Six weeks ago, we looked at the math in the Conn Smythe betting market before the Stanley Cup Playoffs. We listed 23 players who had shorter odds than 50-1, and now just two remain from those atop the oddsboard - Jack Eichel and Mark Stone.

Everyone else on the Golden Knights and each member of the Panthers has seen an increase in their chances to win playoff MVP. Of course, because the Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded for a players' body of work during the entirety of a postseason, previous contributions should be a factor in voting, and therefore, the odds.

Conn Smythe Trophy odds

The most notable thing from the players listed above is the dichotomy between the players of each team. The Panthers have two main candidates - one in net and one top contributor amongst Florida skaters. The gap from Matthew Tkachuk at +375 to the next most likely Panther (Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe) is a chasm that's filled with Golden Knights, as six different Vegas players are still legitimate options.

The favorite among the Golden Knights - Eichel - leads the team in scoring with 18 points but didn't score a goal in their previous series. It will be a challenge to get to 27 points - the total Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin scored in 2017 and 2018. However, five other forwards since 2011 have won the award with 25 points or less.

This is important if you like the Golden Knights, because it means that anyone from the following list could catch fire and sway the voters with a big series:

• Jack Eichel: 6 goals, 12 assists
• Jonathan Marchessault: 9 goals, 8 assists, 3 game-winning goals
• Mark Stone: 6 goals, 9 assists, 1 game-winning goal
• Ivan Barbashev: 6 goals, 9 assists, 1 game-winning goal
• William Karlsson: 10 goals, 4 assists
• Chandler Stephenson: 8 goals, 6 assists, 3 game-winning goals

As far as opportunity is concerned, just two-and-a-half minutes of average ice time separate those with the most and least of this group. If they're all just as likely to add to their resume, why not take a stab at the longest shot, or shots, of the group?

By now, perhaps you know that we're betting on the Panthers to win the series on the slightest of edges for an underdog in a series that we have as at least a toss-up, but that isn't without respect for the Golden Knights. In fact, their ability to convert even-strength high-danger chances at an absurdly high rate this postseason might translate to Sergei Bobrovsky's candidacy taking a hit in higher-scoring games.

That would make us feel good about Tkachuk - a player we added after Round 1 at 20-1, who is the Panthers' most valuable skater with four high-profile game-winning goals. He will likely lead the playoffs in scoring.

If you've bought into Tkachuk along the way, you can effectively corner the market on Panthers with a play on Bobrovsky. But if the Golden Knights are more your flavor, making low-stakes/high-payout bets on under-the-radar candidates is worth a shot.

Matt Russell is the lead betting analyst for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.

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Vegas Golden Knights forwards Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith aren't harboring any bad blood toward the Florida Panthers as the pair gear up to battle their former team in the Stanley Cup Final.

Marchessault was the Golden Knights' expansion draft pick from Florida in 2017, and the Panthers also sent Smith to Sin City in a separate trade that day to protect blue-liners Aaron Ekblad, Alexander Petrovic, Mark Pysyk, and Keith Yandle. Ekblad is the only player of the bunch still with the team.

"It's water under the bridge," Marchessault said, according to NHL.com's Nick Cotsonika. "Yeah, I was disappointed at the time, but it's six years ago now, so it doesn't bother me anymore."

He added, "I was surprised at the decision, but that's the way she goes sometimes. Keeps you honest."

Marchessault was fresh off a breakout 30-goal campaign when the Panthers left him exposed for the league's 31st franchise to take for free. He's now the Golden Knights' all-time leader in games played (432), goals (150), and points (348).

Smith signed a five-year extension with the Panthers in 2016 but was moved before the deal kicked in. He's proceeded to rack up 286 points in 399 games with the Golden Knights and signed a three-year deal to stay in Vegas last summer.

"Obviously, it turned out great," Smith said. "And I wouldn't have changed it for anything in the world."

"My life has changed a lot over the last six years," he added. "It's been a great change for me. Hopefully, I can play the rest of my career here in Las Vegas."

Marchessault and Smith played key roles during the Golden Knights' first run to the Stanley Cup Final - a loss to the Washington Capitals - in their inaugural season and are two of six players who remain from the original roster.

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J.P. Barry, representative of Vancouver Canucks superstar Elias Pettersson, expects preliminary talks for a long-term extension to get underway this offseason.

"I think we're going to watch that market for (restricted free-agent) players who are already out there a little bit this summer," Barry told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. "But I think in the talks that we’ve had (with the Canucks), they do want to get together sometime this summer or early fall at least - in the next few months - to try and talk about the future.

He added: "We've stayed in contact. Elias is thinking about it. I think it's going to happen, we're going to sit down this summer. We're going to talk about staying there long term. That is the plan right now."

