Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Now that Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid reached the 1,000-point mark, the focus shifts to which NHL players could get there next.
Brad Marchand, Nathan MacKinnon, Jamie Benn and Corey Perry are the closest. But two other names jump out – Oilers center Leon Draisaitl and Tampa Bay Lightning right winger Nikita Kucherov.
The 31-year-old Kucherov and the 29-year-old Drasaitl are two of the NHL’s point-producing powerhouses, ranking 12th and 16th in the all-time highest points-per-game averages, respectively.
Draisaitl is currently at 874 points in 737 career regular-season games, and Kucherov is at 899 points in 741 games. Kucherov’s point-per-game average is 1.21, while Draisaitl’s is at 1.19. That said, Draisaitl has been more consistently healthy.
To wit: Draisaitl has produced 344 points in the last three seasons, while Kucherov had 326 in that span. But Draisaitl played 241 games in those three seasons, while Kucherov appeared in only 210 games in that stretch. Kucherov’s injury-shortened 2021-22 campaigns in 2020-21 and 2021-22 made it easier for Draisaitl to close in on him in the points department, and the Oiler outscored Kucherov 128-113 in 2022-23.
In 2023-24, however, Kucherov increased the gap again by outscoring Draisaitl 144-106, and he currently has 26 points in 16 games this season compared to Draisaitl’s 24 points in 18 games.
Both players are now in their prime, so it will be intriguing to see if one or both can maintain their current points pace or even step it up while staying healthy. And while Kucherov has a decent lead on Draisaitl, don’t be surprised if the Oiler can get to 1,000 points first.
Michael Traikos guessed Draisaitl in The Hockey News Big Show, while Ryan Kennedy guessed Kucherov. We’d like to guess Draisaitl.
Draisaitl often plays with McDavid, who is a point machine himself. Kucherov plays with talented NHLers as well, but he is far and away Tampa’s best points producer, while Draisaitl has a superstar teammate on top of quality talent in Edmonton to keep him thriving and putting together many more seasons of at least 100 points.
Related: Oilers’ McDavid Hits 1,000-Point Mark: NHL Superstar Continues To Add To Legacy
We may see Kucherov win his third Art Ross Trophy this year as the NHL’s top point-producer, but Draisaitl also has an Art Ross to his credit and could leapfrog over Kucherov if Edmonton continues to return to form.
Yes, MacKinnon will likely beat them both to the 1,000-point mark, as he currently has 932 points in 809 games, a 1.15 points-per-game average. Marchand has 942 points, but he needed 1,048 games to get there. But Draisaitl and Kucherov are right behind them, and though they would probably shake off any notion of a rivalry between each other, Kucherov and Draisaitl are both high-octane performers who will be generating at least a point-per-game for the foreseeable future.
There’s no question Draisaitl and Kucherov will be 1,000-point players, but the competition to see who gets to that mark first will be highly entertaining. And Oilers and Lightning fans are fortunate to see Kucherov and Draisaitl compete night in and night out to be the first between them to reach the 1,000-point plateau.
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News Summary:
- Who Will Be First To Reach 1,000-Point Mark: Oilers' Draisaitl Or Lightning's Kucherov?
- Check all news and articles from the latest NHL updates.