McDavid would be proud to match Sid's 500-point mark: 'He’s a great guy to follow'
Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid enters Wednesday's matchup with the Winnipeg Jets on the precipice of a significant career milestone that would only strengthen the link between him and his childhood hero if it's accomplished.
McDavid currently sits at 499 career points in 368 games, and he'll reach the 500-mark in the same number of contests as Sidney Crosby if he finds the scoresheet against the Jets.
The incredible coincidence has caught McDavid's attention.
"That's pretty cool. A guy I grew up watching," McDavid said, according to Sportsnet's Mark Spector. "He's done a couple of other things I'm trying to do, with all of his Cups and stuff. That stuff is more important, but if (500) happens, great.
"He's done everything I want to do - he's a great guy to follow. He's done everything he has set his mind to."
If McDavid matches Crosby, they'll tie as the eighth-fastest players in NHL history to notch 500 points. Here's how No. 87 and 97 stack up all-time:
Rank | Player | No. of Games |
---|---|---|
1 | Wayne Gretzky | 234 |
2 | Mario Lemieux | 287 |
3 | Peter Stastny | 322 |
4 | Mike Bossy | 349 |
5 | Eric Lindros | 352 |
6 | Jarri Kurri | 356 |
7 | Bryan Trottier | 362 |
8 | Crosby | 369 |
9 | Kent Nilsson | 372 |
10 | Alex Ovechkin | 373 |
McDavid, who leads the NHL in scoring this season with 30 points in 17 games, has 26 points in 17 career games against Winnipeg. While matching Crosby in this specific stat seems likely, McDavid has a long way to go to match Sid The Kid's overall resume.
Crosby had earned two Art Ross trophies, an MVP, a Rocket Richard, and two Stanley Cup Finals appearances that yielded one championship through the first five seasons of his career - McDavid is currently in the early stages of his sixth NHL campaign.
In the years since, Crosby has added one more Art Ross, an MVP, and a Rocket Richard, along with two more Cups and two Conn Smythe's to his trophy case.
McDavid has claimed an MVP and two scoring titles to date.
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