Oilers' McDavid has hit a new level, even if the numbers don't show it

EDMONTON — At 27 years old, Connor McDavid isn’t what he used to be. A distant 18 points back in the Art Ross race, his game is barely recognizable. 

Watch him play. Where he’s always been a savant with the puck on his blade, today McDavid is no better in the offensive zone than he is in the defensive zone. 

(Sarcasm alert: This is a compliment.) 

There was a time when he’d push for points, knowing that if he was on the ice for two goals against in a game, he’d be a part of three or four goals for. It was a trade-off he wasn’t consciously making, but more a style of game he felt compelled to play. A game he’d played since he was five years old. 

He’s Connor McDavid. They’re counting on him to score, right? 

Well, today they count on him for a lot more than just points.

As he settles for one assist in a 3-1 win, the older, more mature McDavid is opting for a few days with family near Toronto in the days before the All-Star Game — instead of the Instagram photo-op on some exotic island that he, Leon Draisaitl and their girlfriends took a year ago. 

The Edmonton Oilers captain is fifth in NHL scoring. Draisaitl is 14^th. 

These guys would never have let that happen in the past. So what’s up? 

“It's not one of those years where everyone's going to be writing about all these big numbers and stuff like that. But, we’ve been there and done that,” McDavid said. “It's about being a part of something, and I think it's a good thing that no one's writing about Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl leading the way. 

“That being said, I think my game has another level to get to and I know that that would help the team as well. So… It’s evolving.” 

On cue, the day after we sat down for this interview McDavid had four points in a 4-1 win over Nashville. He has seven points in his past two games, he’s plus-4, and his team is one win shy of tying the record for hottest heater in NHL history.  

Still, the five-time Art Ross Trophy winner trails Nikita Kucherov and Nathan MacKinnon by a bundle, putting his run at a fourth consecutive scoring title in jeopardy. 

Is he concerned? 

“Of course, you're always paying attention to the league, paying attention to the best players. And those two are the best in the world right now,” said McDavid. “But, we're doing something bigger than us winning an Art Ross, or another Hart Trophy. Leon and I have led the league — one-two in scoring — for the better part of four or five years. We've been there and we've done that. 

“Is it great to produce offensively? Of course it is.” he concluded. “But we want to be a part of something; we want to be part of a team and a group that can do some damage later in the year.” 

Been there. Done that. 

Three times McDavid invoked that turn of phrase in our chat, an ongoing, back and forth that he and I have had since the day a quiet, painfully soft-spoken teenage phenom arrived in Edmonton, 612 games and 917 points ago. 

Today, Connor McDavid has opinions he is not afraid to share. His voice is heard — figuratively and literally — across the hockey landscape, whether it be on the topic of video review, or more locally, when asked about the evolution of Edmonton’s team game. 

A team that was traditionally happy to beat you 5-4 hasn’t given up three goals in a game since Dec. 22 (a team-record 14 games). 

“It seems like we’ve had this conversation before,” begins McDavid, with a quick smile. “I think we just have more guys. It's more spread out, which is always something we're talking about here in Edmonton. 

“‘Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl — their numbers are down.’ I think that's testament to the group. How well everyone’s been playing.” 

Edmonton has better goaltending, stronger depth at forward, and the best corps of defencemen than any team McDavid has played on here. If that costs him a trip to the NHL Awards show, that’s a trade he’s willing to make. 

“Of course,” he said. “How many times have we sat here, wishin’ we had this, wishin’ we had that? Now we’re getting it, and it’s a great thing. 

“We’ve had good stretches, but this is probably one of the best ones we’ve ever had,” he said, his team on a 16-game winning streak. 

“We’re playing a little bit of a different system than we've ever played here before, and we're getting comfortable in it. You can see in the D zone, there seems to be way less running around. It’s a lot calmer. 

“And our D are playing amazing — all six of them. We’re getting great goaltending, the forwards are tracking back very well… We like our game.” 

Of course, it’s hard not to like McDavid’s game, as he steps into the prime years of a career that he will assess based on how many Stanley Cups he wins, more than all that other silverware. 

There is a physical layer to McDavid’s game now that was never there before. He doesn’t need someone else to take a key draw late in a close game anymore. He steals pucks the way Pavel Datsyuk once did, and defends in a style that the greats finally found, as they matured as captains and leaders. 

In short, the guy we once wrote “couldn’t carry Sid Crosby’s equipment bag defensively” isn’t that guy anymore. 

In fact, he looks very much the way Crosby looked at 27 years old — eerily similar some nights — and we’re not sure there is any higher praise than that. 

“Offensively, things have always good. Defensively it's been a work in progress for a long time,” McDavid admitted. “I feel good where things are at … and I’ve got to keep making strides that way. 

“But I’m comfortable in my D zone, comfortable playing in those tight games and winning the faceoff when you have to. Those are all things I’m comfortable doing.” 

There is one thing left to get comfortable at, and we all know what that is. 

Stay tuned folks. That doesn’t happen until June.