The Edmonton Oilers have come flying out of the gate under new head coach Mike Babcock, and the pace they’re setting is being driven by a captain who looks impossible to slow down.
Edmonton’s 8-2-1 start has the club on a 127-point pace, and Connor McDavid is a massive reason why. His early-season scoring burst has pushed the conversation into rare territory, even by his standards, because he keeps finding new ways to stretch the definition of what “exceptional” looks like.
Babcock has stacked his top unit, putting McDavid alongside Leon Draisaitl and Vasily Podkolzin, and the results have been overwhelming. At even strength, that trio has produced a 21-8 edge in goals over just 171 minutes. For now, it’s a winning formula in the standings, even if questions about how that approach holds up against stronger playoff opponents are bound to linger.
Right now, though, the production is coming in waves, and McDavid is at the center of it. Oddsmakers already have him as the favorite to win the Art Ross Trophy after he piled up 33 points in 11 games.
That kind of gap matters. Tim Stutzle and David Pastrnak, two of the league’s top attackers, have only managed half as many points as McDavid, even though both have played more games. And the numbers only get more striking when measured against McDavid’s own history.
On a 10-game rolling basis, this is a scoring stretch he has never touched before. For a player who has spent years setting the standard, this run stands out as something new.
The Oilers are getting damage from McDavid in every game state, and they’re doing it at a level that dwarfs his already massive track record. His line is scoring 6.4 goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5, which is nearly twice his five-year average.
On the power play, Edmonton is at 18.1 goals per 60 minutes with the first unit out there, a five-year high for the club. Utah leads the league in power-play scoring rate at 16 goals per 60 minutes played.
McDavid has been the best player in the world for a while now, but this start has still managed to raise eyebrows. Edmonton is rolling, and the engine behind it is the same star who keeps pushing the ceiling higher.
In Other News...
Oilers Hot Start Is Hiding A Lineup Concern Fans Know Too Well
The Oilers hot start has given fans plenty to like, but it has not erased an old roster question that tends to come up whenever the team is trying to separate itself from the pack. Edmonton has leaned on Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl for years, and when the two are carrying the offense together, the overall picture can look a lot cleaner than it does behind them. That is why some around the club keep circling back to the same conversation about lineup balance, especially when the Oilers want their depth to matter more over the long haul.
The issue is not about whether McDavid and Draisaitl can still drive the game at an elite level. It is about what happens when they are not on the ice, and whether Edmonton can build a more stable attack by spreading its top talent across separate lines. For a team that has seen this debate before, the early success only makes the underlying concern easier to spot, and harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Linked To Young Winger But One Trade Hurdle Remains
Ivan Miroshnichenkos name is suddenly in the trade conversation after Washington gave the young winger permission to look around for a new opportunity. The 2022 first-rounder has not been short on effort, and Capitals coach Spencer Carbery has praised his professionalism and work ethic, but the NHL path in Washington has been crowded enough that his chances to stick in the lineup have been limited.
For the Oilers, he makes for the kind of buy-low swing that can be hard to resist: a young winger with pedigree, upside and room to grow if the fit is right. The wrinkle, as always, is finding common ground with the Capitals, who are weighing depth against potential and looking for the right return before moving on from a player they still clearly value. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Injury Trouble Just Got Worse At The Wrong Time
Edmontons injury list took another hit in a game the Oilers could hardly afford to lose another key piece. Forward Zach Hyman exited against the Detroit Red Wings after a collision sent him headfirst into the glass, and the team was already dealing with a stretch in which health has become as much of a storyline as results. Even with all that in the background, Edmonton has managed to stay near the top of the NHL standings, which makes every absence feel a little more significant.
Mike Babcock did not have an update on Hyman afterward, but he made clear how much the forward matters to the group. The concern now is less about one missed shift than the larger picture for a team trying to keep its place among the leagues best while navigating a growing list of unavailable players. For Edmonton, the timing of this latest scare could hardly be worse, and the next update on Hyman will be watched closely. [Read more 🡒]