Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid continues to enjoy a historic 2022-23 campaign, reaching yet another pair of milestones during Thursday’s 2-0 win over the Los Angeles Kings.
McDavid scored his 300th career goal to become the fifth player in NHL history to reach 300 goals and 500 assists before playing 600 career games, accomplishing the feat in only 481 games.
The third-period marker, his 61st of the season, also gave McDavid his fifth different 10-game point streak of the season, breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record of four in the 1986-87 season.
There was more to celebrate than just personal accomplishments for the Oilers on Thursday, as they jumped one point ahead of the Kings for second in the Pacific Division, and sit two back of the Vegas Golden Knights for top spot. Both the Kings and Golden Knights have a game in hand on the Oilers.
No one has been able to contain McDavid this season, as he sits atop the league with 61 goals and 144 points in 76 games, averaging a career-high 1.89 points per game. Even with six games remaining, the sport’s most dominant player has already accomplished several notable feats, including:
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Setting career highs in goals, assists and points
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Becoming the fastest skater since Pavel Bure in 1999-2000 to score 40 goals in a single season, fourth-fastest to 50 since 1995-96
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Tying Sidney Crosby for the most 100-point seasons (six) by an active NHL player, reaching that feat in just eight seasons, 10 fewer than Crosby
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Passing Nikita Kucherov (128) for the most points in a single season during the salary cap era, starting in 2005-06
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Becoming the first player since Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr in 1995-96 to score more than 130 points in a season.
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Recording the fifth-fastest pace (545 games) to score 800 career points, sixth-fastest (488) to 700 points
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Enjoying a streak of five straight multi-goal performances, joining Alexander Mogilny (1992-93), Mario Lemieux (1988-89), Punch Broadbent (1921-22) and Joe Malone (1920-21) as the only skaters to accomplish that feat
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Passing Ryan Smyth (296) for sixth all-time in goals in franchise history, sitting one behind Draisaitl for fifth
Upcoming milestones to watch
While McDavid’s 2022-23 performance can already be cemented as one of the greatest in NHL history, the Oilers captain could add a few more accomplishments to his resume before the regular season wraps up next month.
The five-time All-Star, on pace for 66 goals, is just five goals shy of passing Alex Ovechkin (65) for most goals in a season this century.
McDavid is also on pace for 156 points, positioning him to join the “150 club,” which includes Gretzky, Lemieux, Bernie Nicholls, Steve Yzerman and Phil Esposito. Lemieux was the most recent skater to reach that historic threshold, scoring 161 points over 70 games in 1995-96.
In just his eighth NHL campaign, McDavid is widely favoured to capture his third MVP award this summer, his second in three seasons. That would tie him with Ovechkin, Lemieux, Bobby Orr, Bobby Clarke and Howie Morenz as players who have a hat trick of Hart Trophies.
Only three players in NHL history have won more than three: Gretzky (nine), Gordie Howe (six) and Eddie Shore (four). But at 26, there is still plenty of time for McDavid to be featured alongside these Hall of Fame icons.
The Richmond Hill, Ont., native is slated to add a new addition to his trophy case in 2022-23: the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy, as he currently sits eight goals ahead of the second-place holder, David Pastrnak. He also leads the Art Ross race by a wide margin, 27 points up on Draisaitl.
McDavid undoubtedly has his sights set on a much larger accomplishment, though, capturing his first Stanley Cup title, which would crown the Oilers as Canada’s first champion since the 1993 Montreal Canadiens.
