The assist was almost routine for Connor McDavid. A zone entry at full speed, a quick look to find Zach Hyman cutting to the net, and a pass that arrived precisely where Hyman’s stick was going to be. The goal gave Edmonton a 2-1 lead against Nashville, and it extended McDavid’s point streak to 20 games. The Oilers eventually lost 4-3 in overtime to Roman Josi’s winner, but the individual accomplishment stands apart from the team result. Twenty consecutive games with at least one point. Thirty-six points over that span, per NHL.com records. Numbers that echo an era when Wayne Gretzky made the impossible seem routine.
McDavid added a second assist later in the game, threading a pass through two defenders to set up Leon Draisaitl in the slot. The chemistry between those two players has been well documented over the years, but it seems to be reaching new heights this season. During the streak, McDavid and Draisaitl have combined for 67 points, creating offense at a rate that makes them the most dangerous duo in hockey.
Chasing Ghosts From Another Era
Point streaks have always been a marker of sustained excellence in hockey. They require more than talent. They demand consistency, health, and the kind of competitive fire that refuses to let even a single game pass without making an impact. Wayne Gretzky holds the all-time record at 51 games, per Hockey Reference, a mark set during the 1983-84 season that seems as untouchable as his career points total. Mario Lemieux reached 46 games. Paul Coffey hit 28. These are the legends McDavid is chasing, the company he’s keeping.
The modern NHL makes such streaks extraordinarily difficult to achieve. Teams are better defensively than they were in the 1980s. Goaltending has improved dramatically. The neutral zone trap, the shot-blocking discipline of defensemen, and the sophisticated video analysis that allows coaches to game-plan against elite players all conspire to limit individual production. That McDavid has reached 20 games despite these obstacles speaks to his transcendent ability.
To put his current streak in perspective, consider the longest point streaks of the salary cap era. Before this season, the record belonged to Sidney Crosby, who reached 25 games during the 2010-11 campaign, according to NHL.com records. Patrick Kane hit 26 games in 2015-16, the only player to exceed Crosby’s mark. McDavid himself had a 17-game streak earlier in his career. If he can maintain his current pace for another seven games, he’ll own the cap era record outright.
The Statistical Reality of Greatness
The numbers McDavid has accumulated during his streak paint a picture of dominance. He’s averaging 1.8 points per game over the 20-game span, per Hockey Reference, a figure that would translate to 147 points over a full 82-game season. His shot generation has been prolific, with 68 shots on goal creating constant pressure on opposing netminders, while his primary assist rate underscores a playmaking vision that matches his finishing ability.
What separates McDavid from other elite scorers is his capacity to produce in multiple ways. Some players are pure goal scorers who need others to set them up. Some are playmakers who struggle to finish chances themselves. McDavid does both at historic levels. During the streak, he’s scored 14 goals and added 22 assists while generating expected assists at the highest rate in the league, per Natural Stat Trick. As The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn noted, “McDavid’s ability to toggle between finisher and creator on a shift-by-shift basis is something we haven’t seen since Lemieux.” Defenses cannot commit fully to taking away one aspect of his game without opening themselves up to the other.
His skating remains his most devastating weapon. McDavid’s top speed has been clocked at over 25 miles per hour, faster than anyone else in the NHL. But raw speed only tells part of the story. It’s his acceleration, his ability to go from standing still to full velocity in three strides, that truly separates him. Defenders who think they have position suddenly find themselves chasing shadows. Goalies who set up for a shot from the left circle watch helplessly as McDavid shifts to the right and changes the angle entirely.
Edmonton’s Playoff Push Depends on This Version of McDavid
The Oilers sit at 23-16-8 through 47 games, a record that has them clinging to wild card positioning in a crowded Western Conference race. Their loss to Nashville dropped them further behind the pace needed to secure home-ice advantage in the first round. Edmonton’s season, like so many before it, will ultimately be judged by playoff results rather than regular season accomplishments. But McDavid’s individual brilliance has kept a flawed roster competitive in games they might otherwise lose.
The team’s defensive issues have been well documented. Edmonton allows the eighth-most goals in the Western Conference, a problem that playoff opponents will surely exploit. Goaltending has been inconsistent, with Tristan Jarry and Stuart Skinner alternating between excellent performances and concerning lapses. The blue line lacks the shutdown defender that championship teams typically possess. These structural weaknesses make McDavid’s offensive production not just impressive but essential. Without his nightly excellence, the Oilers would be fighting for their playoff lives rather than positioning.
McDavid is 28 years old, firmly in the prime of his career. As ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski observed, “McDavid’s skating hasn’t lost a step, and his playmaking IQ continues to sharpen. He’s in a window where experience and athleticism are perfectly aligned.” The current streak feels significant beyond its place in the record books. It represents McDavid operating at the absolute peak of his powers, demonstrating night after night why he’s considered the best player on the planet.
The Hart Trophy and Beyond
McDavid’s streak has significant implications for the Hart Trophy race. He entered the season as a favorite, seeking his fourth MVP award, and his recent form has only strengthened his case. Nathan MacKinnon in Colorado and Kirill Kaprizov in Minnesota remain in contention, both posting excellent numbers of their own. But McDavid’s 20-game streak, and the raw point totals it represents, give him an argument that’s difficult to counter.
The Hart Trophy voting criteria weighs a player’s value to their team, and by that standard, McDavid’s case is overwhelming. The Oilers are a playoff contender specifically because of what he provides. As Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman pointed out, “Take McDavid off this roster and you’re looking at a lottery team. That’s the definition of most valuable.” That dependency, while concerning from a team-building perspective, underscores just how valuable he is.
What It Means
Connor McDavid’s 20-game point streak reshapes the conversation about where he sits in hockey history. The streaks that Gretzky and Lemieux assembled came during an era of inflated scoring, when 150-point seasons were achievable for the truly elite. McDavid is approaching their territory in a league built to prevent exactly this kind of sustained dominance, which makes the accomplishment fundamentally different and, in some ways, more impressive.
What this streak reveals about McDavid’s season trajectory is significant. At his current pace, he is on track for his highest single-season point total, which would strengthen an already compelling case as the most complete forward since Lemieux. As TSN’s Pierre LeBrun noted, “What separates this streak from past hot stretches is how McDavid is generating offense. He’s not stat-padding against weak opponents. He’s producing against every team’s best defensive effort.” During the 20 games, Edmonton faced eight opponents currently in playoff position, and McDavid recorded multiple points in five of those contests.
For his legacy, the streak also underscores a shift in how McDavid creates. Earlier in his career, his production leaned heavily on transition speed and breakaway chances. This streak has featured more cycle play, more patience in the offensive zone, and a willingness to let plays develop before striking. That evolution suggests McDavid’s dominance is not solely tied to his skating, meaning it could extend deeper into his career than many expected. The Oilers remain flawed around him, but McDavid is proving that the ceiling of individual impact in hockey is higher than the modern game was supposed to allow.
Sources
- Connor McDavid Career Stats and Game Log - Hockey Reference
- McDavid Point Streak Hits 20, Oilers Fall to Predators in OT - NHL.com
- NHL Awards Watch: Hart, Norris, Calder Rankings - ESPN
- Connor McDavid Advanced Metrics Summary - Natural Stat Trick
- Where Does McDavid’s 20-Game Point Streak Rank in NHL History? - The Hockey Writers
