Connor McDavid Is on Pace for a 200-Point Season

Can he do it? Can Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid reach the sacred 200-point plateau this season? He’s currently on pace for 242 points after an unbelievable start to the 2026-27 NHL season, where he has notched 26 points in his first nine games. If he continues to rack up points like he’s doing in the first part of the season, he could very well join Wayne Gretzky as the only other player in the 200-point club in NHL history.

Leading the Oilers to One of Their Best Starts in Franchise History

McDavid stressed before the season started that Oilers needed to get off to a good start to the 2026-27 NHL season. Like most things in his NHL career, he decided to lead by example and is not only playing like he’s been shot out of a cannon, the Oilers are playing like it too.

The Oilers are currently leading the NHL with a .833 winning percentage as they prepare for their October 22 game against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes. McDavid and teammates Evan Bouchard and Leon Draisaitl are also off to great starts and are third and sixth in league scoring. An offensive explosion under defensive minded head coach Mike Babcock is not what Oilers fans expected but here we are.

Chasing Gretzky and History

It’s going to be tough to keep up with Gretzky’s scoring pace over all 84 games this season but don’t count McDavid out. If Alex Ovechkin can break Gretzky’s all-time goal record, why can’t McDavid join Gretzky in the 200 point in a season club? The great Mario Lemieux came the closest to hitting 200 points when he tallied 199 points (85 goals, 114 assists) in just 76 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1988-90 NHL season. Even getting close to Mario’s totals would be an incredible accomplishment for the Oilers superstar.

McDavid Is Rested and Motivated

One of the reasons for McDavid’s hot start could be attributed to getting the rest he needed in the offseason. He had played the most games out of any star player the past three seasons which saw him play in two Stanley Cup Final series, the Four Nations Face-off and the 2026 Winter Olympics. When the Oilers lost out to the Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, it might’ve been just what the doctor ordered not only for McDavid but for an aging core of Oilers teammates. McDavid also dosen’t have the added pressure of carrying the hopes of Canadians on his back this season for the Four Nations Face-off or the Olympics and that could literally help him stay on his current pace of reaching the 200 point barrier.

242 Points Might Be Unrealistic, but a Career High in Points Is Possible

NHL insider Darren Dreger joined Dustin Neilsen and Lieutenant Eric on Edmonton Sports Talk on Monday Oct. 19 and talked about how much the offseason rest has recharged McDavid. Dreger speciallfially mentioned…”when your body has the time to fully recover and then mentally, you know, you have time to recharge too…And do everything that goes into the world of that from nutrition to mental health training…that’s going to pay dividends.” Dreger was cautious in predicting a 200 point season for McDavid doesn’t rule out a career high in points for the Oilers captain, “It’s a long year. and you you start getting into the heavy lifting, especially as you creep closer to the second half of the season, that’s when, you know, I think we’ll we’ll start to see things level off.”

McDavid Is on a Mission

Following McDavid closely over the past 10 seasons, you get the sense that he would be proud of reaching the 200 point plateau but the Stanley Cup is really what he wants. Oilers fans have a reason to feel optimistic this early in the season that the team could make a long run in the 2027 Stanley Cup playoffs. However, there are still 75 games to go until April. In the meantime, it could be a magical season in Edmonton in 2026-27 just to see how many points McDavid can put up. I for one wouldn’t put it past him to reach the 200 point mark. He’s just that good.