smythe Trophy

Former NHL goaltender Devan Dubnyk agreed with analyst Mike Rupp that Connor McDavid has a chance to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP even if the Oilers lose the Stanley Cup Final again.

Dubnyk said the fact that McDavid is the +100 favorite to win the Conn Smythe shows just how special he is.

“Nobody loves to have that Conn Smythe guy in the losing team. However, McDavid is that special, if they were to lose, they he puts himself so far and beyond, anybody, second place person, they might not have an option, they might have to pick him,” Dubnyk said.

Dubnyk added that typically the voters would give the award to a player on the Cup-winning team if it's close. However, Connor McDavid has proven with his performance last year that if he far outpaces everyone else statistically, he could win the MVP playing for the runner-up.