Breaking down Connor McDavid's defensive redemption

I don’t need to tell you that Connor McDavid has been amazing this season. As of this writing, he’s scoring at a 142-point 82-game pace, a number that hasn’t been hit since before he was born. His 40 points in 24 games lead the NHL by six and he very well could hit 100 points in a 56-game season. His offensive performance has truly been something to behold.

But what is most remarkable to me about McDavid’s campaign is not simply his production but his overall play. For the previous three seasons, No. 97’s offensive dominance came coupled with arguably the league’s worst defensive results, a pesky bit of baggage that severely blunted his overall impact on the Oilers’ success. His poor play without the puck came under harsh scrutiny during the offseason and played no small role in the previou