SIMMONS SUNDAY: Connor McDavid is as good as it gets and poised to join more greats in 2023

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This is the highest-scoring NHL season in 29 years and Connor McDavid is on his way to the highest-scoring season of his magnificent career.

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He leads the NHL in goals scored, leads in assists, and is 15 points ahead of teammate Leon Draisaitl for overall points in the league. He’s 20 points ahead of any player not on his own team. Whatever distance there has been between him and the rest of the game is growing substantially.

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The forever-struggling Edmonton Oilers are tied with the still-hot Boston Bruins for most goals in the NHL. And for the first time since 1996, when Mario Lemieux led the NHL in both goals scored and assists registered, is another player on pace to do the same astonishing thing.

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None of the leading goal scorers of the past quarter-century — legends such as Pavel Bure, Sidney Crosby, and Alex Ovechkin — were able to lead the NHL in both goals and setting up goals in the same year. McDavid has a six-goal lead over Tage Thompson and Bo Horvat. He has two more assists than Nikita Kucherov and three more than the surprising Erik Karlsson.

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McDavid’s 1.95 points per game are the highest number of any player since Lemieux had 2.30 points per game in ’96 — a time in which goal scoring per game was almost identical to today’s numbers.

Coming off a Stanley Cup playoffs that McDavid averaged 2.06 points per game, he has emerged as a singular figure in the sport. Ready to be included among the best we’ve ever known.

THIS AND THAT

There’s a Top Four all-time in hockey, all by themselves. Wayne Gretzky, Lemieux, Bobby Orr and Gordie Howe. You pick the order. There are no wrong answers here. So who becomes No. 5? It might be Jean Beliveau today. But soon it will be Crosby or McDavid or both, players so different but so accomplished … Simple, if the NHL doesn’t want teams traveling on December 26, and will fine them for doing so, don’t schedule games on December 27 … Morgan Rielly missed 15 games to injury and still leads Maple Leafs defencemen in being scored upon at even strength. That’s not a statistic anyone wants associated with their name, especially someone as skilled and proud as Rielly is. This may sound rather basic, but in the second half, the very talented Rielly needs to find a way to stop being on the ice when opponents score. He’s better than that. … The surprising Timothy Liljegren has played in four more games than Rielly this season and has been on the ice for 15 fewer goals against … The never-ending story that is Patrice Bergeron, in his 19th season, has been on the ice for only nine goals against in Boston. And you wonder why the Bruins are running away in the NHL standings. Lots of people keep talking about how much Auston Matthews has improved his defensive play and he has. But he’s been on the ice for 27 goals against, three times more goals than Bergeron has … Another amazing Boston statistic: Goaltender Linus Ullmark, just a guy, is 20-1-1 this season with a 1.90 goals against average and a .938 save percentage. Can you say Vezina Trophy winner? … If you ask pro scouts what impresses them most about the Leafs this season, you will hear two answers: One, their team defensive play overall; Two, the giant step William Nylander has taken in his career. Everyone knew the talent was there, but this is another level for Nylander and the scouts talk about him a lot … Congrats to Sid the Kid Crosby, longtime Blue Jays surgeon Dr. Allan Gross, the forever funny Eugene Levy, curling’s Colleen Jones and soccer’s Karina LeBlanc, all deserving of being named to the Order of Canada. Levy actually received an upgrade to Companion to the Order of Canada after previously being honoured in 2011 … I looked it up. The English definition of Aube-Kubel is Dryden Hunt.

