How many more ways can we praise Connor McDavid?
On Tuesday, the NHL Players’ Association released their annual Player Poll, surveying various names across the league anonymously on 12 hockey-related topics. In the survey, Oilers captain Connor McDavid was voted the league’s best overall forward by a whopping 74 percent of those polled.
He is McHim.
Taking the category with nearly 74% leaves little doubt that Connor McDavid is the forward that players consider the best overall in the league. #NHLPAPlayerPoll pic.twitter.com/osSkLwq50Z
— NHLPA (@NHLPA) April 15, 2025
The 2024-25 NHLPA Player Poll is the tenth edition of the annual survey run by the players’ union, with 663 skaters participating from across all 32 teams.
In addition to being named the league’s best attacker, McDavid was also named the best skater in the NHL with a strong majority of 66.4 percent. It’s no surprise given the smooth skills he displays on the ice, including in the all-star game, where he has won the fastest-skater competition for an NHL-record four times, currently the reigning champion from 2024’s edition.
connor mcdavid is your fastest skater. pic.twitter.com/2839cfFksW
— zach (@zjlaing) February 3, 2024
Beyond taking the number one spot in attacking and skating, the Canadian superstar also received recognition in three other categories. McDavid was voted the league’s second-best playmaker with 20.16 percent of the vote behind Nikita Kucherov’s 48.25 percent, the third smartest overall player with 11.53 percent, and the fourth most complete player at 6.9 percent.
It’s just the latest in a long list of accolades for McDavid in what has so far been a career full of individual achievements. While the survey is completed in the first half of the year, this season has no doubt been a continued demonstration of the respect he has earned across the hockey world. Just one point away from an eighth 100-point season, it’s been another banner year for McDavid despite injuries, highlighted by his golden goal for Canada at February’s 4 Nations Face-Off.
Adding to the list of Edmonton superstars, Leon Draisaitl was voted third in the category of best playmaker, behind McDavid and Kucherov, with 6.9 percent of the vote. The German skater sits third in points this season with 106, good for his sixth 100-point season. He is also virtually a lock to win his first Rocket Richard Trophy, leading the league by a seven-goal margin with 52 tucks.
Edmonton’s home arena of Rogers Place also received acknowledgment in the player survey, being named the league’s second-best ice with 14.87 percent of the vote, behind only Montreal’s always popular Bell Centre which received 44.96 percent.
