Connor McDavid is still far and away the best player in the world, but a noticeable decline in his shooting statistics are leaving fans wondering if he’s fully healthy.

McDavid just got back into the Oilers lineup after being suspended for a cross check on Connor Garland, and unsurprisingly, the captain got on the board with a goal in his return.

Decline in McDavid’s shooting may be sign of injury

Looking at the last few years of McDavid’s shot attempts and shots on goal, there’s a noticeable decline right after the 2022-23 season.

McDavid is shooting less, and even missing shots at a higher rate. This season is McDavid’s worst for shooting accuracy by far.

That’s not to say that McDavid is having a poor season even by his standards. He’s still scoring at a pace of 39 goals and 123 points this season, but the decline in shooting does raise some questions.

It’s possible that McDavid is dealing with some lingering injury that could affect his shooting, and even cause him to defer to passing more often. Leafs center Auston Matthews has dealt with a recurring wrist injury that at times, has reduced his shooting volume too.

Another possibility is the fact that the NHL has already seen the peak of Connor McDavid’s career. He’ll surely continue to dominate the league for the rest of his career, but his magical season in 2022-23 may be unbeatable.

McDavid’s shooting stats were the best out of any other year, leading to 64 goals and 153 points in 82 games.

Finally, it could just be a play style adjustment for McDavid – passing more often and trying to create offence through his teammates. Regardless, the decrease is noticeable over time.

Now 28 years old, Connor McDavid has already scored 1000 points and could be on the way to score another 1000 by the time his career is done.