Add another to the long and growing list of accolades in Connor McDavid’s still-young career.
The latest notch in the Edmonton Oiler captain’s belt: a seventh 100-point season.
On Zach Hyman’s goal in the second period of Edmonton’s road game Thursday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets, McDavid picked up an assist. That gave him point No. 100 in his 59th game of the 2023-24 campaign.
In doing so, McDavid, 27, became the sixth player in NHL history to record seven 100-point seasons. The others: Wayne Gretzky (15 times), Mario Lemieux (10 times), Marcel Dionne (eight times), Mike Bossy (seven times) and Peter Stastny (seven times).
McDavid still has some other potential accomplishments in his sights this season. His assist partway through Thursday’s game was his 77th of the season. That put him 23 helpers away from 100 with 21 games left in the Oilers season, not including the still-in-progress Columbus game. He has a chance to become the first 100-assist player since Wayne Gretzky in 1990-91. The only 100-assist NHLers in history: Gretzky (11 times), Lemieux (once) and Bobby Orr (once).
McDavid’s 100th point also pulled him to within nine points of the Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon for first in the NHL scoring race. If McDavid can overtake MacKinnon and win the Art Ross Trophy, he’d be doing so for the sixth time. Only three players have six or more scoring titles: Gretzky (10), Lemieux (six) and Gordie Howe (six). But McDavid, 27, would join Gretzky as the only players with six Art Rosses before turning 28.
The assist Thursday was also the 950th point of McDavid’s career – in his 628th game. Earlier this season, he became the fifth fastest player to record 900 career points. When he gets to 1,000, he has a chance to eclipse Bossy as the third fastest to that milestone (656 games).
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