The rise and trials of Connor McDavid

In the history of the NHL, no player can match Wayne Gretzky. The best scorer and top-pointer in NHL history, the Edmonton Oilers icon is the certified GOAT.  However, since 2015, there has been one man who has stood out as a worthy successor: Connor McDavid.

A true prodigy on the ice, Connor McDavid is considered the best player in the world. Fast, technical, a clinical finisher, and a selfless passer... The Canadian knows how to do everything and shines with the Oilers.

Since he arrived in 2015, he has been trying to lead his franchise toward the Holy Grail – the Stanley Cup. Despite the best player in the league in their ranks, Edmonton has never passed the third round of the playoffs. McDavid's only record is a gold medal at the world championships with Canada in 2016.

Connor McDavid was born on January 13, 1997 in the town of Richmond Hill, in the Toronto region. From the start, the boy was above the rest, and in 2012 he was voted best player in the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) with 209 points in 88 games (a point corresponds to a goal or an assist), as covered by CBC.

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The teenager's performances impressed and the Ontario Hockey League gave him "exceptional player" status, as reported by The Edmonton Journal, allowing him to play with the juniors at 15, instead of 16. He is then only the third player to receive this status after John Tavares and Aaron Ekblad.

In three years in Junior with the Erie Otters, he scored 285 points in 166 games and was voted to be the best prospect in the Canadian Hockey League, as reported by the Bleacher Report. So it was no surprise to see him go as the number one pick in the 2015 NHL draft – selected that year by the Edmonton Oilers.

The prodigy's first season was complicated by injuries, he missed 37 games but still managed to be one of the finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy, which rewards the best rookie of the season. On October 5, 2016, he became the 18th captain in Oilers history at the age of 19 years and 266 days, making him the youngest captain in NHL history.

The Canadian's second season is simply exceptional. With 100 points (including 30 goals), he finished as the league's top scorer and led the Oilers to their first playoffs since 2006. At the end of the season, he received the journalist-selected Hart Trophy as well as the Ted-Lindsay Trophy.

Captain of the Oilers at only 19 years old, McDavid already has a heavy responsibility on the team. But McDavid clearly loves his role at the Oilers and in 2017, he locked himself into the franchise by signing an eight-year contract extension for $12.5 million per season.

This extension cemented his commitment to becoming an Oilers legend and equal the greatest player in franchise history: Wayne Gretzky and his 1,669 points.

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McDavid kept the momentum for the following seasons. He finished second-best scorer in the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 seasons, but each time failed to reach the playoffs, despite the arrival of Leon Draisatl, his attacking partner and best scorer of the 2019-2020 season, as covered by the Bleacher Report.

In 2020-2021, he regained his throne as top scorer with 105 points, including 33 goals. The Oilers finished second in the North Division but lost to the Winnipeg Jets in the first round of the playoffs. A particularly disappointing loss for the team which finally seemed primed to take its first Stanley Cup win since 1990.

This 2020-2021 season is still historic for the Canadian who became the second player in history to obtain the 100 first-place votes for his second Hart Trophy, being unanimously chosen to be the best player in the league. The last person to achieve this feat was none other than Wayne Gretzky in 1982.

In 2021-2022, McDavid continued his momentum with 123 points and helped the Oilers qualify for the playoffs. This time, the Edmonton players confirm their status and eliminate the Los Angeles Kings and the Calgary Flames to find the Colorado Avalanches in the semifinal.

The Oilers were only two steps away from the Stanley Cup but fell to a Colorado team that was far too strong, led by an exceptional McKinnon. The Americans win the series 4-0 and put an end to the dream of McDavid and Draisatl.

The 2022-2023 season saw new records for McDavid. With 153 points, he became the sixth player in history to reach this total, the first since Mario Lemieux in the 1995-1996 season, as covered by CBC.

Despite this historic season, the Oilers were again eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Vegas Golden Knights.

With the Oilers currently sitting in a very defined third spot in the Pacific Division, it's not quite clear if this will be the year things turn around for McDavid and the Oilers or will just be a repeat of their previous efforts. Let us know in the comments if you think 2024 will be the year McDavid finally gets to hold the Stanley Cup.

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