On October 22, 2026, the Edmonton Oilers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 6-5 in a shootout, with Connor McDavid scoring two goals and adding three assists to reach 31 points in 10 games, more than Wayne Gretzky ever had over a season's first 10 and behind only Mario Lemieux and Mike Bossy. He has since reached 34 points on a 12-game point streak, averaging 2.83 points per game, after passing Gretzky's 27 through 11 in 1985-86. Jansen Danik has projected a 168-point finish at two per game over 84 games. The discussion weighs whether the pace is sustainable and whether McDavid needs a Stanley Cup to rank among the all-time greats.