When it comes to the Edmonton Oilers, anything and everything their stars do have a bright spotlight on them. Luckily, this time around, that spotlight is for all the right reasons, as Connor McDavid once again stamped his authority on the game in a 6-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks.
That win was their final outing of the regular season before they prep for a first-round series against the Anaheim Ducks. But even with little left to play for apart from first-round seeding, McDavid made it a point to send a loud message in the Hart Trophy race.
As the postseason begins, one argument stands clear, and that is McDavid’s importance to the roster, as the Oilers could not win a single game without him on the scoresheet.
Stunning Stat Shows Why Connor McDavid’s Hart Trophy Case is the Strongest
McDavid won his 6th Art Ross Trophy after finishing the 2025-26 regular season with 138 points. He topped a list of eight players who touched the 100-point milestone this season, including Nikita Kucherov and Nathan MacKinnon.
McDavid’s final regular season ended with a four-point performance in a 6-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks. It capped a season where he consistently dictated outcomes for Edmonton, especially during critical stretches. The Oilers are locked in second place in the Pacific Division with 41 wins and will face the Anaheim Ducks in the first round starting April 20.
However, the most defining part of McDavid’s season goes beyond points and awards. According to ESPN Insights, Edmonton did not win a single game this season when McDavid failed to record a point. That single stat changes the entire Hart Trophy discussion as it highlights just how important the captain was to his team.
This feat places McDavid as only the second player in the last 100 seasons to record at least one point in every single win for a playoff team, joining Wayne Gretzky’s 1980-81 season. McDavid recorded a point in all 41 Oilers wins this year, while Gretzky did it in all 29 wins way back when.
This is not just elite production, as it is dependency at the highest level. In every Edmonton win, McDavid appeared on the scoresheet, including three hat-trick games. Conversely, the Oilers lost every game in which he was held without a point, showing a direct link between his output and team success. That level of correlation is rare and highlights how central he is to everything Edmonton does offensively.
The comparison carries weight because it nullifies the “supporting cast” arguments. Other contenders like MacKinnon and Kucherov had outstanding seasons, but their teams still found ways to win without them contributing on the scoresheet. Edmonton did not. This difference defines the Hart Trophy criteria, which focuses on value to the team rather than overall production alone.
McDavid’s season also included a strong late surge, where he overtook competitors to finish atop the scoring race. He finished with 138 points to claim his sixth Art Ross Trophy, and during the same season, he became the third-fastest player in NHL history to reach 1,200 career points. These milestones add further weight to an already strong case built on consistency and impact.
Despite McDavid’s series of performances, the Hart race remains tight, with MacKinnon and Kucherov still receiving strong consideration. Yet, McDavid’s case sticks out.
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