Pettersson is entering the final season of the three-year, $22.05-million bridge contract he inked with Vancouver in 2021. The 24-year-old is eligible to sign a new deal as of July 1. He built a case for a significant raise this past season after finishing 10th in the league scoring with 102 points.

Pettersson set career highs in goals (39), assists (63), shots (257), and average ice time (20:33) during a tumultuous season for the Canucks in which the club missed the playoffs, changed head coaches, and traded former captain Bo Horvat.

Pettersson currently carries Vancouver's third-highest cap hit among skaters, trailing J.T. Miller ($8 million), and Quinn Hughes ($7.85 million). The Canucks project to have ample cap space come 2024-25 - the first season of Pettersson's potential new deal - with only nine players currently signed through the upcoming campaign.

Pierre-Luc Dubois of the Winnipeg Jets, as well as Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier of the New Jersey Devils, are among the most prominent unsigned RFAs this offseason that could influence the market on Pettersson's next contract.

The Canucks drafted Pettersson fifth overall in 2017. He's collected 323 points in 325 games with the franchise, and he won the Calder Trophy in 2019.

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Patrick Kane underwent hip resurfacing surgery on Thursday and is expected to take four-to-six months to recover, his agent Pat Brisson announced, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Brisson added that Kane "wants to play for a long time."

Under this recovery timeline, Kane could return to action between October and December.

Kane is a pending unrestricted free agent after wrapping up the final season of an eight-year, $84-million pact. After spending 16 seasons with the Blackhawks, Chicago sent him to the New York Rangers prior to this year's trade deadline.

The 34-year-old put up 21 goals and 36 assists in 73 regular-season games and added six points in seven playoff contests before the Rangers were bounced out of the first round by the New Jersey Devils.

Though the Rangers ended up acquiring Kane in February, they initially had concerns about a nagging hip injury, according to ESPN's Emily Kaplan.

Washington Capitals veteran Nicklas Backstrom underwent hip resurfacing surgery last June and wasn't able to make his season debut until January.

During his end-of-season media availability, Kane said a return to the rebuilding Blackhawks hadn't crossed his mind, per SNY Rangers.

Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said in April that he didn't offer Kane or Jonathan Toews an extension, adding that he wasn't sure if "resting on the past or on sentimentality" would benefit Chicago in the long run.

A three-time Stanley Cup champion, Kane has 451 goals and 786 assists in 1,180 career NHL games.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs introduced new general manager Brad Treliving on Thursday, and the executive got right down to business after inheriting a relatively intricate state of affairs from Kyle Dubas.

"It's the Leafs. It means something," Treliving said. "To me, I sit in front of you today excited, humbled, looking at this as a great opportunity, but also know this is a great, great responsibility."

Here's what Treliving said about some of the Maple Leafs' most pressing issues.

On prioritizing an extension for Matthews

One of the more pressing things on Treliving's plate is getting star Auston Matthews signed to an extension.

The 2022 Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy winner has one season left on his current deal and is eligible to ink a new pact on July 1.

"We're not going to get into any public discourse about contracts," he said. "Obviously, we know where these contracts are at. Auston is one of the elite players in the world. ... Getting to Auston is a priority.

"But outside of the contract stuff, No. 1 is just getting to build that relationship. It's not walking down and trying to arm wrestle about contracts. It's me getting a chance to meet him but, more importantly, having Auston get a chance to meet me, know what we're about, and just talk a little bit. That's priority No. 1. ... We're prepared to get after it."

Matthews currently carries an $11.64-million cap hit and is in line for a raise. He hit the 40-goal mark for the fifth time this campaign.

On Keefe's future as head coach

Like Matthews, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe also has one year remaining on his deal.

Keefe's future with the franchise was called into question after the Maple Leafs were eliminated by the Florida Panthers in the second round, but his outlook got even murkier with Dubas' departure.

Dubas and Keefe have a long history of working together, dating back to the OHL in the early 2010s. The pair were reunited at the NHL level when Dubas fired veteran bench boss Mike Babcock in November 2019 and replaced him with Keefe.

Treliving said Keefe is in a "unique situation, but that's the business."

"I think he's a really good coach," Treliving said. "My view is, determining whether a guy's good, bad, or indifferent, you have to work with him. You have to get to know him. ... I'm coming in with no preconceived notions."

He added, "I think Sheldon has done a lot of really, really good team things. I look at how a group of really skilled players has gotten better at checking and defending and doing those things that you need to win. So we're gonna sit down, and we're gonna have a thorough process and try to do it as quickly as possible and come to a conclusion."

The Maple Leafs own a regular-season record of 166-71-30 across four seasons under Keefe.

