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Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid reached a monumental NHL milestone on Thursday, recording his 1,000th career point in just 659 games.
This puts him in an elite company, requiring fewer games than Modern Era stars, such as Sidney Crosby (757 games) and Alex Ovechkin (880 games). Only Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Mike Bossy got there quicker.
McDavid has already accomplished a lot in his career, but this really is just the beginning. McDavid has more to look forward to. A lot more.
At just 27 years old, McDavid has already established himself as one of the most dominant players in the game, with five Art Ross Trophies, three Hart Trophies, four Ted Lindsay Awards, a Rocket Richard Trophy and a Conn Smythe Trophy. He was also just one win away from capturing the Stanley Cup. And now, his rapid ascension to 1,000 points has many speculating about his chances of reaching 2,000.
What makes 2,000 points a real possibility for McDavid is his skill and where he’s at in his career. McDavid is entering his prime. He’s got this season and the next before he’s set to sign a huge extension, which could mean at least eight more seasons in the NHL, totalling 10 from today.
The emotions were running high for Connor McDavid after reaching 1,000 career points. 🥲 pic.twitter.com/3S0xsclHLp
— NHL (@NHL) November 15, 2024
If the Oilers sign him ahead of the 2026-27 season, they’ll keep the McDavid and Leon Draisaitl duo intact. Even if McDavid sustains a slightly lower points pace over the next few years, his current production suggests he’ll be within striking distance of 2,000.
McDavid has averaged 136 points per season over the last three campaigns. Scoring is only going up, and McDavid continually finds new ways to improve his effectiveness. The fact he’s not yet won a Stanley Cup means he’ll be driven to produce record numbers, and being the type of personality he is, if he wins one, he’ll want another.
NEW: Connor McDavid Becomes A Legend With Historic Performance
"This is not greatness, this is legendary." – Leon Draisaitl #LetsGoOilers @TheHockeyNews
https://t.co/xuLljsoyS9— Caleb Kerney (@CKerneyWriter) November 15, 2024
What Would It Take To Reach 2,000 Points?
If McDavid continues at his current career pace of 1.52 points per game, which translates to 124 points in 82 games, he could get to 2,000 points in roughly more than 650 games, which could be as early as the 2032-33 season. But it’s unrealistic to expect him to produce at the same rate after he turns 30 years old and play in every game.
Another path is for him to average just over 111 points per season for the next nine years to reach 2,000 by age 36 or 37, or 100 points for the next 10 seasons to get there at 37 or 38. There have been only two seasons in McDavid’s career that he’s not hit 100 or more points – his 2015-16 rookie year, in which he was injured, and the 2019-20 season, where the Oilers only played 64 games.
Even if he gets 130 points in the next six seasons and 75 points per season in the following three, he still gets there.
Health is the biggest factor, but with McDavid’s consistency and drive, watching him chase 2,000 points could be just as thrilling as watching Alexander Ovechkin go after Gretzky’s NHL goals record. Let this new phase of McDavid’s career begin.
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Related: Oilers’ McDavid Hits 1,000-Point Mark: NHL Superstar Continues To Add To Legacy
News Summary:
- McDavid's 1,000 NHL Points Is Phase 1. Phase 2 Has Just Begun
- Check all news and articles from the latest NHL updates.