By the Numbers: Draisaitl, Tkachuk lead playoff scoring race
Published
Partway through the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the scoring race is heating up following a pair of impressive performances from Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl and Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk.
Both now share the postseason lead with 15 points, although Draisaitl (11 goals, four assists) has played fewer games than Tkachuk (five goals, 10 assists) thus far.
Dallas Stars forward Roope Hintz is third in scoring, while Draisaitl’s Edmonton teammates Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard round out the top-five scorers.
2022-23 NHL Playoff Top Scorers
| Player | Team | Games | Goals | Assists | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leon Draisaitl | Edmonton Oilers | 7 | 11 | 4 | 15 |
| Matthew Tkachuk | Florida Panthers | 9 | 5 | 10 | 15 |
| Roope Hintz | Dallas Stars | 8 | 5 | 8 | 13 |
| Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers | 7 | 3 | 9 | 12 |
| Evan Bouchard | Edmonton Oilers | 7 | 2 | 10 | 12 |
| Mitch Marner | Toronto Maple Leafs | 8 | 2 | 10 | 12 |
| Auston Matthews | Toronto Maple Leafs | 8 | 5 | 6 | 11 |
| Mikko Rantanen | Colorado Avalanche | 7 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
| Tyler Bertuzzi | Boston Bruins | 7 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| Mark Stone | Vegas Golden Knights | 6 | 4 | 6 | 10 |
| Morgan Rielly | Toronto Maple Leafs | 8 | 3 | 7 | 10 |
A four-goal performance in Edmonton’s Game 1 loss put Draisaitl in rare company. With 74 points (29 goals, 45 assists) through 44 playoff games, the 27-year-old is second all-time in playoff points-per-game, among those with more than 50 points. At 1.682 points per game, Draisaitl trails only Wayne Gretzky (1.837) on the all-time list.
The Cologne, Germany, native has recorded a point in eight-straight playoff games, dating back to the 2021-22 playoffs.
All-Time NHL Playoff PPG Leaders (min. 50 points)
| Player | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne Gretzky | 208 | 122 | 260 | 382 | 1.837 |
| Leon Draisaitl | 44 | 29 | 45 | 74 | 1.682 |
| Mario Lemieux | 107 | 76 | 96 | 172 | 1.607 |
| Barry Pederson | 34 | 22 | 30 | 52 | 1.529 |
| Connor McDavid | 44 | 24 | 43 | 67 | 1.523 |
Tkachuk has found a new gear in 2022-23 after moving from the Calgary Flames to the Panthers. After scoring 15 points in 27 playoff games with the Flames from 2016-22, including the 25-year-old has matched that total in just nine games with the Panthers.
Coming off of a career-high 109 points in the regular season, Tkachuk continues to lead the Panthers in the second round, as he has recorded four points in two wins over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Matthew Tkachuk Playoff Career
| Season | Team | Games | Goals | Assists | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | Calgary Flames | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | Calgary Flames | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 2019-20 | Calgary Flames | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2021-22 | Calgary Flames | 12 | 4 | 6 | 10 |
| 2022-23 | Florida Panthers | 9 | 5 | 10 | 15 |
Maple Leafs teammates Mitch Marner (12 points) and Auston Matthews (11 points) have each set a career-best for playoff scoring as they led the Leafs into the second round for the first time in 19 years.
Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone and Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly round out the top scorers remaining in the playoffs with 10 points each. Colorado Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen and Boston Bruins forwards Tyler Bertuzzi and Brad Marchand also recorded 10 points in their first-round losses.