Connor McDavid started the season slow, just as his Edmonton Oilers did. But after a coaching change, the Oilers have picked up pace, and Connor McDavid is now back to being the best player in the world. McDavid is currently third in the NHL scoring chart, on pace for 135 points.
McDavid has been simply astonishing in the last couple of months. But heading into Monday’s game vs. the LA Kings, McDavid had nine straight games without a goal. It’s not often one of the most prolific goal-scorers in the league goes nine games without scoring, but McDavid has still helped his team get wins.
During the nine-game goal-less drought, he had 21 assists. It’s a bizarre offensive run, and after Monday’s morning skate, he hilariously commented on the fact that he’s just not scoring goals at the moment.
“I’ve decided I’m just going to see how many assists I can get,” he said. “That’s the focus. I’m not going to shoot the puck anymore. I’m not going to score any more goals.”
After that, McDavid added some realism to his quote.
“No, of course I want to score,” he said. “I want to produce. I want to help this team any way I can, and scoring goals is part of that.”
McDavid didn’t score against the Kings, making it his tenth straight game without one.
He did, however, have another two assists as the Oilers won 4-2, ending a three-game losing streak. He now has 23 points in his last ten contests. They’ve all been assists.
“I can’t put up finger on it why the goals haven’t come,” head coach Kris Knoblauch said. “But with the amount of assists he’s had, he’s probably doing something well, too.”
The ten-game drought matches the longest in McDavid’s career. This is the first time since October 2016 that McDavid hasn’t scored in ten games. He tops the NHL’s assists list with 70, on pace for 104.
No player in the NHL has reached 100 helpers in a season since Wayne Gretzky 34 years ago.
