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Edmonton Oilers players in disbelief over McDavid's record-breaking start

Preston Hodgkinson
Preston Hodgkinson
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Oct 23 2026, 12:00 pm
Edmonton Oilers players in disbelief over McDavid's record-breaking start
Perry Nelson/Imagn Images

Connor McDavid is rewriting the NHL record book.

The Edmonton Oilers captain notched another five points in a dramatic 6-5 shootout victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night. That put him up to an incredible 31 points through the first 10 games of the season, a new franchise record for the Oilers, surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s 30 set during the 1984-85 season.

McDavid is just the fourth player in NHL history to crack 30 points that fast, joining an exclusive club that includes Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Mike Bossy.

To make matters even more ridiculous, he is now on pace for 260 points, which would absolutely obliterate Gretzky’s NHL record of 215.

Nobody in hockey is even in the same stratosphere as McDavid right now and his teammates were in disbelief after the victory over Carolina.

“It’s just not real, you know,” Leon Draisaitl told reporters. “He’s maybe the greatest player to ever play in my books, probably from what I’ve seen, certainly. Pleasure to share the ice with him, pleasure to learn from him every day.

“He deserves everything.”

McDavid willed the Oilers to victory on Thursday night, notching two third period goals, including the tying goal with a just over a minute to go in regulation. The only player performing at nearly the same level was Draisaitl, who matched his captain’s stat-line with two goals and five points of his own.

It was only the second time that McDavid and Draisaitl both recorded five points nights in the same game.

“When he was 24, he was just as flashy, just as fast” Draisaitl said of McDavid. “But there’s little details that maybe weren’t as great. Now, his game is as complete as it gets, and he hasn’t lost a step offensively.

“You really just run out of words.”

Not to be outdone, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was also a standout during the victory. The veteran centreman made his season debut against the Hurricanes after missing the first nine games of the season with an injury.

RNH didn’t disappoint, notching a goal and assist, while also adding the shootout winner. When asked if this was the best he’s ever seen McDavid play, it seemed like he was at a loss for words as well.

“I feel like I get asked that a lot, and I feel like my answer is always yes because he just keeps raising his level,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “I’ve been watching on TV and even on TV, I mean you see it live obviously in person, but on TV, it’s pretty special too.

“The way that him, [Draisaitl], [Bouchard], they’ve been scoring in big moments for us… Those are big goals and his level that he’s at right now is impressive.”

McDavid reaching 200 points in a single season seem like pipe-dream, but he’s determined to make it a conversation. Every game makes that ridiculous number feel a little more believable.

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