Why Frederik Andersen must win Conn Smythe if Hurricanes capture Stanley Cup

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Why Frederik Andersen must win Conn Smythe if Hurricanes capture Stanley Cup

Garrett Kerman, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Sat, May 30, 2026 ·

4 min read

The numbers don’t lie

James Guillory-Imagn Images

First, the stats, the foundation of any good Conn Smythe conversation. Andersen is 12-1 in 13 playoff starts with a 1.41 GAA and .931 save percentage, the best save percentage of any NHL goaltender this postseason with a minimum of five games played. He has three shutouts, tying him with Cam Ward for the most career playoff shutouts in franchise history for the Carolina Hurricanes , eclipsing Ward’s record of four.

But the raw numbers only scratch the surface. Andersen has been especially dominant in the most critical moments of games. His 5-on-5 close save percentage, meaning situations where the game is tied in the first or second period or within one goal in the third, stands at an absurd .974. He is the only goaltender in these playoffs who has not allowed a single long-range goal, with a perfect 1.000 long-range save percentage on 42 shots faced.

And perhaps most remarkably, Andersen went 5-0 in overtime games, stopping all 33 overtime shots he faced throughout the first three rounds. Those are not just good numbers, those are once-in-a-generation playoff numbers.

The Hurricanes outscored opponents by 17 goals with Andersen in net through the conference finals, the second-best goal differential among all playoff goaltenders. Carolina swept through the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers in eight combined games before dispatching the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 in the Eastern Conference Final, and Andersen was the backbone of all of it.

A career-defining moment on hockey’s biggest stage

Andersen’s journey to this point makes the story even more compelling. The native of Herning, Denmark, was a third-round pick by the Anaheim Ducks in 2012 and spent years establishing himself as one of the NHL’s most reliable starters with Anaheim and Toronto before signing with Carolina in 2021. Now 36 years old and in the final year of his contract, this Stanley Cup run represents perhaps the last and best chance for a veteran goaltender to cement his legacy.

Despite a regular season that was largely a job-share with Brandon Bussi , Andersen seized the crease when the lights got brightest. His shutout in Game 1 of the first round against Ottawa set the tone immediately, and his shutout in Game 1 of the second round against Philadelphia made it clear he was locked in.

He became only the f ifth goaltender in NHL history to win each of his first six road games to start a postseason, joining the company of Patrick Roy, Jonathan Quick , Sergei Bobrovsky , and Billy Smith. That is the kind of exclusive list that Conn Smythe winners live on.

Among all goaltenders in NHL history who have played at least 90 career postseason games, Andersen now ranks among the leaders in career playoff winning percentage (.588), goals-against average (2.27), and save percentage (.915). He is not just having a career night, he is validating a career.

Why Frederik Andersen edges the competition

Taylor Hall has been excellent as Carolina’s top offensive weapon, recording 5 goals and 11 assists for 16 points in 13 playoff games, including three points in the series-clinching Game 5 victory over Montreal. His leadership and offensive production give voters a legitimate alternative. Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart also deserves mention, holding a slight edge in some advanced metrics like quality-starts percentage (75.0 vs. 66.7).

But here is the decisive distinction: goaltenders win Conn Smythe awards when they are the reason their team is still alive, and Andersen has been exactly that for Carolina. The Hurricanes play a smothering, possession-based defensive system, leading the NHL playoffs in shot-attempt percentage (59.4%) and offensive-zone time percentage (47.2%), that provides Andersen with structural support.

Yet even within that structure, Andersen has elevated his game to historic levels at age 36. The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded to the player most valuable to his team in the playoffs. For the Hurricanes, without Andersen’s brilliance between the pipes, this team doesn’t reach the Stanley Cup Final. If Carolina wins the Cup, there is simply no other name that belongs on that trophy.