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McDavid's 31-point start

Sports · Heat 3.7 / 10 · 3 shows · 28m airtime

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.

How 3 podcasts covered it

  1. The Athletic Hockey Show, 2026-10-21 (25:51 to 31:20)
    Debates McDavid's pace against the underlying numbers
    Debates whether McDavid's fastest-to-20-assists mark is real, then widens out: 100 points by Christmas would trail only Gretzky's 1984-85 pace, and Edmonton's average process numbers sit behind the league's best actual goals. Adds the Wild win and the underlying-stat split.
    New angle: McDavid is the fastest player in NHL history to 20 assists, and Edmonton is first in actual goals despite ranking 23rd in shot attempts.
  2. PTI, 2026-10-23 (7:34 to 10:51)
    Debates McDavid's 31-point start and its place
    Turns from the Oilers' 6-5 shootout win over Carolina to McDavid's 31 points in 10 games, more than Gretzky ever had in a season's first 10 and behind only Lemieux and Bossy. Debates sustainability and whether a Cup is required for all-time status.
    New angle: McDavid's 31 points in the first 10 games top any Gretzky start and trail only Lemieux and Bossy.
  3. The Athletic Hockey Show, 2026-10-26 (12:57 to 15:17)
    Tracks McDavid's pace past Gretzky's mark
    Weekly McDavid check-in: the pace has climbed to 252 points, with 33 points through 11 games, ahead of Gretzky's 27 through 11 in his 215-point season. Notes Draisaitl's 176-point pace and asks listeners to name the segment.
    New angle: McDavid has 33 points through 11 games, ahead of Gretzky's 27 through 11 in 1985-86.
  4. The Athletic Hockey Show, 2026-10-28 (30:21 to 35:23)
    Argues necessity drives the streak on an injured roster
    Extends the McDavid start to 34 points and a 12-game point streak, then argues the driver is necessity: an injured Oilers roster with no other scoring, plus a summer of heat over the Babcock hiring. Stays inside the same start-of-season story.
    New angle: McDavid has 34 points and a 12-game point streak, averaging 2.83 points per game.
  5. The Athletic Hockey Show, 2026-10-28 (43:30 to 46:58)
    Collects season-ending point predictions from three writers
    Turns to Duench's piece on the era-adjusted equivalent of 200 points, settled at 165, and collects season-ending predictions: Duench 167, Gentille 184, McIndoe in between. Pure projection built on the start already on the record.
  6. The Pat McAfee Show, 2026-10-29 (1:24:50 to 1:31:40)
    Debates McDavid's 200-point pace and a Cup
    Runs through the league's early-season drama - Hellebuyck, Larkin, Tkachuk - then spends its McDavid minutes on the 200-point pace and whether Edmonton can win a Cup. Reaction and prediction, no new figure beyond what the record already holds.
  7. The Athletic Hockey Show, 2026-10-29 (41:47 to 43:45)
    Adds a 168-point projection to the pace debate
    Adds a colleague's written projection to the McDavid pace debate: Jansen Danik put a number on the season at 168 points, and the hosts treat it as a live over-under rather than a fantasy.
    New angle: Jansen Danik projected McDavid to finish with 168 points, two per game over 84 games.
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