McDavid producing for Oilers despite 10-game goal drought

EDMONTON -- Connor McDavid had some good news for NHL goalies Monday morning.

"I've decided I'm just going to see how many assists I can get," McDavid said. "That's the focus. I'm not going to shoot the puck anymore, not going to score any more goals."

Of course, the Edmonton Oilers center was joking. At the time, he had gone nine games without a goal, a streak that hit double digits in a 4-2 win against the Los Angeles Kings later Monday.

But he did have two assists and has 23 assists in those 10 games. With 70 assists through 54 games, he's on pace for 103, which would make him the first player to have at least 100 in a season since Wayne Gretzky had 122 for the Kings in 1990-91.

Based on his history, the odds of McDavid scoring are good when the Oilers host the St. Louis Blues at Rogers Place on Wednesday (8:30 p.m. ET; TNT, MAX, TVAS, SN). The 10 games equal the longest stretch McDavid has gone without a goal since entering the League as the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft.

"No, obviously I want to score, I want to produce and I want to help this team any way I can. Scoring goals is part of that," McDavid said. "I've gone through stretches when I haven't scored and still been productive."

Despite his recent goal drought, McDavid is still having an outstanding offensive season with 91 points (21 goals, 70 assists) in 54 games.

With his assist on Zach Hyman's first-period goal against the Kings, McDavid hit the 90-point mark for the eighth consecutive season, joining an exclusive group, which includes Gretzky (13 seasons), Mike Bossy (nine), and Jari Kurri, Dale Hawerchuk and Marcel Dionne (eight each).

He also became the sixth player in NHL history to have at least 70 assists in four straight seasons, joining Gretzky (13), Bobby Orr (six), Adam Oates (five), Peter Stastny (four) and Guy Lafleur (four). McDavid became the fastest player to 70 assists in a season since Mario Lemieux hit the mark in 50 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1995-96.

"I think he's just trying to make the best read, to be honest," Hyman said. "I don't think he's trying to defer or anything like that. If the play is there, he's going to make it, if the play is there for him to shoot it, he's going to shoot it."

McDavid's assist on Hyman's goal exemplified of the type of opportunities he's passing up of late. McDavid had an open look from the slot, and with the entire arena urging him to shoot, decided to slide the puck over to Hyman at the face-off circle for a one-timer that went past Kings goalie David Rittich.

"I'm passing away some opportunities every now and then," McDavid admitted. "I think back to some 2-on-1s and passing away, good looks in the slot and passing it away. Maybe there's a little bit of that, but scoring goals is sometimes a little bit of luck too, sometimes it's going in, sometimes it's not. Guys have them going in off their face and shoulder or whatever, and for whatever reason, sometimes they just don't go in, it's just one of those things."

McDavid has hit his share of goalposts and crossbars in the past 10 games but considering the way he's been piling up the assists, there is little concern when it comes to his offensive production.

"He's obviously a special player and makes all those plays," Hyman said. "He's got the puck on his stick more than anybody in the League and that's why he's got the most assists, because he's got the puck all the time. He's a great scorer too."

Last season, McDavid won the Art Ross Trophy for the fifth time as the NHL points leader with 153 (89 assists) and his the Rocket Richard Trophy for the first time, leading the League with 64 goals in 82 games.

Those numbers might be out of reach this season, but the scoring title is still in sight despite a slow start by his standards.

McDavid had 10 points (two goals, eight assists) through his first 11 games before missing two games with an upper-body injury sustained against the Winnipeg Jets on Oct. 21.

Since Kris Knoblauch took over as coach after Jay Woodcroft was fired Nov. 12, McDavid has 81 points (19 goals, 62 assists) in 43 games.

"I like getting assists too; I like contributing that way, I like setting teammates up," McDavid said. "I like making those plays. I still feel like I'm creating lots and getting looks and for some reason it's not going in for me."

They may not be going in for McDavid at the moment, but Hyman has definitely been a benefactor of the increased generosity. Hyman has a career-high 38 goals this season and is on pace to surpass the 50-goal plateau.

"I wouldn't have this year without him, obviously," Hyman said. "I've had the pleasure of playing with him most nights. He's a phenomenal player but he's an even better teammate. When things aren't going well, he's talking, communicating and trying to uplift his linemates to the group. I think it goes a long way to the person he is, the captain he is. You (media) just see the surface level, but I definitely wouldn't be having the year I'm having without playing with him."

At the time of the coaching change, McDavid had 130 players ahead of him in the NHL scoring race, and now he is just looking up at Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche (98 points) and Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning (103 points).

Both are within reach, however, McDavid is after a bigger prize, still in pursuit of his first Stanley Cup championship.

"I want to help this team win, I want to help this team anyway I can," he said. "Obviously, for me that's producing too, that's a part of it, but being a full 200-foot player, that's all I focus on. Helping this team win is all that matters and I think everyone's bought in that way and that (scoring title) is an afterthought."