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HEAR AND THERE

One word: Pele. Everyone knows what it means. Everyone knew who he was and why he mattered. The name is transcendent and will live forever … I’m of the belief the Raptors would be 20-16 and not 16-20 if Fred VanVleet shot better from three-point range in close losses this season. And nobody seems to say a word about his difficulties. Like he’s an untouchable of some kind. Everybody loves the VanVleet story and the success that he has had and the maturity he brings to his profession. But he needs to get healthy and be way better in the second half. But he needs to start making way more uncontested jumpers … The NBA got clotheslined by the NFL on Christmas Day. Almost five times more people in the U.S. watched NFL games on Christmas Day than were tuned in for the national holiday games the NBA so celebrates. The final score was 23 million to four million for the NFL on a per-game basis … Luka Doncic had 60 points and 20 rebounds the other night for the Dallas Mavericks. That’s not quite Wilt Chamberlain scoring 100 points in a game but by today’s standards, that’s about as dominant as you can get … The book on Otto Porter Jr. this season with the Raptors: Eight games played, 28 games missed, $6 million paid and 44 points scored … It’s pretty clear that the Canadian quarterback Nathan Rourke will sign with an NFL team, likely in the second week of January. It’s only guessing to figure out which team at this point … I don’t agree with college players on scholarship walking out on their teams, and skipping Bowl games to prepare for the NFL Draft. The only reason they’re NFL candidates is the opportunity granted to them by their scholarships. The Canadian twins at Illinois, running back Chase Brown and defensive back Sydney Brown from London, Ont. chose not to participate in Illinois’ Bowl game on Monday against Mississippi State … The Grey Cup champion Argos have to find a way to keep receiver Kurleigh Gittens Jr., who will be in great demand when free agency begins in the CFL … The Canadian content on the Indiana Pacers is impressive with Andrew Nembhard starting, and Bennedict Mathurin and Oshae Brissett coming off the bench … Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson is probably the best player in the NFL right now and certainly the most explosive, but can he win the MVP? No receiver ever has. Forty-two quarterbacks have won and 18 runnings back, but no WRs to date.

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SCENE AND HEARD

If you think the Davis Cup is bigger than the Stanley Cup, then Felix Auger-Aliassime is a fine choice as Canadian male athlete of the year. If you think like I do, that the Stanley Cup is more significant, then Cale Makar should be your Canadian athlete of the year. By the way, this is the fourth time in 10 years that a tennis player has won Canadian Press’ male athlete of the year. And as a tennis lover, that makes me happy. But still, no McDavid in any of those years — and twice a freestyle skier won. I think sometimes we lose our way. A reminder: Bobby Orr only won the athlete of the year once. In retrospect that just seems wrong … My go-to podcasts of 2022: 1. Toronto Mike; 2. The Bob McCown Podcast; 3 Smartless … My favourite book I read in 2022, other than my own, From The Ashes by Jesse Thistle … My favourite radio show, still keeping me company daily, OverDrive … In these days where gambling is everywhere and investments are struggling, does it amuse you to see a Guaranteed Rate Bowl being played in Phoenix? Wisconsin won by the way, 24-17 over Oklahoma State. It may not have been as important, though, as the Idaho Potato Bowl or the Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl … Unless it’s an Olympic year and we’re picking a scrappy Olympic team from European leftovers, why do we care at all about the Spengler Cup? … The Buffalo Sabres have scored more goals than the Avalanche, the Lightning, the Blues, Capitals, Penguins, the Blackhawks and Kings — those are winners of the past 11 Stanley Cups … Jack Hughes, in his fourth NHL season at 21 years of age, has 97 points in his past 85 games in New Jersey after just 52 in his first two years. That’s what you call arriving in the big time.

