Anyone who watches the NHL knows who Connor Mcdavid is, but does everyone understand what they are witnessing? Being the youngest captain in NHL history is impressive, but it also comes with high expectations. McDavid has blown those expectations out of the water in his early career, leading to his league-wide nickname in the Twitterverse “McJesus.” He is the best player ever to play the game, period.
Is He Better Than Wayne Gretzky?
Wayne Gretzky, of course, is the goat statistically and looked at as the Michael Jordan of the NHL (rightfully so). So if you thought this was a millennial take, and a Gretzky hate article, you are wrong; there is no denying what Gretzky has done. The fact is the NHL has evolved, and the talent level is higher than ever. When you factor that stuff in and use your own two eyeballs, it’s clear that we have NEVER seen a player as good at the game of hockey as McDavid.
Just because he won’t break all of Gretzky’s NHL records does not mean he isn’t better at hockey than Gretzky. Again, no disrespect to the great one, but if McDavid played in that era, I think it is safe to say he’d smash just about every record. Goaltending is unequaled in this day and age, and the numbers tell the story.
In the ’80s and ’90s, there were seasons in which the average goals-per-game were floating above 7 and 8. Today’s goaltending has caused that to decrease closer to 5.5. To have McDavid putting up a potential 150 points and potentially be the first one since Mario Lemieux in the 1995-96’ season is unreal in this day and age.
McDavid’s Numbers as a whole
Connor McDavid is averaging 1.47 Point-per-game in his career, 280 goals, and 510 assists, totaling 790 points. He is now hitting what’s supposed to be the prime of his NHL career. Since coming into the league, McDavid has made an immediate impact like no other. Of course, guys like Gabriel Landeskog, Jonathan Toews, etc., have come in and immediately impacted their teams, but their numbers aren’t even close.
McDavid’s speed, agility, and hockey IQ are all truly incredible to watch. It is almost as though he has a pinch of all the former great players that came before him, such as Lemieux, Gretzky, Bobby Orr, etc. The only difference? He does it faster than those guys ever did.
What If He Never Wins A Stanley Cup?
The Stanley Cup is considered the hardest trophy to win in all sports, and for a good reason. Anytime the NHL playoffs kick off, it’s almost as if there is no favorite, and any team can win it all if they punch a postseason ticket. If McDavid does win a cup, it would be huge for his legacy, but even if he never hoists one, I think it’s safe to say he will always be looked at as the most incredible talent the league has seen.
