Patrick Maroon is the Oilers' own John LeClair
Talk about being in the right place at the right time.
Since the calendar turned to 2017, no player has scored more goals than Edmonton Oilers forward Patrick Maroon, who's potted seven since Jan. 1.
It's Maroon's second season in Alberta since arriving on a quiet deal from the Anaheim Ducks at last year's trade deadline. At the time, eyes were focused elsewhere. Mikkel Boedker was dealt to Denver, Lee Stempniak was off to his ninth team in Boston, and the Dallas Stars sent three pieces to Calgary for hard-nosed blue-liner Kris Russell.
In Edmonton, there was once again disappointment, as the Oilers extended their playoff drought to 10 seasons, matching an NHL all-time record of postseason futility. In the midst of it all, the Oilers shipped AHL defenseman Martin Gernat and a fourth-round pick to the Ducks to bring Maroon to Edmonton.
The deal barely garnered a headline, as Maroon seemed like a project for the Oilers. He had a lowly 13 points on the season, after averaging 32 points over the previous two campaigns.
| Season | Team | GP | G-A-Pts | Pts/GP | G/GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12-13 | ANA | 13 | 2-1-3 | 0.23 | 0.15 |
| 13-14 | ANA | 62 | 11-18-29 | 0.47 | 0.18 |
| 14-15 | ANA | 71 | 9-25-34 | 0.48 | 0.13 |
| *15-16 | ANA | 56 | 4-9-13 | 0.23 | 0.07 |
| *15-16 | EDM | 16 | 8-6-14 | 0.88 | 0.50 |
| 16-17 | EDM | 45 | 18-7-25 | 0.56 | 0.40 |
That all changed once he arrived in Edmonton, where he played out the remaining 16 games of 2015-16, and where this year he has lined up alongside alongside phenom Connor McDavid.
Fans of the Philadelphia Flyers will recall when fellow left-winger John LeClair came to town following a deal with the Montreal Canadiens. In Philadelphia, LeClair teamed up with dominant center Eric Lindros and Swedish winger Mikael Renberg to form hockey's Legion of Doom line.
The trio made instant magic. During the 1995-96 season, Renberg, Lindros, and LeClair combined for 257 points - a preview of what was to come when the Flyers advanced to the Stanley Cup Final a year later.
| Season | Team | GP | G-A-Pts | Pts/GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 92-93 | MTL | 72 | 19-25-44 | 0.61 |
| 93-94 | MTL | 74 | 19-24-43 | 0.58 |
| *94-95 | MTL | 9 | 1-4-5 | 0.55 |
| *94-95 | PHI | 37 | 25-24-49 | 1.32 |
| 95-96 | PHI | 82 | 51-46-97 | 1.18 |
| 96-97 | PHI | 82 | 50-47-97 | 1.18 |
*LeClair was traded to the Flyers midway through the 1994-95 season.
LeClair virtually doubled his production following his trade to Philadelphia. Through his final 155 games in Montreal, he recorded 92 points, or 0.59 points per game. That number grew to 1.21 in his first 201 games with his new club.
Maroon has seen a similar uptick. After posting 0.39 points per game through his time in Anaheim, that number has climbed to 0.64 through his early goings with the Oilers.
With 18 goals on the season, he leads his team in scoring. Fellow linemate Leon Draisaitl is the next closest at 16, but Maroon is also ahead of the likes of McDavid, Milan Lucic, Jordan Eberle, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
In Anaheim, it took Maroon 204 games to find the back of the net 26 times. He accomplished that same feat in Edmonton in just 61 matches.
Not a bad return for a mid-round pick and a defenseman now playing in the Czech League.