Ken Holland will enter the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday for his work with the Detroit Red Wings, who won the Stanley Cup in 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2008 with several players whose images already are etched in glass in the Great Hall.
Now he is the general manager of the Edmonton Oilers, and he has Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid.
"I reflect back on the successes [in Detroit], and obviously it was talent," Holland said. "But there's also will and determination that is important, that is a difference-maker, and they've got it. They bring it. They bring it every day. They're motivated. They're committed. They're determined. They push."
He repeated himself for emphasis.
"They push," he said. "They're driven to be better on an everyday basis."
Better is a high bar for Draisaitl and McDavid, the last two winners of the Hart Trophy, which goes to the most valuable player in the NHL as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. But they keep raising it and clearing it, raising it and clearing it, and the forwards are the main reason the Oilers are 11-3-0 and atop the Western Conference.
Draisaitl, who won the Hart and the NHL scoring title in 2019-20, leads the League in goals (15) and points (31) in 14 games this season. His per-game rates for goals (1.07), assists (1.14) and points (2.21) are at NHL-career highs by far. They're so high that they're likely unsustainable, but even if he cools off considerably, he should have a career season.
McDavid has won the Hart twice, in 2016-17 and last season, and the scoring title three times, in 2016-17, 2017-18 and last season. He's scored 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) in 14 games this season, second to Draisaitl in the scoring race and tied with teammate Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for the NHL lead in assists. His per-game rates for goals (0.71) and points (1.93) are at NHL-career highs too, and his per-game rate for assists (1.21) isn't far off the high he set last season (1.29).
The most breathtaking thing about McDavid always has been his acceleration, in terms of how he bursts by everyone on the ice with or without the puck. Well, look at how he has accelerated over his NHL career by the numbers too. In goals per game, he has gone from averaging 0.36 to 0.37 to 0.50, to 0.53 for two seasons, then to 0.59 and now to 0.71. In points per game, he has gone from averaging 1.07 to 1.22 to 1.32 to 1.49 to 1.52 to 1.88 to 1.93.
Another way to look at it: McDavid became the sixth-fastest in NHL history to score 600 points when he had a goal and an assist for Nos. 600 and 601 in a 5-4 win against the St. Louis Blues on Sunday. Only Wayne Gretzky (274), Mario Lemieux (323), Peter Stastny (394), Mike Bossy (400) and Jari Kurri (419) took fewer games than McDavid (421) to reach the milestone. McDavid took 92 games to reach 100 points, 82 more to reach 200, 68 more to reach 300, 67 more to reach 400, 64 more to reach 500 and 53 more to reach 600.
Draisaitl is 26 and McDavid 24, so each is in his prime. They have each other, creating matchup nightmares whether they play on separate lines or together. Their supporting cast has gotten stronger, especially over the past 18 months while the Oilers have turned over much of the roster. But it goes beyond offense, and it all comes back to their drive to make the most of their talent.
"I think they're maturing as people," said Red Wings forward Sam Gagner, who played for the Oilers from 2007-14, 2018-19 and 2019-20. "They're growing as leaders. I noticed that in the time I was there. They continue to get better in those areas.
"I think they find little intricacies in their game too that can make them better. A lot has been talked about how much better Connor has gotten defensively, and that's a conscious decision he's made to work on his game in those different areas. And 'Drat' as well. I mean, they're both always looking at ways to get better. They're constantly trying to improve."
McDavid set yet another NHL-career best in terms of aesthetics Nov. 5, when he stick-handled through defenders at warp speed and scored a 1-on-4 goal in a 6-5 win against the New York Rangers. The cameras capture the highlights but not what led to them.
"I spend the offseason in Muskoka [in Ontario cottage country], and I see Connor a lot there," Gagner said. "I think you see the work ethic he has and the amount of effort he puts into becoming the player he is. He does it every day, and he's never satisfied. So when you see the things he does, you kind of marvel at it, but you also, you're like, 'Well, he puts in the work.' It's fun to watch."
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