It's hard to believe that just 8 full years after being drafted by the Oilers in 2015, Connor McDavid has already delivered on being one of the greatest players in the modern era of the NHL. His incredible speed and offensive ability have almost revolutionized the NHL over his career, as the league tries to emulate him or better themselves to defend him. Now tonight, McDavid has the change to join elite company with a remarkable career achievement tonight.
The Oilers will visit the Los Angeles Kings tonight, and it will be McDavid's 600th career game. At the moment, he sits at 895 career points. So, if McDavid can have a five point night, he could join some of the best players of all time as the only NHLers to record 900 points in their first 600 games. The only other names include Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Mike Bossy, and Peter Stastny.
Of course, a five point night against one of the league's best teams in the Los Angeles Kings is a lot to ask for, but if anyone could possibly make that accomplishment, it would be McDavid. Sometimes he seems to have a sense for the gravity of these records, and plays up the task accordingly.
Regardless of whether he has a 5 point night or not, tonight will still be a mini-celebration of the remarkable career McDavid has carved out so far, and a look ahead to how far he could go. If McDavid plays at his current rate for the foreseeable future, he could go down as one of the greatest players in hockey history. So tonight, Oilers fans will appreciate the greatness on display a little more than usual.
