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 seasons had a leg injury that took him out of half of 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 why leading the NHL in Assists (70), Points (108), and would win 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 Kucharov.  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 teir 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 Flordia Panthers.  Nevertheless, McDavid was so good, that he was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Astoudingly, 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: 645
  • Notable Statistics: 335 Goals
    557 Assists
    982 Points
    249 PIM
    1.52 PPG
    +149 Plus/Minus
    104.8 Point Shares

    74 Playoff Games
    37 Goals
    80 Assists
    117 Points
    24 PIM
    1.58 PPG
    +28 Plus/Minus
  • 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)

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