Oilers' Connor McDavid Approaching Another Huge Milestone

The face of the NHL today will soon join some elite company.

Nov 9, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) during a stop in play against the Vancouver Canucks in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images / Bob Frid-Imagn Images

Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid has been making history throughout his entire career, and he's continuing to do so in his 10th NHL season.

As of Tuesday, McDavid, 27, has 995 points (339 goals, 656 assists) in 657 NHL games. With just five more points, he can join some of the best players to ever lace up the skates.

McDavid is on pace to become the fourth-fastest player to ever record 1,000 career points, trailing only Wayne Gretzky (424 games), Mario Lemieux (513) and Mike Bossy (656). That would place him far ahead of other NHL legends, with Sidney Crosby (757 games) and Jaromir Jagr (770) being just two notable examples.

“It’s a huge milestone and I’m not surprised he doesn’t want to talk about it,” Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said, per NHL.com. “But for him to reach that at this point in his career and the way NHL scoring has been since he got into the NHL, it’s absolutely remarkable. I’d be very happy if he got that (Tuesday) night and not strung it along, and we are cheering for him.”

The three-time Hart Trophy Winner could reach the milestone as soon as this week. Edmonton hosts the New York Islanders on Tuesday and the Nashville Predators on Thursday before traveling to face the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.

By his standards, McDavid is off to a relatively slow start this season with 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 12 games. On the bright side, though, he's coming off his best performance of the season with a goal and two assists in Saturday's win over the Vancouver Canucks. Additionally, he and the Oilers started last season very slow as well, only to end up making it within one game of the Stanley Cup.

“It’s pretty amazing, his consistency, his ability to keep raising his play,” Crosby said. “You have to evolve, the game changes and I think teams are good at scouting and finding your strengths and he’s found ways to improve and to get better.

“I think you look at last year and how good the team played and the level he was able to find, especially in the Final when they were down (3-0), he elevated his game again. That’s a compliment to him and says a lot about him as a player and how much he cares and works.”

McDavid is already a lock for the Hockey Hall of Fame before even turning 28, and becoming one of the fast players to ever reach the 1,000 point plateau only adds to his legend.

“It’s incredible, to be the fourth fastest ever, especially in this type of era,” Oilers forward Brown said. “He’s fun to watch day in and day out, it’s a pleasure and it will be an amazing milestone to hit.”

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