McJesus. McSavior. The Next One. The bane of every Calgary Flames fan’s existence.
Call him whatever you want, but Connor McDavid has arrived in the Stanley Cup playoffs. It took him seven seasons, but McDavid has finally rallied his Edmonton Oilers in the postseason, tossed them on his back and is carrying them deep into the playoffs in 2022.
The 25-year-old superstar has 25 points in his first 11 playoff games this year, smashing his individual point OVER every night, setting some records and chasing down others. Just how good has McDavid been, can he keep it up and how can you profit off the Oilers’ success? We break it down below:
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2022 Stanley Cup Playoff Scoring Leaders
Player | Team | Goals | Points |
---|---|---|---|
Connor McDavid | EDM | 6 | 25 |
Leon Draisaitl | EDM | 7 | 22 |
Evander Kane | EDM | 12 | 15 |
Nikita Kucherov | TB | 4 | 15 |
Mika Zibanejad | NYR | 5 | 14 |
David Perron | STL | 9 | 13 |
Johnny Gaudreau | CGY | 2 | 13 |
Adam Fox | NYR | 4 | 13 |
Points updated as of May 25, 2022
Has McDavid Been Historically Good?
Just four games into the second round, McDavid already has more points than the final playoff scoring leaders from 2019, 2015, 2012 and 2011. On his current point pace, the Oilers center will pass Evgeni Malkin’s post-lockout record 36 playoff points in just five more games.
McDavid’s playoff career didn’t start off that hot, with “just” five points in his first eight postseason contests. But now he’s a near multi-point lock, with two or more points in 14 of his last 20 Stanley Cup playoff games.
With 25 points in 11 games this year, McDavid has notched multiple points 10 times this postseason. He currently sits four games back of Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky for the most multi-point playoff games ever in one postseason (14).
Connor McDavid continuing to do what Connor McDavid does. The 2022 #StanleyCup Playoffs leader has now hit the 25-point mark through just 11 games (6-19—25 in 11 GP).#NHLStats: https://t.co/c5awVUSAeb pic.twitter.com/XeuJ9GVnNS
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) May 25, 2022
McDavid vs Gretzky
The comparisons between Gretzky and McDavid are endless, especially given the way the current Oiler captain is playing. He’s chasing the Great One in plenty of record-book categories, but the big one is Gretzky’s benchmark of 47 points in a single Stanley Cup playoff run.
Gretzky set the record with 17 goals and 30 assists in just 18 games during the 1984-85 postseason when he led Edmonton to its second Stanley Cup.
McDavid still sits 22 points behind Gretzky’s playoff record, but on his current pace he’ll pass the Great One in just 10 games. If McDavid’s Oilers can keep winning, he’s certainly got a shot.
Will McDavid Break Playoff Scoring Records?
Sportsbook has posted odds on whether McDavid will set a post-lockout “modern” (36 points) or all-time (47 points) playoff scoring record this postseason, and there are some favorable odds, with both Yes bets sitting as underdogs despite his torrid point pace.
Bet | Odds |
---|---|
Yes | +500 |
No | -900 |
Bet | Odds |
---|---|
Yes | +200 |
No | -300 |
Odds as of May 25, 2022, at Sportsbook. Lock in your McDavid record bets today:
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Can Edmonton Keep Winning?
With Evander Kane and Leon Draisaitl meshing perfectly with McDavid and goaltender Mike Smith avoiding too many gaffes, the Oilers are a win away from the Western Conference final. McDavid must be the best player on the ice for Edmonton to win any given game, but he needs help from the depth to be able to continue this playoff run and catch Gretzky.
With top Cup contenders like the Avalanche and Lightning still looming, the Oilers currently sit fourth in Stanley Cup futures (+600) ahead of Game 5 against the Flames.
This Oilers goal is beautiful pic.twitter.com/8VhgpaBJh6
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) May 23, 2022
You can bet on McDavid's Oilers for any game or place a series or futures bet over at our top NHL sportsbooks:
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Will McDavid Win The Conn Smythe?
The best way to currently capitalize on McDavid’s torrid postseason is with an early Conn Smythe bet. The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the most valuable player in the NHL playoffs, and McDavid is currently making his case.
With his current production, he has a legitimate case to win the Conn Smythe even if he doesn’t win the Cup or maybe even make the Stanley Cup Final. There have been five players who won the postseason MVP award despite failing to win the Cup, with Ducks goalie J.S. Giguere being the last to do so in 2003.
At Sportsbook or any sportsbook of choice, you’ll find current Conn Smythe odds as follows:
McDavid Is Great Value In 2022 Conn Smythe Odds
Player | Team | Odds |
---|---|---|
Cale Makar | COL | +450 |
Nathan MacKinnon | COL | +550 |
Andrei Vasilevskiy | TB | +600 |
Connor McDavid | EDM | +650 |
Nikita Kucherov | TB | +900 |
Odds as of May 25, 2022, at Sportsbook
Despite blowing the competition out of the water in point production, McDavid finds himself fourth in Conn Smythe odds nearing the end of the second round. With Tampa already secure in the Eastern Conference final and Colorado the clear Stanley Cup favorite, Lightning and Avs players rank ahead of the Oilers star.
However, with +650 odds and an implied 13.33 percent chance according to our odds calculator, McDavid’s value is too good to pass up. He’s on a record-setting pace and is single-handedly beating teams. There’s no reason to doubt him right now.