gold star for USAHOF

2. Connor McDavid

2. Connor McDavid

There was no doubt that the Edmonton Oilers would select Connor McDavid with their number one pick in 2015.  He was the consensus top prospect and was pegged as a future Hart Trophy winner.  Entering his fifth season, he has already done that.

McDavid's rookie season was marred by a leg injury that kept him out of half the season, but he still scored 48 Points in 45 Games.  The Center was healthy for all of 2016-17, and he would do precisely what was expected of him, leading the NHL in Assists (70), Points (108), and winning both the Hart and Ted Lindsay Award, not to mention earning First Team All-Star honors.  McDavid won the Pearson again in 2017-18, was fifth in Hart voting, and won his second straight Art Ross with 108 Points.  McDavid actually exceeded his personal highs last year with 75 Assists and 116 Points, but finished second in both statistics to Tampa’s Nikita Kucherov.  He was third in Hart Trophy voting.

After a decent 2019-20 season, McDavid won his third Art Ross Trophy (105 Points) in 2020-21, which also earned him another Hart Trophy and Pearson Award, but that would not prove to be his apex.

McDavid again was a top-tier player in 2021/22, winning his fourth Art Ross (123 Points), but exploded even by his standards the year after with the best season of the 2000s to date.  He led the NHL in Goals (64), Assists (89), and Points (153), and was the runaway winner for the Hart and Ted Lindsay Award.

Last season, McDavid had a personal best and league-leading 100 Assists, was third in Hart voting, and finally took Edmonton to their first Stanley Cup appearance since 2005.  McDavid was incredible, leading all skaters with 42 Points, but he could not lift them over the Florida Panthers.  Nevertheless, McDavid was so good that he was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Astoundingly, he has a shot at overtaking Wayne Gretzky for the top spot as the greatest Oiler ever, but it can not occur without a Cup.   

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Center
  • Acquired: Selected in the 1st Round, 1st Overall in the NHL Draft 6/26/15.
  • Games Played: 712
  • Notable Statistics: 361 Goals
    721 Assists
    1,082 Points
    286 PIM
    1.52 PPG
    +169 Plus/Minus
    280 Blocked Shots
    533 Hits
    663 Takeaways
    652 Giveaways
    125.5 Point Shares

    96 Playoff Games
    44 Goals
    106 Assists
    150 Points
    28 PIM
    1.56 PPG
    +31 Plus/Minus
    62 Blocked Shots
    180 Hits
    84 Takeaways
    89 Giveaways
  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    Hart Trophy (2017, 2021 & 2023)
    Ted Lindsay Award (2017, 2018, 2021 & 2023)
    Art Ross Trophy (2017, 2018, 2021, 2022 & 2023)
    First Team All-Star (2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 & 2023)
    Second Team All-Star (2022 & 2024)
    Maurice Richard Trophy (2023)
    All-Star (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 & 2024)
    Conn Smythe Trophy (2024)
    First Team All-Rookie (2016)
    Most Goals (2022-23)
    Most Assists (2016-17, 2020-21, 2022-23 & 2023-24)
    Most Points (2016-17, 2017-18, 2020-21, 2021-22 & 2022-23)
    Most Even-Strength Goals (2017-18)
    Most Goals per Game (2022-23)
    Most Assists per Game (2016-17, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2022-23 & 2023-24)
    Most Points per Game (2016-17, 2020-21, 2021-22 & 2022-23)
    Most Offensive Point Shares (2017-18, 2020-21 & 2022-23)
    Most Point Shares (2020-21 & 2022-23)

  • Notable Top Ten Finishes: Top Ten Hart Trophy Finishes:
    1st in 2017, 5th in 2018, 3rd in 2019, 5th in 2020, 1st in 2021, 2nd in 2022, 1st in 2023, 3rd in 2024 & 10th in 2025
    Top Ten Lady Byng Trophy Finishes:
    10th in 2018 &  5th in 2019

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