Huberdeau vs. McDavid vs. Draisaitl: The NHL’s best race takes center stage in Florida
It was one of the few — and, really, the last — bright moment in the Florida Panthers’ otherwise-ugly 6-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday: A deep dump into the offensive zone caromed off the boards behind the Blue Jackets’ net and bounced right into the slot, where Jonathan Huberdeau could pounce on it for his 18th goal of the season.
The goal was important in the moment — it briefly cut the Panthers’ deficit to one goal — and, even though it didn’t ultimately contribute to a win, important in a larger race.
With his 74th point of the season, Huberdeau was back on top of the NHL leaderboard in the chase for the Art Ross Trophy.
“Obviously, it’s pretty fun,” Huberdeau told NHL.com last month when discussing the points race, “but for me personally, this year is about the team.”
Still, the race will be on full display this weekend in Sunrise: FLA Live Arena will host a rare collection of star power Saturday when Florida faces the Edmonton Oilers at 12:30 p.m.
Huberdeau, the Panthers’ lone All-Star this season, leads the NHL with 74 points in 52 games.
Forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who were both All-Stars for the Oilers, are tied for second in the league with 73 in 51 games.
McDavid and Draisaitl are both clear contenders for the Hart Memorial Trophy, and the Panthers (35-12-5) are stumping hard for Huberdeau in the race, too.
South Florida loves an event, and this meeting with Edmonton (28-20-3) should qualify.
“They’re playing much better of late and they’re a pretty scary dynamic duo,” interim coach Andrew Brunette said.
All three do their scoring a bit differently.
Huberdeau also leads the NHL with 56 assists — 11 more than anyone else — and his playmaking, right now, is unparalleled.
His surge to the top of the leaderboard came in last month. The star left wing was 14 points behind McDavid at the start of January, then had 19 assists and 25 points in the month to jump to the top of the league.
Huberdeau also assisted on Florida’s first goal Thursday to give him a franchise-record nine-game assist streak and is fourth in the league with 1.42 points per game.
“He’s had a tremendous season, and he keeps producing night after night,” Brunette said. “He’s obviously skilled and as creative as there is in the league.”
Draisaitl is the pure goal-scorer of the bunch, often playing next to McDavid and feasting off the superstar’s playmaking. Draisaitl, who plays left wing and center, entered Friday with 35 goals — second in the league, one behind Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews — and is third line the NHL with 1.43 points per game.
McDavid strikes the cleanest balance of the star trio. The center is second in the league with 45 assists and tied for seventh with 28 goals. He’s second in the league with 1.46 points per game, behind just Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Nikita Kucherov, who has only played in 15 games this year.
The two Oilers are somewhat inextricable, though. McDavid has played 496:28 of his 1,118:20 minutes next to Draisaitl. Huberdeau, on the other hand, has only played 276:10 of his 1,003:05 next to star center Aleksander Barkov.
“They’re going to create all the time together,” Brunette said.
If there’s something Huberdeau has over the Edmonton duo, it’s the way he has been able to carry a second line without any other stars in a way most All-Stars don’t have to.
“We’re a much deeper team when they’re on different lines,” Bruntte said.
Added Huberdeau: “That’s our team. We have a lot of character.”
