Connor McDavid Is Playing a Different Sport Right Now

We’ve all seen Connor McDavid do ridiculous things for years. But what he’s doing this season is starting to feel a little silly. Wednesday night he got two more assists in a 4-0 win over the Flames, and in the process he broke an NHL record. He’s now picked up an assist in the first 13 games of the season, the longest season-opening assist streak the league has ever seen. Thirteen games in a row. That’s not a hot streak, that’s a lifestyle.

McDavid set up Mathieu Joseph for the opening goal, then came back in the third and helped Kasperi Kapanen score on the power play. He also fired three shots on net himself, so it’s not like he was just coasting and handing out presents. Calgary never really stood a chance.

McDavid’s assist numbers are bonkers.

Here’s the part that made me do a double take. He’s got 36 points in 13 games, with eight goals and a whopping 28 assists. That’s 2.76 points a game. Do the math over a full season and you’re in the neighborhood of 226 points.

Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record is 215. Other than Mario Lemieux at 199 points, nobody has ever come close, and McDavid is on pace to blow right past it. I don’t want to jump ahead of myself here because 13 games isn’t 82. Injuries happen, slumps happen, and the league adjusts. But even if he cools off a lot, the season he’s already put together is the kind of thing we’ll be talking about for years.

His teammates are benefiting too. McDavid’s passes are making guys like Joseph and Kapanen look like stars, and it’s a big reason the Oilers have been rolling since the opening puck dropped. When one guy can create that much offense, everyone around him gets a boost.

What now for McDavid and the Oilers?

I’ve decided that I am just going to enjoy the ride. Every game feels like it could produce another record, and we might be watching the best offensive season in hockey history unfold in real time.

Want to know how odd this is? Gretzky’s mark was supposed to be untouchable. Now people are checking McDavid’s stat line every morning like it’s a stock ticker. Given what Oilers fans have seen, McDavid reaching 220 points isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

Related: McDavid Calls Out Award Voters for Bouchard Snub