Oilers' McDavid has a whole host of milestones within his reach this season
There’s little doubt Connor McDavid is going to add plenty of hardware to his collection at season’s end.
He’s already got two Hart Memorial Trophies, given to the player “adjudged to be the most valuable to his team,” on his mantle from efforts in 2017 and 2021, as well as Ted Lindsay Awards as “most outstanding player” from 2017, 2018, and 2021. He’s got four Art Ross trophies, from 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022, too.
He’s on pace for his first Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard as the league’s top goal-getter, too.
But, if that’s the hardware collection, he’s got some software coming, too.
McDavid, who has notched 73 points (33 goals, 40 assists) in 39 games, is on pace for a career year, trending towards a 69-goal, 153-point effort in 2022-23. That’d topple his current NHL career-high of 123 points (44 goals, 79 assists) set last season.
It’d also be the highest point total since Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins netted 161 points (69 goals, 92 assists) in 70 games played in 1995-96. Not surprisingly, it’d be the highest goal total the NHL has also seen since Lemieux found the back of the net 69 times 28 years ago, too.
He’s already done some ‘decades-best’ work this season.
McDavid, with his prompt production through the first half of the season, tied for fifth fewest games to 70 points since the 1990-91 season, doing so in 37 games. He also tied for fifth fastest to 60 points since 1989-90, doing so in 31 games.
The Oilers captain became the first player in 2022-23 to reach 30 goals, and joined elite company in the past 25 years by reaching the mark in 35 or fewer games as the fourth-fastest to 30 goals in a season since 1997-98.
It’s put some personal milestones well within reach this season.
The 25-year-old could reach 300 goals this season, needing 28 to do so, and sits two helpers shy of 500 assists. He also needs 30 points to reach 800.
He’s previously hit all of his 100 point milestones in less than 92 games:
100 Points – 92 GP – 92 Games Between
200 Points – 173 GP – 81 Games Between
300 Points – 240 GP – 67 Games Between
400 Points – 306 GP – 66 Games Between
500 Points – 369 GP – 63 Games Between
600 Points – 421 GP – 52 Games Between
700 Points – 488 GP – 67 Games Between
McDavid, who has eight five-point games — tied for most among active players, is on pace to be the fifth fastest player ever to reach 800 points. Peter Stastny, who is the fourth-fastest, did so in 531 games, and Jari Kurri, fifth, accomplished the feat in 558 games.
The 25-year-old McDavid has taken 526 twirls to date, and has a career points-per-game average of 1.46, meaning he should, in theory, reach 800 points sometime in the next 21 games.
“You know what? I heard something the other day…and I wish I could tell you where I heard it so that I could attribute it properly…but it was somebody talking about someone at the height of their field or the top of their game,” Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft told media last week.
“They said it’s almost like living at the foot of Mount Everest in that brilliance becomes commonplace. Some of the things that this guy does, we’re privileged to have a front-row seat.”
Front-row seat indeed.
As his storied career continues.
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