Connor McDavid continues to build his Hall of Fame resume. But his most recent five-point outing was special for the Edmonton Oilers center.
In Thursday night’s 9-7 win over the Vancouver Canucks, McDavid scored a short-handed goal and logged four assists, notching his fifteenth five-point game.
Via NHL.com’s Kevin Woodley, “McDavid is the third player in Oilers history with five assists through the first two games of a season, joining Draisaitl (2020-21) and Wayne Gretzky (1987-88). It was McDavid’s 15th five-point game in the NHL, tying him for the seventh most in NHL history. He also surpassed Jari Kurri (14 games) for the second most in franchise history behind only Gretzky (79).”
Through two games this season, McDavid already has seven points and a goal. With the season still in its infancy, it’s also that fun time of the year to claim a player is on pace for a ridiculous stat line. With McDavid, it would be 294 points and 42 goals.
Realistically, everything flows back to the median. But barring injury or a mysterious production tank, McDavid will still finish with another 100+ season. It’s worth noting that McDavid has produced 100+ points in all but two of his NHL seasons, so the odds are in his favor.
How Close Can McDavid Get To Wayne Gretzky?
McDavid is in the early stages of his 12th season with the Oilers, averaging about 1.36 five-point games per season. That should give fans a rough idea of how many more five-point games he has in him if he keeps playing at the same pace.
If he stays in Edmonton for as long as Sidney Crosby has stayed with the Pittsburgh Penguins, McDavid could realistically threaten to end his Oilers career with 30+.
Oilers Will Need McDavid To Supercharge His Scoring Prowess Early
At this stage, players are still knocking off the rust and working their way toward midseason form. But one looming issue keeps haunting the Oilers: their goaltending.
In 2025-26, Oilers goaltenders logged a quality starts percentage of just 0.451. Connor Ingram saved the situation with a 0.633 quality starts percentage, a 2.60 GAA, two shutouts, and an 0.899 save percentage.
This season, the duo of Tristan Jarry and Devon Levi have struggled, with a combined 0.711 save percentage and a 6.43 GAA. In at least the early going, Edmonton will lean on McDavid and Co. to step up and carry the team.
Injuries have also haunted the Oilers early, putting even more pressure on McDavid and those who are healthy in the lineup to perform at a higher level.
The Golden Opportunity For McDavid
While poor goaltending and injuries are a less-than-optimal situation for any team, those with star players like McDavid and top scorers Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard will see this as an opportunity.
If they can keep the Oilers afloat early while the team can work out its goaltending and injury issues, then Edmonton will be one of the league’s toughest teams as the season progresses.
It won’t be long before McDavid and the Oilers get another crack at it. They will face the Seattle Kraken on Saturday, a team that dominated their way to a 6-1 win over the Calgary Flames.
Connor McDavid Joins Rare NHL Company After 5-Point Night