For the first time since Wayne Gretzky in 1990–91, an NHLer has reached 100 assists in a single season.
Just the fourth player ever to do so, Connor McDavid reached 100 assists.
For McDavid, who seems to set new records every year, this just might be the most impressive accomplishment of his Hall of Fame career.
The season started slowly
Just like the whole Edmonton Oilers team, McDavid had a rough beginning to the season (for his standards).
After 16 games, and the Oilers sitting at 5–10–1, McDavid only had 10 assists. This would be a 51-assist pace in a full 82-game season.
The Oilers fired Jay Woodcroft after 13 games, and people were already questioning whether Edmonton had dug themselves too big a hole to make the playoffs. Oh, how things have changed.
Historic pace since then
Games 16 and 17 were vintage McDavid, as he assisted on eight Oilers goals. The pace picked up a bit in December, with McDavid adding 14 assists in 12 games. January was much the same.
February and March, though, were nothing short of historic. Somehow, he assisted 49 (!!) times in two months, with 25 in February and 24 in March.
In the two months, he played at a 149-assist pace.
McDavid hasn’t had an assist in six of 32 appearances since the All-Star weekend. The highlight performance came on February 13 against Detroit, where he recorded six assists, all at even strength.
There simply isn’t anyone in the world like McDavid, and it feels like he’s been on a mission to prove it.
The history of 100-assist seasons
Like I said before, this is the first time since the 1990–91 season we’ve seen someone reach 100 assists. In NHL history it’s happened just 13 times, 11 of those times courtesy of Wayne Gretzky.
The other two players to reach the historic milestone are Bobby Orr in 1970–71 with 102 (it’s crazy a defenceman has done it) and Mario Lemieux in 1988–89. He racked up 114.
Joe Thornton is the most recent example of someone getting close when he put up 96 assists in 2005–06. In the 2010s, only Nikita Kucherov ever got over 75 when he notched 87 in 2018–19. The century mark looked untouchable until McDavid arrived.
He actually played to a 105-assist pace in the 2020–21 shortened season, as he assisted 72 times in 56 games. But to do it in a full 82-game year is something special.
The best player in the world
If you took away all of McDavid’s goals, he’d be tenth in league scoring.
He’s made Zach Hyman a 50-goal scorer, and led the Oilers, who started 2–9–1, to within reach of winning the Pacific Division.
There wasn’t any doubt anyway, but with another record-breaking season, he’s proven yet again he’s the best player of the generation. And it’s not close.
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