Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl & the Greatest Duos of All-Time

An MVP award each, two Stanley Cups, and five electric playoff showdowns with Detroit are engraved on this iconic pairing. If not for Forsberg’s physical ailments and splitting titles with those Red Wings, dynasty status was highly attainable in Colorado.

#9. Sergei Fedorov & Steve Yzerman

McDavid fans take note: it wasn’t until his 14th season that Stevie Y won that elusive first Cup. Fedorov’s defection to North America in 1990 was a key step. Those white Nike skates and that effortless stride still give a certain generation the sweats. The pairing finally delivered the goods in 1997, the first of three championships in six years.

#8. Phil Esposito & Johnny Bucyk

Entering 1970-71, the ageless Bucyk was 35 years old and had never hit 70 points. Enter Orr, Esposito, and expansion. Esposito, perhaps literally in that era, went full “hold my beer.” In an eight-season span, Phil did the following: six consecutive goal-scoring crowns (including an NHL-record 76); five Art Ross Trophies; two Hart Trophies; led the playoffs in goals and points three times each.

#7. Connor McDavid & Leon Draisaitl

Now, past generations may scoff at a duo without a Cup. But winning a title in a 32-team, salary cap NHL is simply not the same as winning one in a six or 12 or 21-team league. Today, there are a dozen contenders annually — dynasties went extinct with Fox’s glowing puck in the 1990s.

So, why the high ranking? Well, in the last five years, McDavid and Draisaitl have both finished top-four in scoring every single season. 4/5 in scoring titles. 3/5 in MVPs. They’ve scored at a collective 145-point pace in the playoffs. Oh, and they’ve missed just 23 games combined in eight years. That’s 98% attendance. Short of resurrecting Jacques Plante from the grave in April, I’m not sure what more these guys can do.

#6. John LeClair & Eric Lindros

Stunning, I know. If there is a partnership better fit for its time, I’m all ears. While they never got their ring, their six years together were extremely successful: 14 playoff rounds; top-10 team finishes in offense and defense every year; seven 40-goal seasons in the Dead Puck Era.

The Top 5

#5. Sidney Crosby & Evgeni Malkin

Pittsburgh’s two-headed monster of 18 years has a viable case for greatest ever. In the cap era, it’s the only forward duo to win three Cups and reach four Finals. By career value, it’s the #1 expansion era pair by a country mile. What holds them back? Health. Only twice in their first 11 seasons together did both play 70 games. If you faced the Penguins when Sid and Geno were in their prime, you often faced a one-headed monster. Until the playoffs.

#4. Mike Bossy & Bryan Trottier

The early 1980s NHL belonged to Long Island. This forward couple famously holds the unbreakable record of 19 consecutive playoff rounds won — that’s four Cups in a row (1980-83), ended by a 1984 Final loss. The late sniper, Bossy, scored an unfathomable 61 goals in 72 games in the four titles.

#3. Guy Lafleur & Steve Shutt

Bossy and Trottier inherited the belt from Lafleur and Shutt, fresh off four straight Cups themselves. It was a different time for parity, to say the least. This pair fits our five-year peak score perfectly as its fire blazed bright for exactly five years. Lafleur, a rock star in Montreal (well, disco star at least), scored at least 125 points each season for a half-decade.

#2. Wayne Gretzky & Jari Kurri

Now, Jari Kurri was a fabulous player, a 70-goal scorer that got Selke love. But #99 is driving this bus. And he’s not even bothering making any stops on the route. Consider this:

• If we went with Gretzky/Anderson, they’d rank #2.
• If we went with Gretzky/Messier, they’d rank #2.
• If we went with Gretzky and literally nobody, he’d rank #8. By himself. [Hold for applause].

At his best, The Great One rarely missed a game. He was worth 19 standings points per season alone. A human gift card, good for two points per game.

#1. Mario Lemieux & Jaromir Jagr

By pure ability, the Penguins original two-headed monster is untouchable. Incredibly, if we covered their five seasons from 1992 to 2001 — a nine-year odyssey where Lemieux beat cancer, retired, returned, sat out another three-plus seasons, and returned again at 35 — their score would be even higher. But that kind of gap would be a stretch to include.

Their only two titles arrived early, when Jagr still needed a fake I.D. So, despite being #1 on the list, Lemieux’s deteriorating health also makes this the biggest “what-if” for a duo on ice. It’s that lack of sustained playoff success that offers the Gretzky/Kurri crowd a legitimate rebuttal. But at their best, the dizzying, powerful combination of Lemieux & Jagr is the brilliant two-man symphony.

The List

Here are the top 25 duos, featuring six active star pairings. It’s a fascinating list — both for who it includes and omits.

The Future of McDavid & Draisaitl

How high up this legendary mountain Connor and Leon climb will depend on Edmonton’s playoff success. One Stanley Cup together equals Top 5. Two Stanley Cups (I know, I know) and they sniff Top 3. From a pure production perspective, at ages 27 and 28, respectively, we’ve likely already witnessed their best sustained window. Crosby’s last Cup? 29. Gretzky’s? 27. Lemieux was 26. But that doesn’t mean the Oilers duo can’t win — and win often — if they stay together. Both Yzerman and Ovechkin were 32 before they raised the Cup. There’s still time. But it’s late enough in the partnership that watching them continually torch the league shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Follow @AdjustedHockey on X; Data from Hockey-Reference.com