NHL Stats Update: McDavid Soars, Draisaitl Surges, Leafs’ Stars Slump

We’re now over two months into the season, and just like with the standings, there isn’t much wiggle room when it comes to the scoring leaders around the NHL.

Nathan MacKinnon has had a firm hold on the Art Ross Trophy race from the moment the puck dropped on 2025-26, though the best player in the world, Connor McDavid, is hot on his heels, thanks to a torrid start to December. His partner in crime, Leon Draisaitl, is also moving his way up the league leaderboard, while the Toronto Maple Leafs’ big boys have dried up despite the team’s recent winning ways.

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Let’s dive into it all in the latest NHL stats update.

Connor McDavid Tracking Down MacKinnon

With talk surrounding his game not being at the same level anymore, McDavid flipped the switch come December, tearing up the NHL with 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in the month thus far.

MacKinnon’s consistent dominance has sparked debate over who the best player in hockey truly is, and it appears that chatter has motivated McDavid to remind everyone that he’s still here.

The Oilers captain is now up to 52 points (18 goals, 34 assists) in 33 games, closing the gap to just three behind MacKinnon’s 55 points (26 goals, 29 assists) in 32 games.

With the two best players in the world in their primes and neck and neck in scoring, we’re in for a tremendous race the rest of the way.

Leon Draisaitl Surging Up the Leaderboard

McDavid’s not the only Oiler who’s on fire, as Draisaitl’s 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) in seven games put him right behind his teammate in December scoring.

The German center now sits fifth in the league with 43 points (17 goals, 26 assists) in 33 games, pacing toward his fifth straight 100-point season and the seventh of his career.

With the unfortunate injury to Connor Bedard, the only player standing between Draisaitl and the top three, alongside MacKinnon and McDavid, is Macklin Celebrini (47 points), who hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down after his fantastic start.

They’ll also have to keep an eye on two familiar faces near the top of the scoring race in Nikita Kucherov (42 points) and David Pastrnak (36 points), both of whom have continued to rack up numbers despite missing time due to injury.

Maple Leafs Need More from Matthews, Nylander, Tavares

While plenty of stars around the NHL are heating up, the same can’t be said for Toronto’s top talent.

Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and John Tavares — all accustomed to big-time production — are currently mired in slumps.

Matthews’ struggles have drawn the most attention, as he’s posted just seven points (four goals, three assists) in nine games since returning from injury, with two of those points (one goal, one assist) coming via the empty net.

That has coincided with Nylander and Tavares hitting ruts of their own, combining for just six points — Nylander with three assists in seven games, and Tavares with three points (one goal, two assists) in 10 games.

The Maple Leafs have been playing much better hockey of late, but if they truly want any chance of going on a run to get back into the playoff picture, they’ll need more out of their big three up front.

Next: Oilers-Maple Leafs No Longer McDavid vs. Matthews as the Gap Widens?