There have been two players in their own league this season. Edmonton Oilers forward and captain Connor McDavid, and Toronto Maple Leafs forward, Auston Matthews. Both players have been stars since joining the league as rookies, but this season they have taken a huge step in production and have emerged as two of the premier players in the NHL.
Connor McDavid
McDavid has been one of the most dominant players in the league for the past half decade, but what he is doing this season is unbelievable.
McDavid has scored 31 goals and 62 assists, which gives him 93 points. The closest guy behind him is his teammate Leon Draisaitl with 75. He is closing in on 100 points and with six games left, he has a real shot at hitting that number in just 56 games.
To put things into perspective that would a 146-point pace in 82 games. That’s the most points in a single season since Mario Lemieux scored 161 points in the 1995-96 season.
Auston Matthews
Matthews has been in contention for the Rocket Richard Trophy (most goals in a single season) every year since coming into the league in 2016.
Like McDavid, he has been scoring goals on a whole different level this season. Matthews has scored a league leading 39 goals 48 games this season. McDavid is second with 31. Out of the 48 games played thus far, there are only 19 games where Matthews did not score a goal.
In 82 games Matthews would currently be on a 66-goal pace, that is the most since once again Mario Lemieux scored 69 in 1995-96.
Playoffs
With the regular season soon coming to a close, both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers have clinched a spot and are gearing up for the playoffs. As it stands right now the Oilers and Maple Leafs would not meet until the second round as the two teams are at the top of the division.
The Leafs beat the Oilers six game to three in the season series. In those nine games against the Leafs, McDavid had 10 points. While Matthews missed a few games against the Oilers, he still managed to score five goals in six games.
Neither team has been able to find any real playoff success since the two superstars joined the league, with Leafs failing to get out of the first round and the Oilers getting knocked out in the second round in 2017. However, with McDavid and Matthews taking their games to new heights, expectations are high for the Leafs and Oilers going into this year’s playoffs.
It goes without being said that a playoff series between these two teams would an exciting time. Both players have a strong supporting cast around them. Including Last year’s League MVP, Leon Draisaitl on the Oilers, and the second half of the Leafs dynamic duo, Mitch Marner.
Fans can only hope that the stars will align and pin Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews against each other this post-season.