Oilers’ McDavid Has Set an Amazing Pace with Gretzky & Mario

Connor McDavid keeps quietly stacking numbers that put him in the same conversation as the game’s absolute legends. Look at the list of career points through 800 games. Wayne Gretzky sits alone at the top with an absurd 1,892. Mario Lemieux is next at 1,580. Then there’s McDavid, third with 1,233 points in 799 games. That’s ahead of Mike Bossy (1,126), Peter Stastny (1,108), and Guy Lafleur (1,106).

Only two players in NHL history have more points through 800 games played than Connor McDavid… 🤯

32 teams. 16 games. One night. Frozen Frenzy begins at 6 PM ET @espn! pic.twitter.com/YXnI9165B5

— NHL (@NHL) October 13, 2026

McDavid Is One of the Best NHL Hockey Players of All Time

When Oilers fans think about what they’re watching in McDavid, it takes a second to sink in. We’re talking about three of the purest goal scorers and playmakers the league has ever seen, and McDavid has already outpaced them by this stage of his career.

What makes it even more impressive is the era. Gretzky and Lemieux played in a higher-scoring time. The game was more open, goalies weren’t the athletic monsters they are now, and the defensive systems weren’t nearly as sophisticated. McDavid is putting up these numbers in a league that is faster, more structured, and far more difficult to score in. And he’s doing it while carrying a franchise that has spent years trying to build a consistent supporting cast around him.

McDavid Is Special, But It’s Hard Not to Take Him for Granted

It’s easy to take McDavid for granted because the production feels so automatic. He puts up 100-point seasons like most guys put up 60. He makes plays at full speed that most players can’t even see coming. But every once in a while a graphic like this forces you to stop and realize just how special what we’re watching really is.

Only two players in NHL history have been better through 800 games. One is the greatest of all time. The other is a generational talent who might have been the greatest if his body had held up. And right behind them is a 29-year-old kid from Richmond Hill, Ontario, who still looks like he’s just getting started.

McDavid doesn’t need the historical context to be impressive. But when you actually line him up against the all-time greats at the same point in their careers, the picture gets even clearer. He’s not just the best player of his generation. He’s already one of the best to ever do it.

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