By the Numbers: McDavid enters rare company on 26th birthday
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Just eight seasons into his NHL career, Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid has already cemented his legacy as one of the greatest hockey players of all time.
The Richmond Hill, Ont., native is in the midst of what could be a historic season, even by his standards. With 35 goals in 43 games, McDavid is on pace to score 66 goals, shattering his previous career-high of 44. It would also be the NHL’s highest goal total since Mario Lemieux scored 69 in the 1995-96 season.
The four-time Art Ross Trophy winner is also on pace for 150 points, which would again be the most since Lemieux registered 92 assists to go along with his 69 goals in 1995.
McDavid celebrates his 26h birthday on Friday as the Oilers try to climb back into the playoff race against the San Jose Sharks. As McDavid chases history in his eighth campaign, his production continues to rival that of NHL Hall of Famers at the same stage of their careers.
NHL, Most Points by Players 25 or Younger - All-Time (based on age at time of game)
| Rank | Name | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 1,459 |
| 2 | Mario Lemieux | Pittsburgh Penguins | 885 |
| 3 | Dale Hawerchuk | Winnipeg Jets | 848 |
| 4 | Steve Yzerman | Detroit Red Wings | 800 |
| 5 | Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers | 776 |
| 6 | Bryan Trottier | New York Islanders | 760 |
| 7 | Bobby Orr | Boston Bruins | 719 |
| 8 | Jaromir Jagr | Pittsburgh Penguins | 700 |
| 9 | Denis Savard | Chicago Blackhawks | 686 |
| 10 | Pierre Turgeon | Buffalo Sabres, | 683 |
McDavid, a two-time Hart Trophy winner, has surpassed 100 points in five of his first seven seasons and likely would have registered a sixth 100-point season (97 points in 64GP) had the 2019-20 season not been shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
If he continues at his current scoring pace, McDavid would be one of just five players in NHL history to reach 150 points. Lemieux did it four times (1988, 1989, 1993, 1996), while Wayne Gretzky hit 150 points nine times (1981-1987, 1989, 1991).
Since 2000, only Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov's 128 points in 2019, San Jose Sharks forward Joe Thornton's 125 points in 2006, and New York Rangers forward Jaromir Jagr's 123 points in 2006 have either matched or exceeded McDavid's 2021-22 mark of 123 points.
If he reaches 60 goals, he would be just the fourth player since 2000 to reach the plateau, following Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (2008), Lightning captain Steven Stamkos (2012), and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (2022).
Most Assists by Players 25 or Younger - All-Time
| Rank | Name | Team | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 930 |
| 2 | Mario Lemieux | Pittsburgh Penguins | 520 |
| 3 | Bobby Orr | Boston Bruins | 511 |
| 4 | Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers | 502 |
| 5 | Dale Hawerchuk | Winnipeg Jets | 495 |
| 6 | Bryan Trottier | New York Islanders | 482 |
| 7 | Paul Coffey | Edmonton Oilers | 460 |
| 8 | Steve Yzerman | Detroit Red Wings | 458 |
| 9 | Denis Savard | Chicago Blackhawks | 447 |
| 10 | Sidney Crosby | Pittsburgh Penguins | 427 |
McDavid is the heavy favourite to win his third Hart Trophy, ahead of Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak and New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes, who have the next shortest odds.
The five-time All-Star currently leads the league in goals and could continue adding to his already impressive resume by winning his first Rocket Richard Trophy. He currently leads Pastrnak by three goals entering play on Friday.
McDavid is 16 points ahead of teammate Leon Draisaitl for the league lead in scoring.
Most Power-Play Points by Players 25 or Younger - Since 1933-34
| Rank | Name | Team | PPP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 374 |
| 2 | Mario Lemieux | Pittsburgh Penguins | 358 |
| 3 | Dale Hawerchuk | Winnipeg Jets | 307 |
| 4 | Steve Yzerman | Detroit Red Wings | 266 |
| 5 | Pierre Turgeon | Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens | 259 |
| 6 | Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers | 257 |
| 7 | Sidney Crosby | Pittsburgh Penguins | 256 |
| 8 | Dan Quinn | Four teams | 246 |
| 9 | Phil Housley | Buffalo Sabres | 244 |
| T-10 | Denis Savard | Chicago Blackhawks | 243 |
| T-10 | Bobby Orr | Boston Bruins | 243 |
McDavid enters age 26 in the top-10 all-time in points, assists, power play points, power play assists, and game-winning goals by players 25 or younger.
Most Power-Play Assists by Players 25 or Younger - Since 1933-34
| Rank | Name | Team | PPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 261 |
| 2 | Mario Lemieux | Pittsburgh Penguins | 238 |
| 3 | Al MacInnis | Calgary Flames | 195 |
| T-4 | Dale Hawerchuk | Winnipeg Jets | 193 |
| T-4 | Brian Leetch | New York Rangers | 193 |
| T-4 | Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers | 193 |
| 7 | Bobby Orr | Boston Bruins | 189 |
| 8 | Sidney Crosby | Pittsburgh Penguins | 186 |
| 9 | Phil Housley | Buffalo Sabres | 185 |
| 10 | Ron Francis | Hartford Whalers | 183 |
Most Game-Winning Goals by Players 25 or Younger - All-Time
| Rank | Name | Team | GWG |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-1 | Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 58 |
| T-1 | Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers | 58 |
| 3 | Jaromir Jagr | Pittsburgh Penguins | 55 |
| 4 | Alex Ovechkin | Washington Capitals | 52 |
| 5 | Glenn Anderson | Edmonton Oilers | 49 |
| 6 | Auston Matthews | Toronto Maple Leafs | 48 |
| 7 | Bryan Trottier | New York Islanders | 47 |
| 8 | Pierre Turgeon | Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens | 47 |
| 9 | Guy Lafleur | Montreal Canadiens | 45 |
| 10 | Steven Stamkos | Tampa Bay Lightning | 44 |
The Oilers are currently 22-18-3 and currently occupy the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. They trail the Vegas Golden Knights by 11 points in the race for first in the Pacific Division.