McDavid on pace for worst season since rookie year with Edmonton Oilers
Connor McDavid hasn’t looked quite like his usual dominant self this season for the Edmonton Oilers.
Injuries are sure to be a factor, as the Oilers captain has missed 13 games this season due to various health issues. Even so, in the 63 games he has played, McDavid has just 26 goals and 90 points, which is still fantastic but a bit below the standard that Oilers fans are accustomed to.
ESPN has McDavid on pace to hit 96 points by the end of the season, which would be his lowest point total rookie season back in 2015-16.
The only times McDavid has failed to hit the century mark in points came in his rookie season (48 points in 45 games) and the 2019-20 season (97 points in 64 games). If his current pace holds, he will have scored 96 points in 67 games.
That would rank second lowest in his career, ahead of his rookie year.
McDavid has been a perennial contender for the Art Ross and Hart trophies throughout the years, but that isn’t the case this time around. He isn’t even the best player on the Oilers this season, as Leon Draisaitl has elevated his game and is a leading candidate to win league MVP.
Now, there are a few possible reasons for McDavid’s down year by his standards. The obvious one is that he just hasn’t been healthy all season. We have not seen the typical explosiveness that McDavid is known for this season and this is the most injury-riddled season he has had to go through since entering the league.
There is also the fact that the Oilers captain did not have a long offseason, having it cut down to just two months after going the distance in the playoffs last season. While the Stanley Cup hangover is often attributed to winners, it’s clear that McDavid and the rest of the Oilers have suffered a similar fate.
This isn’t to say that McDavid has been bad by any stretch of the imagination. Despite all these factors, he still ranks ninth overall in NHL scoring and sixth in assists with 64.
Edmonton will still make the playoffs this season, and that will be a true test of where McDavid’s game is right now.