Scoring 48 points in 45 games in his rookie season, Connor McDavid made one thing clear: he arrived in the NHL with the intention to secure his seat with the elites of the sport. What made his first season with the Oilers even more impressive was that a fractured clavicle sidelined McDavid for 37 games. However, with 16 goals and 32 assists, he made the most of the opportunities that were thrown at him. However, he’s still a long way from climbing to the top of the charts.
Posting 361 goals in 708 games, Connor is undoubtedly a formidable force on the ice. But can he surpass the feat that Alex Ovechkin pulled off yesterday? The 39-year-old made history last night when he scored in the second period against the Islanders at the UBS Arena to break Wayne Gretzky’s 894-goal record. While that’s certainly an achievement that the Oilers captain will need time to match, he also will need to keep hustling for a long time before catching up to either the Great One or Ovi in other areas as well.
Connor McDavid will need to cross oceans before tying Gretzky
Daily Faceoff co-host Jason Gregor went on to X on April 6 to highlight how the Edmonton forward is still miles behind Gretzky when it comes to assists. The retired Canadian, along with being currently the second-highest goal-scorer in the NHL, also boasts 1,963 career assists, making him an all-rounder in the guest sense of the word. Connor McDavid, on the other hand, trails far behind with 711 assists so far. In his recent social media update, Gregor underscored the massive difference to claim why the Oilers’ #97 has a slim chance of sitting in the same row as Wayne.
He needs 1,253 assists to catch Gretzky. To put that into perspective… Ron Francis is second in NHL assists with 1,249. Don’t see it happening.
McDavid is on pace to pass Francis though. https://t.co/rjw7EKAyPp
— Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) April 6, 2025
“He needs 1,253 assists to catch Gretzky. To put that into perspective… Ron Francis is second in NHL assists with 1,249. Don’t see it happening,” the talk-show host said flatly. His statement came as a response to a fan wondering if McDavid could catch Gretzky’s assists record in his NHL lifetime “to be the greatest player maker of all time.”
The fan’s curiosity was triggered after Gregor had noted that Alex Ovechkin, with his record-setting feat, has surpassed almost all of his contemporary colleagues by a large margin, save only three stars. However, McDavid’s chances of catching up to the Capitals’ winger are still very much possible. Ovi has 724 assists to his name, and with age on his side, Connor could easily move forward the former in that department in the near future. But can the 28-year-old possibly dethrone Alex as an NHL goal-scoring powerhouse?
Alex Ovechkin seals himself at the top
Ovechkin started the 2024-25 season with the aim of scoring 42 goals in order to edge past Wayne Gretzky’s record from 1998. On Friday last week, the goal machine finally tied the veteran when he scored twice in the match against the Blackhawks. With the Hawks trailing, Chicago pulled their goalie in the dying seconds of the game in a desperate attempt to fight back. However, in an incredible display of sportsmanship, despite having an empty net, Ovechkin denied the opportunity to score his 895th goal, earning praise from the entire NHL community.
Then, last night, the much-awaited time arrived. In the second period, during the Capitals’ first power play of the night against New York, Alex beat Ilya Sorokin from the left to rewrite NHL history. Even the Islanders fans couldn’t help but laud Ovechkin’s achievement with a hearty applause, and Sorokin even gifted the Washington star with his match stick after the game.
The Capitals have already qualified for the 2025 playoffs, while the Oilers are en route to doing so as well. But can Connor McDavid take the opportunity and add more goals to his season (he has 26 goals to his name in 2024-25) and keep himself in the race to pursue Ovechkin’s record? What do you reckon? Tell us!
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