In March, Edmonton’s center Connor McDavid was designated as the NHL’s primary standout, while Chicago’s center Connor Bedard was recognized as the outstanding rookie.
During the month, Colorado’s center Nathan MacKinnon and Nashville’s winger shared the acknowledgment as the league’s second and third standouts, respectively.
McDavid led the league in March with 24 assists and 31 points in 15 games, contributing significantly as the Oilers achieved a 10-3-2 record, propelling them to second place in the Pacific Division. Noteworthy moments included McDavid’s ninth career four-assist performance against Buffalo on March 21, as well as a series of five three-point games and a run of seven consecutive multi-point games to close out the month.
Meanwhile, Bedard, hailing from North Vancouver, B.C., amassed four goals and 13 assists in 14 games last month. His standout performance included a goal and four assists in a notable 7-2 victory over Anaheim on March 12, making him only the fifth 18-year-old in NHL history to achieve five points in a single game. Bedard, the top pick in the 2023 NHL draft, leads all rookies this season in goals (21), assists (36), and points (57) through 60 games, despite missing 14 games due to a broken jaw. Notably, Bedard had previously been recognized as the NHL rookie of the month in both November and December, making him the first player to win the award three times since McDavid in 2015-16.
In the same vein, MacKinnon emerged as a notable performer, ranking second in the league with 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) in March, aiding the Avalanche in securing a playoff spot with a 10-2-1 record for the month. He notably saw his 19-game point streak come to an end in a shootout loss to the New York Rangers on Thursday, becoming the first NHL player to produce two separate point streaks of at least 19 games within the same season.
Finally, Forsberg also made significant contributions, with an 18-game point streak ending on March 26. He shared second place in goals (12) and finished fifth in points (23) across 13 games, aiding the Predators in moving into the first Wild Card spot in the Western Conference with a 9-2-2 record for the month.