McDavid aiming to shoot more: 'That's when my game is at its best'

Connor McDavid entering the final season of his contract has generated plenty of buzz, but the Edmonton Oilers captain remains focused on improving his own game. For him, that starts with shooting the puck more often, despite being arguably the league's top playmaker.

"I want to prove that scoring 50 or 60 is not a one-off," McDavid told Sportsnet's Mark Spector. "I've had 50 goals, and I've had 100 assists, and I like the goals a little bit more."

McDavid led the league with 64 goals in 2022-23 but followed with 32 goals in 2023-24 and 26 tallies in 67 games last campaign - his lowest total since his injury-shortened rookie year.

A five-time Art Ross Trophy winner and a three-time Hart Trophy winner, McDavid has also topped the league in assists four times in his 10-year career.

"Ultimately, I want to help this team win, … and I'm happy playing the passer role. I'm always going to be that player," he said. "But I'd like to be just a little bit more - not necessarily selfish - but assertive with my chances.

"I have times where I get the puck in good spots and I'm thinking, 'What's the next play?' When I should be thinking, 'I'm going to score here, I'm going to shoot, or I'm going to take this to the net.'

"That's when my game is at its best."

McDavid racked up a career-high 352 shots during his lone Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy-winning season in 2022-23. Those totals plummeted to 263 shots the following year and 196 shots a season ago.

The 2024-25 campaign was the first since 2019-20 that McDavid didn't lead the NHL in either points or assists. However, he still racked up 100 points, resulting in a 10th-place finish in Hart Trophy voting - his worst finish for the award since his rookie season.

"I've had a lot of very good years, and I wouldn't categorize last season as one of those," McDavid said. "I'm excited to see how good I can be, motivated to play hockey at the highest level at the Olympics, and to continue to push this group to winning.

"Whether people believe me or not when I say that, I feel like I've got lots to prove."

McDavid has led the playoffs in scoring in each of the last two years, though his Oilers have come up short in the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers on both occasions.