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Oilers Star Praises Connor McDavid

One of the Edmonton Oilers' top stars showed love for his teammate Connor McDavid on the verge a historical milestone.

Jacob Punturi

Oct 19, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (29) talks to center Connor McDavid (97) in the second period against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
Oct 19, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (29) talks to center Connor McDavid (97) in the second period against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
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On the verge of Connor McDavid reaching 1,000 career NHL points, there is no shortage of praise for the Edmonton Oilers captain. He's just one point shy of becoming the 99th player to ever reach that mark and achieving it in the fourth-fastest fashion in NHL history.

For McDavid's Oilers teammates, it's just a reminder of how generational a player he is. Just ask his running mate and fellow superstar Leon Draisaitl. Speaking to radio and podcast host Eric Friesen, Draisaitl made a bold claim on his teammate's behalf.

"[Connor McDavid] is the greatest player to ever play in my books," he said. "He single-handedly turned our franchise around, pretty much. I just love sharing the ice with him, and he's a really, really special person."

For Draisaitl to say that is not only the highest of compliments towards McDavid, it also means that in his eyes McDavid has surpassed the consensus greatest player of all time, Wayne Gretzky.

Draisaitl may have a point. McDavid could reach 1,000 points in just 659 games. The only three players to achieve that faster were New York Islanders icon Mike Bossy in 656 games, Pittsburgh Penguins' legend Mario Lemieux in 513 games, and Gretzky himself in an astounding 424 games.

The next closest player of the modern era to reach this number somewhat as quickly is Penguins' captain Sidney Crosby. He recorded his 1000th point during his 757th career game, almost 100 games later than McDavid is poised to do.

This is McDavid's 10th season in NHL, all spent with the Oilers. The team's first overall pick in 2015 has exceeded expectations in nearly every way. His 153 points during the 2022-2023 season are the most in a single season since Lemieux scored 161 during the 1995-1996 campaign.

The only thing the eludes McDavid and his Oilers' legacy is a Stanley Cup victory. The team came just one win away from the championship last year, but a tough start is dealing a blow to their contending chances. If McDavid can lead the team to the promised land and hoist the Cup, it could cement Draisaitl's thoughts that his teammate is the greatest player of all-time.

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Jacob Punturi
JACOB PUNTURI

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