Jordan Staal's Conn Smythe Run Defines 2026 Cup Final

Jordan Staal recorded six goals and seven points across the six games of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final.

Staal’s Regular Season Turnaround

Staal scored 20 regular-season goals for the first time since 2015-16. That total marked a clear rebound for the 37-year-old center entering the playoffs. The Hurricanes leaned on his experience after he posted just 12 goals the prior year.

Carolina’s coaching staff moved Staal into more offensive situations during the regular season. The change produced the 20-goal output while he maintained a 52 percent faceoff rate overall. Those numbers set modest expectations that Staal shattered once the postseason began.

Dominant Two-Way Play in the Final

Staal delivered six goals and seven points in the six-game series against Vegas. He added eight goals and 12 points across 19 total playoff games while winning 56.8 percent of his faceoffs. His defensive zone starts rose sharply in the final, yet his plus-minus stayed positive throughout.

Shea Theodore led Vegas with seven points in the same series, but Staal’s balanced production across both ends of the ice distinguished him for the Conn Smythe Trophy. Theodore averaged 27:16 of ice time; Staal matched that workload while centering critical penalty-kill and power-play units.

Nikishin Cold Stretch Highlights Team Depth

Alexander Nikishin finished with one point in 17 playoff games and went minus-3 in the final. The rookie defenseman had posted 11 goals and 33 points in 81 regular-season games, earning all-rookie honors. His lack of secondary scoring forced Staal and other veterans to carry extra minutes.

Rasmus Andersson managed only one assist in the final for Vegas after arriving in a mid-season trade. Andersson’s six assists in 22 postseason games fell well below his typical 40-point regular-season pace. These cold stretches from younger and acquired players underscored why Staal’s hot run proved decisive.

Staal stepped into the Conn Smythe role at age 37 by combining offense with elite faceoff and defensive work that no other Hurricane replicated at the same level.