Oilers captain McDavid dominates in NHLPA Player Poll
Connor McDavid is the must-have choice in a must-win game.
Just ask his peers.
McDavid, with a whopping 59.3% share, was voted most impactful forward in a must-win game, according to the National Hockey League Players Association Player Poll released Wednesday.
The NHLPA Player Poll surveyed 626 NHLers on 14 hockey-related questions during the regular season.
McDavid, who paces the NHL in goals (58), assists (78) and points (136), was voted as a must-have.
But that’s not all.
The Edmonton Oilers captain, on pace for the most productive season in NHL history from a player not named Mario Lemieux or Wayne Gretzky, was also a runner-up to New York Rangers forward Patrick Kane in the best stickhandler vote. Kane received 46.1% of the votes, with McDavid not far behind at 28.7%. Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche was third at 3.8%.
McDavid was also runner-up in the “who do you least enjoy playing against but would like to have on your team” category to Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand. Marchand nabbed 36.5% of the vote, with McDavid receiving 15.6%.
The leading candidate for the Art Ross, Maurice “Rocket” Richard, Hart and Ted Lindsay awards, also received a nod as best passer, finishing fifth with 7.7% of the vote. Oilers teammate Leon Draisaitl topped the category with an even 25.0% share.
Though Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins was the top getter in the most complete player category at 30.1%, McDavid also registered in the top five with an 11.0% share. McDavid also received a fifth-place nod on net-front impact at 5.5%, trailing first-place getter Joe Pavelski of the Dallas Stars at 21.4%.
McDavid remains on pace for 157 points, which would be the 14th-most in league history, behind only four of Lemieux’s seasons and nine from Gretzky.
Full results from the NHLPA Player Poll can be found on the NHLPA website.
Follow Channels and Categories