On deciding what to do with the 'Core 4'

The Maple Leafs' Cour Four forwards - Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares - have long faced criticism for Toronto's struggles in the playoffs.

Despite only having one playoff series win under their belts since Matthews' rookie season, Shanahan reportedly told the group that they're unlikely to be moved after the foursome failed to make an impact in the second round against the Panthers.

Treliving addressed the situation and his thoughts on a potential trade.

"Having those players excites me. ... We're gonna review everything," he said. "I want to stress strongly: I'm not about coming in and making a statement. You can throw a body onto the tarmac, and it might look good for a headline, but are you getting any better? At the end of the day, it's about getting better, and just being different doesn't necessarily make you better."

He added, "I'm coming in from an outside lens. This idea of the Core Four and all those types of things, my job is to protect them," he said. "I'm fiercely protective of my players. But this can't be about the Core Four. This is about the Toronto Maple Leafs. ... It's about the 23 guys that we're gonna have in this organization.

"I understand that the spotlight's bigger here. ... But it's about the Leafs. The success of this team or whatever challenges we have isn't because of four guys or two guys or one guy. It's about the group. For a manager coming in, I'm pretty lucky to have the talent that those four represent, as well as everybody else on this team."

When asked if he was opposed to making a big move, Treliving said, "We will look at all things."

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The Florida Panthers have stunned the historically dominant Boston Bruins, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the hockey world as a whole amid an improbable run to the Stanley Cup Final this spring. Given the Cats' unexpected arrival on the doorstep of a championship, it's worth breaking down how they were assembled.

Bill Zito took over as the Panthers' general manager in September 2020, and Florida won the Presidents' Trophy last season before bowing out in the second round. While he's certainly put his stamp on the club in his relatively short tenure, the groundwork for the Panthers' foundation began long before he arrived.

On the whole, free-agent signings and trades account for the vast majority of the moves that shaped this now formidable squad.

Here's how Zito and his predecessors constructed the club that went from sneaking into the playoffs last month all the way to competing in the Cup Final beginning Saturday.

Homegrown

Aleksander Barkov (June 30, 2013): The franchise cornerstone is in his 10th NHL season, all of which he's played with Florida. Former Panthers GM Dale Tallon drafted the dynamic Finnish center second overall, right after the Colorado Avalanche chose Nathan MacKinnon. Barkov, who's blossomed into a superstar and one of the game's best two-way players, is in his fifth campaign as the Cats' captain.

Aaron Ekblad (June 27, 2014): Ekblad has been a fixture of the Panthers' defensive corps since Tallon picked him first overall. Much like Barkov, Ekblad has played his entire career for Florida, and next season will be his 10th. The Canadian blue-liner has dealt with injuries in recent seasons, but he's been a workhorse with a knack for contributing on offense when healthy.

Spencer Knight (June 21, 2019): Tallon picked Knight 13th overall, and the young goaltender impressed when he first arrived on the NHL scene for four regular-season games and a pair of playoff contests in 2021. However, he's been inconsistent since and has fallen to No. 3 on the team's netminding depth chart.

Anton Lundell (Oct. 6, 2020): Lundell is another prime example of the Panthers' success with lottery picks over the years. Just over a month after Zito took the reins, he selected the Finnish forward 12th overall. Lundell has developed nicely at the NHL level, providing favorable underlying numbers as Florida's third-line center - and he's still only 21 years old.

Trade

Eetu Luostarinen (Feb. 23, 2020): Luostarinen was part of the haul Tallon got when he sent Vincent Trocheck to the Carolina Hurricanes before the trade deadline in 2020. Everybody else the Panthers received in the deal (Erik Haula, Lucas Wallmark, and Chase Priskie) is playing elsewhere now, but the 24-year-old Luostarinen is a key contributor on Florida's third line.

Patric Hornqvist (Sept. 24, 2020): Hornqvist hasn't played since sustaining a concussion in early December, but the two-time Stanley Cup champion did suit up for 22 games with Florida during the regular season. The Panthers sent defenseman Mike Matheson and forward Colton Sceviour to the Pittsburgh Penguins in that swap. Hornqvist is in the final year of a contract he signed with the Pens in Feb. 2018.

Brandon Montour (April 10, 2021): This move looks like a steal now. Florida snagged Montour from the Buffalo Sabres for a third-round pick. He obliterated his previous career highs with 16 goals and 73 points during this past regular season, and he's kept it up in the playoffs with six goals in 16 games.

Sam Bennett (April 12, 2021): Bennett played his first five full NHL seasons with the Calgary Flames but then fell out of favor with the club that selected him three spots after Ekblad in 2014. The then-disgruntled forward demanded a trade, and the Flames eventually accommodated his request, shipping him to the Panthers along with a sixth-round pick for a second-rounder and prospect Emil Heineman.