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AND ANOTHER THING

Department of meaningless statistics: Matt Ryan is seventh all-time in NFL passing yardage. He is ahead of Dan Marino, Joe Montana, Aaron Rodgers, Eli Manning, John Elway, Warren Moon, Johnny Unitas, Roger Staubach, and Joe Namath, all of whom are in the Hall of Fame or heading there. Don’t see Ryan as a Hall of Famer … For Patrick Mahomes to win in the AFC, the Kansas City Chiefs have to get by either Josh Allen or Joe Burrow. Or Burrow has to get by Mahomes or Allen to get Cincinnati to the Super Bowl. Or for the Buffalo Bills to get to the big game, they may have to beat Mahomes or Burrow or both. This is the modern-day version of Tom Brady in New England, Peyton Manning in Indianapolis and Ben Roethlisberger coming up in Pittsburgh, and only one great quarterback getting to the Super Bowl … The Vegas Golden Knights had an uncanny first season in the NHL. The Seattle Kraken seem to be having an unlikely strong second season as an NHL franchise … Eric Lindros completely turned around hockey in Philadelphia when he came to a downtrodden Flyers team. Could Connor Bedard do the same thing in Philly? … Or could he do what Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews managed in Chicago? Bedard is making us follow the bottom of the NHL standings this year as much we normally follow the top … Canadian Mike Soroka will head to Braves training camp in February with no expectations at all. He’s coming off two seasons lost to Achilles tendon problems but is said to be healthy and ready to resume his career … And strange as it sounds, a comeback by Hyun-jin Ryu in August from Tommy John surgery could be the kind of tonic the Jays got from Marcus Stroman years ago. It’s a no-lose situation for the Jays … Happy birthday to Jimmy Hart (79), Corey Crawford (38), Gerry Dee (54), Jeff Carter (38), Dave Hunter (65), Sil Campusano (57), Fernando Tatis (48), Becky Kellar-Duke (48), Jacky Ickx (78) and Patrick Chan (33) … And a happy healthy New Year to one and all … And hey, whatever became of David Bolland?

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For the first time in his five years coaching the Raptors, there is reason to wonder about Nick Nurse.

There was no reason to wonder before — not when winning the NBA championship as a rookie head coach, not when winning the coach of the year in his second season, not even when losing all those games in the lost season in Tampa Bay. If anything, Nurse seemed to be an ascending star in basketball, so well-regarded around the NBA.

But in this season seemingly going in circles, the Raptors don’t look very much like a Nurse team.

And that — as much as a flawed and beaten-up roster has hurt him — leaves some doubt for the very first time. The Raptors aren’t playing smart basketball. They aren’t defending particularly well, which has always been a Nurse strength. On too many nights they seem to lack effort. They aren’t making the kind of in-game adjustments Nurse has become famous for.

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This needs to be a time of giant reflection for the Raptors, from president Masai Ujiri to general manager Bobby Webster on down to coach Nurse. Like so many of their players, none of them are having great seasons. All of them — along with their players — can be finger-pointed for playing below expectations. Even as Pascal Siakam is having the season of his life, the team doesn’t seem able to be pulled along on a terrific ride.

You don’t fire a Nick Nurse. Not yet, anyhow. You do ask questions, though, and expect performance of a higher level. The team needs to be better. The coach needs to be better as well.

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Teoscar Hernandez threw the sunflower seeds. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was in the middle of everything crazy and fun and silly in the Blue Jays dugout in recent years. Now both are gone. And that’s not accidental.

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That’s intentional.

The Blue Jays won’t come right out and say why they traded Hernandez to Seattle and Gurriel Jr. along with emerging prospect Gabriel Moreno to Arizona — but the reason is rather clear: They want a more serious team for manager John Schneider in 2023. Or Schneider wants a more serious team.

When the Blue Jays emerged from end-of-season meetings, two things have become evident: One, they want a better defensive team. And two, they want a team with a day-to-day approach a little more professional than what has been seen in recent years.

While George Springer was happy to be part of the celebrations and Vladdy Guerrero Jr. plays the game with a built-in casual approach, the dugout party provocateurs were clearly Hernandez and Gurriel Jr. Hernandez is a better hitter than anyone the Jays have picked up in the off-season. Gurriel Jr. can be a fine big-league hitter when on his game and healthy. New centre fielder Kevin Kiermaier is a below-average major league hitter and Daulton Varsho, brought in from the Diamondbacks to play the outfield, has power but a career on-base percentage of .306. and led Arizona in strikeouts this past season. So there’s a little Matt Chapman in Varsho at the plate. The bottom half of the Jays batting order will be hit-and-miss this coming season.

And maybe more wins and fewer celebrations. That’s what management is searching for. A recipe that hasn’t been discovered to date.

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