Connor McDavid did Connor McDavid things again Thursday night, and this time it took every bit of overtime and a shootout for the Edmonton Oilers to finish the job.
McDavid forced the extra session with a late goal, then finished with five points as the Oilers edged the Carolina Hurricanes 6-5 in Edmonton. He posted two goals and three assists, pushing his season total to 31 points through the first 10 games. That puts him in rare company: Mario Lemieux, Mike Bossy and Wayne Gretzky are the only NHL players to hit 30 points in 10 games or fewer.
Leon Draisaitl matched the big-night energy with two goals and three assists of his own, while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins supplied the shootout winner and added a goal and an assist. Nugent-Hopkins also made his season debut after missing time with a lower-body injury suffered during training camp. The 33-year-old now stands alone atop the franchise record books for seasons played with Edmonton at 16.
The Oilers had to rally late just to get to overtime. Down to the final 1:28, they pulled goalie Devon Levi for an extra attacker, and McDavid put a shot on net that went in off Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s skate for his eighth goal of the season.
Edmonton is now 8-1-1, has won three straight and seven of its last eight.
For Carolina, Jackson Blake, Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis, Logan Stankhoven and Juuso Valimaki all found the net. Jarvis scored in his first game of the season after returning from offseason shoulder surgery. The Hurricanes, the defending Stanley Cup champions, have dropped two of their last three.
Levi stopped 22 shots for Edmonton, while Brandon Bussi made 16 saves for Carolina.
The Hurricanes visit St. Louis on Saturday night, and the Oilers host Toronto on Saturday night.
In Other News...
Oilers Just Got New Uncertainty Around A Possible Top-Six Upgrade
A possible top-six winger target for Edmonton just ran into a new complication, with Pittsburgh forward Bryan Rust now sidelined after being moved to injured reserve with a lower-body injury. The Penguins have viewed Rust as one of the veterans they could eventually move as they look to get younger, which is part of why his name has surfaced in connection with the Oilers as a potential upgrade for their forward group.
For Edmonton, the immediate takeaway is simple: even loose trade speculation around Rust now has a different feel because of the injury timeline. There still have been no confirmed trade talks between the two teams, so the Oilers are not reacting to a real negotiation at this point, but a player who was already a speculative fit is now facing at least a six-week absence, which could alter any broader market conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Gives Oilers A Big Lineup Question
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is back in the picture for Edmonton after the Oilers activated him off injured reserve, a move that gives the lineup a more familiar look just as the team tries to settle in early in the season. His return comes after the long stretch without him, and the Oilers are planning to slot him in as their No. 2 center between Zach Hyman and Kasperi Kapanen, a setup that could quickly reshape the middle six.
The roster move also forced some shuffling behind the scenes, as the club opened a spot to make the transaction work. For Edmonton, the bigger question is less about whether Nugent-Hopkins can help and more about how the forward group looks once everyone is healthy enough to play, especially with a key role in the middle now available for one of the teams most versatile pieces. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Statement Win Came With One Big Reason To Worry
The Oilers found a way to turn a wild night at Rogers Place into a statement win, outlasting the Carolina Hurricanes 6-5 in a shootout in a game that had plenty of momentum swings along the way. Edmontons power play did important work, and the result pushed the club to 2-0 on its homestand, a useful step after a stretch in which the building still had to feel like a place the Oilers needed to defend better.
But the bigger story may have been what happened to Mattias Ekholm, who left after taking a heavy hit from William Carrier and did not return. For a team trying to build on a strong home start, losing a key blueliner in a game like this adds a layer of concern that can linger long after the celebration ends, especially with the Oilers already managing the early-season push to stay healthy and keep stacking points. [Read more 🡒]