With a performance of only a point on Saturday night against the Golden Knights, Connor McDavid took his total to 139 points as he continues to rain or shine in the NHL. His exploits are so regular that they become almost banal. He scored at least one point in 66 of his 73 games.
In fact, statistically, McDavid is more likely to explode for four points, something he’s done nine times this season, than to see him shut out, with just seven games without points this season.
Since he plays out West, you don’t see him play that often on the East Coast, but we’re lucky to have one of the best players of all time playing at the top of his game. And he gives us the best performance of his career so far.
In a class apart
I don’t think it surprises anyone when I say McDavid ranks first in the league in several key categories. What is surprising is rather the lead he has over the rest of the league. He doesn’t just lead the categories, he dominates them. You obviously know he leads the league in goals and points, but it doesn’t stop there.
For example, McDavid has used his speed to score 25 goals from entry chances this season. In itself, this is not particularly surprising. No one equals number 97’s combination of speed and skill, seeing him in the front row is expected. But when you realize that Jack Hughes is 2nd this season with only 14 and that no one since 2016-17, the first year we started tracking this data, has reached the plateau of 20 goals from the start of the zone, it goes back all in perspective.
That’s double everyone in the NHL this season except for Chris Kreider, Adrian Kempe, and Sebastian Aho, who are tied at 13, and of course Hughes. In fact, the gap between McDavid and the Devils’ second-ranked center is bigger than the gap between Hughes and… Michael Pezzetta, who has 4 of those goals this season.
And this is far from being the only category where he is alone in the first place.
No one has been in control of the puck longer than McDavid in the offensive zone. And if your plan is to take the puck away from him, good luck. His 450 successful fakes, which we define as a play where the player resists a puck attempt or contact on his stick, sits at the top of the NHL. McDavid also maintains a top-40 turnover rate among forwards, impressive for someone with that much volume.
He also has 269 completions to the slot, second only to Mitch Marner, in addition to leading the league with 209 shots from the slot, far ahead of Auston Matthews, who is 2nd with 172. Anyway, if you can imagine a stat offensively, McDavid is most likely in the top 5, if not number one.
First on the puck
McDavid is one of the most electrifying players in the NHL with the puck, but an underappreciated aspect is his play in offensive territory when he does not have possession of the disc. His intelligence and his vision of the game allow him to be first on the puck more often than not. In fact, McDavid had 752 loose pucks in the offensive zone this season; no other player has even reached the 700 plateau this season.
It allows McDavid and the Oilers to extend their presence in the offensive zone. He is also able to be in full control of the disc in a fraction of a second, which sometimes allows him to take the defense on the wrong foot.
Take this assist against Seattle for example:
Evander Kane hammers McDavid’s perfect pass home for his second goal of the game, 3-1 Oilers!#LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/TfqVhu6GYE
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights (@HockeyDaily365) March 18, 2023
He recovers a bouncing puck from the backhand and quickly brings it back to his strong side. The defenders barely had time to react and try to cover him when McDavid spotted Evander Kane alone in the face-off circle with a perfect pass for the one-timer and the goal. And as a bonus, he also completed a superb backhand pass for Mattias Ekholm, who passed close to three opposing players without being hit.
In short, no matter the situation, McDavid can make his opponents pay. With or without the puck, as a passer or shooter, with speed or well established in the offensive zone, we are lucky to see a generational talent at the top of his game. Let’s enjoy it while there’s still time.
