Bob Stauffer opines Connor McDavid “has a more advanced game” than NHL great Wayne Gretzky

By Nestor Quixtan

Modified May 10, 2024 04:38 GMT

Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid is a “different animal,” according to NHL Insider Bob Stauffer. During Stauffer’s recent appearance on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, he addressed the comparison between Wayne Gretzky and Connor McDavid in their primes.

Stauffer, who grew up in Edmonton, watched Gretzky play during his heyday. Stauffer called Gretzky "the GOAT." But when comparing McDavid to Gretzky, Staufer described Connor McDavid as a “cheat code.” Stauffer went on to describe McDavid as:

"Obviously McDavid is a different animal. I mean we are watching, I'll say it cause I grew up in Edmonton and watched Wayne Gretzky and he was in his prime with the Oilers that's as great as Wayne was in Los Angeles, and he’s the greatest player of all-time, all that being said, McDavid has a more advanced game. He’s a cheat code, and we all know that."

This high praise comes on the heels of Edmonton’s recent regular season and playoff success. Stauffer provided the following insights into McDavid and Leon Draisaitl’s impact on the Oilers:

"You look at McDavid and Draisaitl, they literally willed the Oilers as far as they can the last couple of years." He added, "Now, they have more support."

The Oilers will need all the support they can get for Connor McDavid and Draisaitl after dropping game 1 of their second-round series versus the Vancouver Canucks. The supporting cast of 50-goal scorer Zach Hyman, top defenseman Evan Bouchard, and veterans Evander Kane and Matthias Ekholm have provided the Oilers with much-needed depth.

That depth needs to come through to even the series and head back to Alberta. The Oilers will look to put a stranglehold on the series and advance to the conference finals.

Connor McDavid and Wayne Gretzky head-to-head

Connor McDavid is 27 years old and in his ninth NHL season. He’s played in 645 regular season games during his career, tallied 335 goals and 647 assists for 982 points.

In comparison, Gretzky played precisely nine seasons in Edmonton. During that time, Gretzky eclipsed the 200-point mark four times, notching 212 in 1981-1982 and 205, 208, and 215 points from 1983 to 1986.

By the end of this ninth season, Gretzky had notched 583 goals and 1,086 assists for 1,669 points. He also had four Stanley Cups and a long list of other accolades. McDavid notched his first 100-assist campaign this season. Gretzky had eight during the same stretch.

While it’s easy to dismiss this comparison by stating that McDavid and Gretzky played in different eras, the fact is that McDavid plays in a much more demanding NHL environment. Players are faster, goalies are much more talented, and teams employ much more complex defensive schemes.

But when looking at how McDavid and Gretzky impacted their teams as individuals, it’s evident that McDavid has had a more significant one. Gretzky had an incredibly talented team around him, with stars like Mark Messier, Paul Coffey, Glenn Anderson, Kevin Lowe, and Jari Kurri, to name a few.

McDavid has Draisaitl to lean on. There’s no question that McDavid will go down in history as one of the league’s best players. A Stanley Cup will cement his legacy as one of the all-time greats.