McDavid was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft and was viewed as a generational prospect. He has certainly lived up to those expectations.
Since entering the league in the 2015-16 season, McDavid's 806 points lead the league by 112, and his 1.48 points per game are 0.21 better than the next-highest player. This season, he has already reached the 100-point plateau (46-63--109 in 59 GP) for the third-straight year and the sixth time in his eight-year career. The only times he didn't reach the century mark in points were in 2015-16 when he scored 48 points in 45 games (an 87-point pace over an 82-game season), and in 2019-20, when he recorded 97 points in 64 games (a 124-point pace over an 82-game season), in a season shortened by COVID-19.
We all know McDavid is a once-in-a-generation type of player, but the fact is that he's never won a game in the conference finals.
Why is that relevant? There's another generational prospect on the way to the league named Connor Bedard, and with the worst record in the league, the Blue Jackets have a 25.5% chance to win the lottery and the Bedard sweepstakes.
Even if the Jackets do get Bedard and he lives up to his billing, this roster has a long way to go before it can be considered a Stanley Cup contender.
McDavid has yet to reach the Stanley Cup Final, so if the lottery balls favor Columbus, be patient.
