Inside Connor McDavid's record-breaking playofs, by the numbers (2024)

Connor McDavid has cemented his place among the greatest players in NHL history with his playoff performance this spring.

The Edmonton Oilers captain has all but locked up the Conn Smythe Trophy as postseason MVP based on his absolute dominance, highlighted by his efforts in the Stanley Cup Final. The result feels immaterial at this point — especially since McDavid has willed the Oilers back into the series after dropping the first three games.

“He just puts us on his back,” defenseman Mattias Ekholm said. “The guy is the best in the world. There’s just nothing else you can say about him.”

Yup. All you need to do is look at the numbers.

McDavid has rewritten parts of the record book thanks to his play over the last two months. And he might not be done yet.

Here are McDavid’s 2024 playoff exploits, by the numbers.

Most assists, single playoff season — 34

Move over Wayne Gretzky.

McDavid tied and passed The Great One as part of a three-assist, four-point effort in Game 4 — an 8-1 Oilers win to keep their season alive. Gretzky had 31 helpers in 1988, the last of his four Stanley Cup titles in Edmonton.

“Obviously not the focus with where we’re at (in the series),” McDavid said after Game 4, “but (it’s) not lost on me what he means to the game.”

McDavid added two more helpers, to go along with two goals, in a 5-3 victory in Game 5. He’s just padding his stats now.

First player with back-to-back four-point games in the Stanley Cup Final

You probably had no problem doing the math in the previous section.

McDavid had matching four-point efforts in Games 4 and 5, the first time anyone has accomplished that feat in the championship series.

“He’s been driving the bus since he got here — before I got here,” said winger Zach Hyman, a third-year Oiler. “Since I’ve been here, he’s the guy leading this team. You expect it from him.

“You don’t want to put any extra pressure, but that’s what he does. He elevates his game at the most opportune times for us. He’s been great.”

A record eight points when facing elimination in a single Stanley Cup Final

It’s been a while since anyone else came close. You’d have to go back more than eight decades since anyone even notched seven points.

That seven-point club consists of Don Metz and Syl Apps (1942 Toronto Maple Leafs) — part of the only NHL team to rebound from a 3-0 deficit in the Cup Final — and Babe Dye (1922 Toronto St. Patricks).

Metz and Apps had four games to rack up their point totals, whereas Dye had two like McDavid.

“What I’m most impressed about with him is the bigger the moment, the bigger performance he puts on,” Ekholm said. “We’re on the brink of elimination, and he puts up four points two nights in a row. That’s just him in a nutshell. He just wants to be the guy. He is the guy. To me, he’s the best in the world.”

McDavid has also tied Ken Linseman’s Cup Final mark of five assists when facing elimination. Linseman accomplished that feat over two games with the 1980 Philadelphia Flyers.

Tied for most points when facing elimination in a single playoff year — 11

It hasn’t just been in the final when McDavid has stepped up with the Oilers on the ropes. They could have been knocked out of the playoffs by Vancouver in Games 6 and 7 and McDavid had three assists over those two games.

Add it all up and he has 11 points in four elimination games, tying him with Justin Williams and Anže Kopitar from the Los Angeles Kings’ 2014 Cup run and the New York Rangers’ Mika Zibanejad from 2022. Williams and Kopitar played seven games and Zibanejad appeared in six.

Most points in a single Stanley Cup Final, active player — 11

McDavid became the first player among his peers to hit double digits for points in a Cup Final during Game 5. He then added an empty net goal with 19 seconds remaining to bump him up to 11 points.

That’s the best output in the Stanley Cup Final since the Flyers’ Daniel Briere recorded 12 points in 2010.

McDavid, 3-8-11, is just two assists and two points back of tying Gretzky for both categories in a single championship series. Gretzky had 10 assists and 13 points in 1988.

Fourth for points in a playoff year — 42

There are just two players ahead of McDavid here: Gretzky (twice) and Mario Lemieux. That’s elite company.

“I seem to be getting this question a lot, which is a good thing,” McDavid said after Game 5. “Any time I’m compared or in the same realm as those two is a good thing.

“But I love playing in the playoffs. I love playing with this group and it’s not possible without everybody.”

McDavid needs one point to tie Gretzky from 1988 for third and two points to equal Lemieux from 1991.

No. 97 has an outside chance of matching or even surpassing Gretzky’s top mark of 47 points from 1985.

Seventh for assists in a campaign, regular season and playoffs — 134

In April, McDavid became the fourth player in NHL history to reach the century mark for assists in a single season — joining Gretzky, Lemieux and Bobby Orr. Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov matched him before the playoffs began.

With 34 assists, McDavid is seventh for assists in a season (regular season and playoffs). He passed Gretzky’s 133 total from 1991, but The Great One still holds the top six places on the list.

McDavid’s 174 points are one more than he had last season. He’s tied with New York Islanders great Mike Bossy for 14th in one season, including playoffs.

Five assists in one playoff game

It seems like forever ago now, but McDavid opened the playoffs with a five-assist performance against the Kings. No one had done that since Geoff Courtnall did it for the Oilers in 1998.

McDavid was one assist shy of tying the playoff record for helpers in a single game. Gretzky (1987 Oilers) and Mikko Leinonen (1982 New York Rangers) share the top spot.

(Photo: Elsa / Getty Images)

Daniel Nugent-Bowman is a staff writer who covers the Edmonton Oilers for The Athletic. Daniel has written about hockey for Sportsnet, The Hockey News, Yahoo Canada Sports and the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. Follow Daniel on Twitter @DNBsports