The Edmonton Oilers Connor McDavid has been on an unthinkable run of form to begin this season. McDavid recorded another five point effort in Edmonton’s 6-5 shootout victory against the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes last night. This extends McDavid’s totals to 8 goals and 23 assists for 31 points in ten games so far this season. With this level of production in the early days of the campaign, some of Wayne Gretzky’s longtime records may not be safe any longer.
McDavid Could Surpass Gretzky’s Season Totals
The all-time record for points in an NHL regular season is 215, set by Gretzky in the 1985-1986 campaign. Gretzky recorded 52 goals and 163 assists that year as he also suited up for the Oilers. He played all 80 games in order to achieve that feat, four less than the modern 84 game NHL schedule in 2026-2027.
McDavid is currently on pace for 260 points, which would leave Gretzky’s record in the dust. Of course, there is a long way to go for this record to fall under serious threat. Scoring in this era of the game has dropped compared to Gretzky’s time. It would be a surprise if McDavid could keep up this 200 plus point pace for the full season. With that said, if any player in the league is capable of such an achievement it is McDavid.
However, McDavid’s rate of production could easy drop back to earth at any point during this stretch. This run of form has been out of this world even for his standards. McDavid’s career high in terms of points is 153, set in the 2022-2023 campaign. He is well on his way to blowing that mark away. But, there would still be a lot of work to do in order to reach the plateau of Gretzky.
McDavid Continues to Make Case as NHL’s All Time Great
Overall, the fact that conversations are even being had in the first place of Gretzky’s records finally falling is a testament to how impressive of a player McDavid is. To be producing the way he is in this version of the game is incredible. The level of play has never been stronger than it is now. McDavid continues to strengthen his case as potentially being the NHL’s greatest player of all time.
This is a title that Gretzky has held for years. This is understandable considering Gretzky holds the majority of the league’s records. However, it is fair to say that the level of talent has only improved since then. For McDavid to be doing what he’s doing at a time when the competition and league parity has arguably never been higher is a remarkable feat.
It will be interesting to see if McDavid can keep this elite streak going throughout the season. Beyond individual statistics, McDavid is looking to lead this Oilers team over the Stanley Cup hump. This is a franchise that has not won a championship since 1990, a drought that McDavid and this team are looking to break. If McDavid can sustain his top form, perhaps this is the year Edmonton makes that breakthrough.
Wayne Gretzky’s Season Points Record Could be in Jeopardy as McDavid Continues Hot Start