Sam Reinhart (July 24, 2021): Zito also landed Reinhart from the Sabres in exchange for top goaltending prospect Devon Levi, perhaps feeling confident about Knight at the time. Zito could come to regret the move long term in goal, but skilled forward Reinhart has been an excellent addition in the present.

Matthew Tkachuk (July 22, 2022): The blockbuster swap that sent Tkachuk from Calgary to Florida has been well-documented, but its immense impact can't be overstated. The versatile Hart Trophy finalist has led and transformed his new squad with a rare blend of elite offensive production and intimidating physical play. Much like Bennett, Tkachuk asked the Flames to trade him, and the Panthers capitalized in both situations.

Givani Smith (Dec. 19, 2022): Florida secured Smith in a trade for veteran defenseman Michael Del Zotto. Smith is purely a depth forward, as the 25-year-old winger played only 34 NHL games during the regular season and a single contest so far in these playoffs.

Free agency

Sergei Bobrovsky (July 1, 2019): The Panthers signed the ex-Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender to a mammoth seven-year, $70-million pact on the open market. The deal raised eyebrows around the league and was frequently panned in the seasons that followed. But it's harder to question it now, given how integral he's been to Florida's success in these playoffs.

Carter Verhaeghe (Oct. 9, 2020): Verhaeghe has been one of the best bargains in the NHL since the Panthers signed him to a two-year contract at $1 million annually. Even the three-year extension he inked in July 2021 still looks good at an average annual value of $4.167 million, considering he racked up a career-high 42 goals this season while equaling the personal-best 31 assists he collected in 2021-22.

Radko Gudas (Oct. 9, 2020): Gudas is in his third campaign with the Panthers, who inked him to a three-year deal in free agency a few autumns ago. The soon-to-be 33-year-old Czech defenseman - who has a reputation for initiating questionable hits - played for the Washington Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers, and Tampa Bay Lightning before joining the Cats.

Ryan Lomberg (Oct. 9, 2020): The Panthers reeled in the player nicknamed "Lomberghini" on the same deal as Verhaeghe and Gudas. Florida signed Lomberg to a two-year contract that day and then extended him for two more in November 2021.

Anthony Duclair (Dec. 17, 2020): Duclair is playing for his sixth team in nine years. The Panthers signed the winger to a one-year pact as a free agent, then re-upped him on a three-year agreement in July 2021. The historically streaky Duclair had a career year last season but then tore his Achilles tendon in the summer. That limited him to 20 games in this past regular season, but he's notched three goals and six assists in 15 playoff contests this spring.

Nick Cousins (July 13, 2022): Cousins is a journeyman in his own right, having also suited up for six NHL teams in his nine-year career. But the veteran forward is now playing a key role for the Panthers, who signed him to a two-year deal last summer. Cousins has been lining up alongside Bennett and Tkachuk on Florida's second line.

Alex Lyon (July 13, 2022): Lyon outplayed Knight to grab the backup job. The 30-year-old didn't exactly come out of nowhere, but he's having a career year at an age when most players start to decline. Lyon joined the Panthers on a two-way contract last summer, so he's significantly exceeding expectations.

Colin White (July 13, 2022): The Ottawa Senators drafted White 21st overall in 2015, and he hasn't lived up to that draft slot. The American forward signed with Florida after parts of six seasons with the Sens, and he now skates on the Panthers' fourth line.

Marc Staal (July 13, 2022): There are certainly better and faster defensemen in the NHL than Staal these days, but Florida signed him for his experience. The veteran of over 1,000 games agreed to a one-year pact at $750,000.

Eric Staal (Oct. 22, 2022): A second Staal brother joined the Panthers about three months later when they signed the elder Eric to a matching one-year, $750,000 contract. The veteran forward hasn't made a major impact statistically, but at 38 years old, it was clearly a matter of adding even more experience for a playoff run.

Waivers

Gustav Forsling (Jan. 9, 2021): Landing an eventual top-pairing defenseman off the wire was some tidy work by Zito. Forsling never played a game for the Canes before he was placed on waivers, spending his entire 2019-20 campaign with their AHL affiliate.

Josh Mahura (Oct. 10, 2022): The Panthers nabbed Mahura away from the Anaheim Ducks at the start of this season. He's more of a stay-at-home defenseman who primarily occupies a spot in the third pairing.

Casey Fitzgerald (Jan. 11, 2023): Florida claimed Fitzgerald off the wire from the Sabres, who made him a third-round draft pick in 2016. The American rearguard isn't in the Panthers' top six on the back end, but he has played one game in these playoffs, namely Florida's Game 4 loss to the Boston Bruins in Round 1.

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