Honestly, if you took a nap back in October and just woke up to check the national hockey league scoring leaders, you’d probably assume the usual suspects were just doing their thing. And you’d be right, mostly. Connor McDavid is currently sitting at the top of the mountain with 82 points in 47 games. Nathan MacKinnon is right there, breathing down his neck with 81 points.
It feels familiar. Like a comfortable pair of skates.
But then you look at third place. Macklin Celebrini. The kid is 19 years old, playing for a San Jose Sharks team that—let’s be real—isn't exactly a juggernaut, and he has 70 points. It’s absurd. We are watching a generational shift happen in real-time while the old guard refuses to vacate the premises. It makes the 2025-26 season one of the most unpredictable scoring races we’ve seen in a decade.
The Art Ross Tug-of-War
Right now, the battle for the Art Ross Trophy is basically a three-horse race, though Nikita Kucherov and Leon Draisaitl are lurking just behind with 67 points each. McDavid is averaging 1.74 points per game. That’s standard "McDavid stuff," but Nathan MacKinnon is actually outpacing him in pure efficiency at 1.80 points per game.
MacKinnon is playing like he's shot out of a cannon every single night. He leads the league in goals with 36, and he’s doing it by sheer volume, leading the NHL in shots on goal too. If you watch the Avalanche, everything flows through him.
Then there’s the Celebrini factor. Most rookies hit a wall in January. The travel gets to them, or the physical toll of playing against grown men every night starts to show. Macklin hasn't gotten the memo. He’s already put up 46 assists. To put that in perspective, he’s currently ahead of seasoned veterans like Artemi Panarin and Kirill Kaprizov.
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It’s not just about the points, though. It’s about how they’re getting them.
- Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers): 82 points. He’s the king of the primary assist.
- Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche): 81 points. Leads the league in even-strength goals (29).
- Macklin Celebrini (San Jose Sharks): 70 points. A rookie phenom making the Calder race look like a formality.
- Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning): 67 points. Still the smartest guy on the ice.
- Leon Draisaitl (Edmonton Oilers): 67 points. The best secondary option in the history of the sport.
Why Cale Makar is Breaking the Curve
We can't talk about the national hockey league scoring leaders without mentioning the blue line. Cale Makar is currently 12th in the overall league scoring race. Think about that. He has 53 points. He is outscoring 95% of the league's top-line forwards.
Usually, the scoring leaders list is a private club for forwards. Makar doesn't care about your club rules. He's joined by Zach Werenski (47 points) and Lane Hutson (45 points) in a year where defensemen are becoming legitimate offensive engines. Hutson, specifically, is doing things in Montreal that have fans there losing their minds. He’s a walking highlight reel who somehow finds lanes that shouldn't exist.
The Great Chase: Ovechkin and the Record
While the young guns are fighting for the 2026 scoring title, there is the shadow of history hanging over every Washington Capitals game. Alex Ovechkin is currently at 897 career goals.
He passed Wayne Gretzky’s 894 earlier this season, and now every single goal he scores sets a new "all-time" ceiling. He isn't leading the league in scoring this year—he has 17 goals so far—but his presence on the leaderboard is a reminder of longevity.
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At 40 years old, Ovi isn't the fastest guy out there anymore. He’s basically a stationary turret on the power play at this point. But he still has that release. When he’s in "his spot" in the left circle, everyone knows what’s coming, and yet, goalies still can’t stop it. It’s one of the few constants in a league that is getting younger and faster by the minute.
The Mid-Season Top 10 (As of January 15, 2026)
- Connor McDavid (EDM): 82 PTS
- Nathan MacKinnon (COL): 81 PTS
- Macklin Celebrini (SJS): 70 PTS
- Nikita Kucherov (TBL): 67 PTS
- Leon Draisaitl (EDM): 67 PTS
- Mikko Rantanen (DAL): 62 PTS
- Martin Nečas (COL): 57 PTS
- David Pastrňák (BOS): 56 PTS
- Jason Robertson (DAL): 55 PTS
- Kyle Connor (WPG): 54 PTS
What Most People Get Wrong About Scoring Stats
People love to look at the total points and decide who the "best" player is. That’s a mistake. You have to look at the context.
For instance, Nathan MacKinnon has 49 points at even strength. McDavid has significantly more of his production coming on the power play. Does that make McDavid "worse"? No, it means the Oilers’ power play is a lethal weapon that teams are terrified of. But it also means that in a playoff series, where refs tend to swallow their whistles, MacKinnon’s even-strength dominance might be more valuable.
Also, look at Martin Nečas. He moved to Colorado and suddenly he’s a top-10 scorer with 57 points. Is he a better player than he was in Carolina? Maybe a little. But mostly, he’s playing with Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. Hockey is a game of geography. If you live in the offensive zone with elite talent, your stats will explode.
The Anze Kopitar Milestone
We also have to talk about the legends who are finishing their stories. Anze Kopitar recently announced that this 2025-26 season will be his last. He’s sitting at 1,299 career points. He needs one more to hit 1,300 and nine more to pass Marcel Dionne as the LA Kings' all-time leading scorer.
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Kopitar isn't at the top of the national hockey league scoring leaders list this year—he has 38 points—but his consistency is legendary. He has led the Kings in scoring 15 times. In an era of flashy goals and TikTok highlights, Kopitar’s game is built on defense and winning faceoffs. He’s the "pro’s pro," and seeing him chase down Dionne’s record is the feel-good story of the spring.
Actionable Insights for the Second Half
If you’re following the scoring race for fantasy hockey or just for bragging rights at the sports bar, here is what you should be watching:
- The Oilers' Schedule: Edmonton has a heavy home schedule in February. McDavid traditionally scores at a 1.87 PPG rate at home. Expect him to pull away from MacKinnon during that stretch.
- The Celebrini Wall: Keep an eye on the Sharks' rookie. If he hits 90 points, it will be the most impressive rookie season since Crosby or Ovechkin.
- The "Contract Year" Surge: Watch Martin Nečas. He’s playing for his next big deal and shows no signs of slowing down in that high-octane Colorado system.
- Defensemen Value: If you're in a fantasy league, Lane Hutson is the "buy high" candidate. His point totals are legit because he’s playing nearly 24 minutes a night.
The scoring race usually solidifies by March, but with the gap between first and third being so wide yet so fragile, one hot week from Kucherov or a minor injury to McDavid could flip the whole table.
Keep an eye on the "High Danger" scoring stats too. Tyler Bertuzzi currently leads the league in goals from the "dirty areas" (24 goals). While the superstars get the headlines for their 100-mph shots and coast-to-coast rushes, guys like Bertuzzi and Wyatt Johnston (52 points) are the ones grinding out the goals that actually win games in the standings.
Check the daily box scores for line changes. If a guy like Nečas gets moved off MacKinnon’s wing, his production will crater. If Draisaitl and McDavid start playing on the same line consistently, they might both hit 140 points.
The data is there, you just have to look past the total points to see the real story.