As Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid approaches the end of his eighth regular season in the NHL, his dominance on the ice leaves us almost speechless, struggling to find new words to describe his play. The Oilers’ captain recently became only the sixth player in league history to hit the 150-point plateau, joining the likes of Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Steve Yzerman, Phil Esposito and Bernie Nicholls. It’s quite an impressive list of players to join, and a remarkable accomplishment, considering the last time it was achieved was during the 1995-96 campaign before McDavid was even born.
McDavid has a long list of individual accomplishments throughout his career, like winning four Art Ross Trophies, two Hart Memorial Trophies, and three Ted Lindsay Awards and he’s on the verge of adding more hardware to his already impressive résumé. We’ve seen his growth as a goalscorer, soon to potentially be adding a Rocket Richard Trophy to the trophy case, but we’ve also witnessed growth as a person in his interviews, becoming more open and honest. For most of his career, he’s been modest about his abilities, but he recently gave a candid interview with NHL.com and revealed a more genuine perspective of his career goals, saying, “Ultimately I want my name to be remembered in the history books of hockey and to be up there with the greatest of all time.” He added, “You know, with the guys like ‘Gretz’ and Mario and Bobby and there’s others that I’m missing out on. But for sure, that’s what I want.”
Yet, when the article of the interview with the Oilers’ captain was tweeted, the comments and replies were filled with critics mentioning McDavid needs to win a Stanley Cup if he wants to be referenced in the same breath as some of hockey’s greatest. At the same time, I can’t help but wonder if McDavid stating his desire to be remembered with the greats, at this particular moment as the regular season winds down, is fueled by his belief that he and his Oilers teammates can actually win a Cup this postseason. Ultimately, if they can pull it off, it would silence any naysayers, leaving little room for criticism about his legacy.
McDavid’s Status Among All-Time Greats Contingent on Cup Win?
When discussing the three players McDavid wanted to be remembered in the same sentence as — Gretzky, Lemieux and Bobby Orr — the trio are widely acknowledged in the “Mount Rushmore” of NHL greats with their unique skill sets that separated them from the rest. Gretzky was known for his unparalleled vision and playmaking ability, Lemieux’s combination of size, speed, and skill made him a dominant force, and Orr revolutionized the role of the defenceman with his exceptional skating ability. On that note, McDavid is unique in his own way with his blend of speed, agility, and hockey IQ, which puts him in his own category, and Oilers’ colour commentator Bob Stauffer often calls him the most advanced player the game has ever seen.
Related: Oilers Gelling Together as Playoffs Near
However, there will be inevitable doubters, as we’ve witnessed, who will argue that he cannot truly be considered among the all-time greats and that there will be an asterisk by his name until he has won a Cup. Comparatively, Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin, who is 73 tallies away from scoring the most goals in NHL history, encountered the same criticism, prior to capturing a championship in 2018. That said, by winning a Stanley Cup, many believed Ovechkin solidified his place as one of the all-time greats, leaving no room for doubt about his legacy.
Oilers Don’t Appear to Have a Weakness Heading Into Postseason
Currently, McDavid faces the same scrutiny but has a momentous opportunity to silence the skeptics. He’s in the prime of his career and the Cup is within reach like never before. On the ice, he’s toying with the opposition and scoring at will, and his teammates, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman are all experiencing their best offensive seasons yet. Moreover, the Oilers have gelled as a whole, with depth players contributing to the scoresheet. Also, the team has become more defensively responsible, with a 12-0-1 record in their last 13 games, ranking first in goals-for and third in the NHL in goals-against during that span.
In addition, former NHL player and hockey analyst Rob Brown spoke about the Oilers on “Inside Sports” on April 8, stating they have no glaring holes in the lineup, saying, “Right now, the way that you’ve seen the Oilers the last little while, what is their weakness? It’s not in net, Skinner’s been outstanding.” He added, “They play strong defensive hockey, their power play is the best in the world, their penalty killing [is up around 90%]. Their depth players are scoring and contributing, they are to me, the most physical team in the entire Western Conference. So, what is the weakness of the Edmonton Oilers?” Simply put, the team is firing on all cylinders and performing like a well-oiled machine down the playoff stretch.
Out of all the Oilers teams McDavid has played with, this group assembled by GM Ken Holland appears to be the most dangerous to contend for the Stanley Cup. Nevertheless, there is no denying his status as one of the greatest players in the game today with everything he’s accomplished, but if McDavid can lead the Oilers to the ultimate prize and capture the Stanley Cup, he will undoubtedly solidify his legacy and place among the all-time greats of hockey.
Do the Oilers have a realistic shot at the Stanley Cup this postseason? Have your say in the comments below.