Top five in goals & assists in same season

[authentic]

Two additions to this list. In 2021, Connor McDavid finished 2nd in goals while leading the league in assists. Leon Draisaitl placed 4th in goals and 2nd in assists.

This is the first time since 1996 when two teammates placed in the top five in both categories.

Draisaitl is now the first players since Jagr to have more than one "top five and five" season.

Interesting since he was compared to Jagr when he was being scouted.

 

[authentic]

I wonder how many have been top 2 in each in the same season? Gretzky, Lemieux, and Howe? Maybe Esposito?

 

[Hockey Outsider]

I wonder how many have been top 2 in each in the same season? Gretzky, Lemieux, and Howe? Maybe Esposito?

Surprisingly, it looks like the answer is Esposito (1927 onwards):

• Esposito 6x (1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974)
• Gretzky 5x (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987)
• Howe 3x (1951, 1953, 1954)
• Lemieux 3x (1988, 1989, 1996)
• Moore 2x (1958, 1959)
• Mikita 2x (1964, 1967)
• LaFleur 2x (1977, 1978)
• Morenz 1x (1928)
• Schmidt 1x (1940)
• Hextall 1x (1942)
• M. Bentley 1x (1946)
• R. Conacher 1x (1949)
• Jagr 1x (1999)
• McDavid 1x (2021)

 

[authentic]

Surprisingly, it looks like the answer is Esposito (1927 onwards):

• Esposito 6x (1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974)
• Gretzky 5x (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987)
• Howe 3x (1951, 1953, 1954)
• Lemieux 3x (1988, 1989, 1996)
• Moore 2x (1958, 1959)
• Mikita 2x (1964, 1967)
• LaFleur 2x (1977, 1978)
• Morenz 1x (1928)
• Schmidt 1x (1940)
• Hextall 1x (1942)
• M. Bentley 1x (1946)
• R. Conacher 1x (1949)
• Jagr 1x (1999)
• McDavid 1x (2021)

Interesting. Never would've thought Esposito would be ahead of Gretzky there lol

 

[Hockey Outsider]

Nobody made this list in 2022. The closest call was Connor McDavid, who was a hat trick away.

 

[Hockey Outsider]

2023 update: Connor McDavid led the league in goals and assists. Since the NHL consolidated its rival leagues (1926-27), this has only been achieved by five players - the consensus top three forwards of all-time (Howe, Gretzky and Lemieux), Morenz (the greatest player in hockey history through WWII), and Esposito (a great scorer, assisted to some degree by playing with the unquestionable greatest defenseman ever).

Looking at it another way - going back to WWII, the only players who have led the league in goals and assists at the same time were either members of, or assisted by, the Big Four. (I think this is more of a trivia point than a substantive argument, but it'll surely be used in McDavid's favour in the future if people try to argue that he's now part of the "Big Five").

Leon Draisaitl now has his 3rd season finishing in the top five in both categories.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

While he never did it, it's pretty amazing that Orr was 1 goal away from it in 75

Led in assists and 6th in goals with 46, 1 behind Dionne in 5th

 

[Black Gold Extractor]

2023 update: Connor McDavid led the league in goals and assists. Since the NHL consolidated its rival leagues (1926-27), this has only been achieved by five players - the consensus top three forwards of all-time (Howe, Gretzky and Lemieux), Morenz (the greatest player in hockey history through WWII), and Esposito (a great scorer, assisted to some degree by playing with the unquestionable greatest defenseman ever).

Looking at it another way - going back to WWII, the only players who have led the league in goals and assists at the same time were either members of, or assisted by, the Big Four. (I think this is more of a trivia point than a substantive argument, but it'll surely be used in McDavid's favour in the future if people try to argue that he's now part of the "Big Five").

It is worth noting that the "Big Four" forwards are (so far) the only ones who managed to do it more than once: Howe in 1950-51 and 1952-53, Lemieux in 1988-89 and 1995-96, and Gretzky did it 5 times.

McDavid, of course, still has a lot of career left, so we'll see what happens. (As an Oilers fan, hopefully he does it many more times. )