NHL EDGE stats behind McDavid’s historic start for Oilers

NHL.com's fantasy staff continues to cover the latest trends and storylines in the League through the lens of NHL EDGE puck and player tracker stats. Today, we look at three advanced stats storylines behind Connor McDavid’s historic start for the Edmonton Oilers.

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Connor McDavid is off to the best start of his illustrious NHL career for the Edmonton Oilers, and his advanced metrics are fueling what could be one of the highest-scoring seasons in history.

The Oilers captain became the first player to reach 50 points in 21 games or fewer since Mario Lemieux (18 games in 1995-96); he is the NHL's first 50-point player for the sixth time (outright or tied) in his career, tying Lemieux and Gordie Howe for the second-most among all players behind Wayne Gretzky (11 times). McDavid has points in each of his 21 games this season, and is now one game shy of Dany Heatley (22 games in 2005-06) for the fifth-longest season-opening point streak in League history. 

McDavid previously became the fastest player in League history to reach 30 assists in a season (15 games), besting the previous mark set by Gretzky (16 games in 1984-85). He also became the fastest player to record 12 multipoint games in a season (17 games) since Peter Forsberg (17 games in 2005-06). 

The 29-year-old is on pace for 200 points in 84 games, which would challenge Gretzky's current single-season scoring record (215 in 1985-86). McDavid's highlight-reel goal 50 seconds into their game against the New York Rangers on Nov. 1, his franchise-record eighth opening-minute goal of his career, included a speed burst of 22.79 mph while skating through all three zones; it was the fastest burst resulting in a goal in the NHL this season.

McDavid, who has nine 100-point seasons in his career (third most in history behind Gretzky’s 15, Mario Lemieux’s 10), had his highest point total in 2022-23 (153). McDavid also ranks third in history (minimum 100 games played) in career regular-season points per game (1.56) behind Gretzky (1.92) and Lemieux (1.88). Gretzky, meanwhile, had four 200-point seasons, all with the Oilers, and is the only player in NHL history to accomplish that feat.

McDavid looks to add to his trophy case this season; he is a six-time Art Ross Trophy winner (2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2026), three-time Hart Trophy winner (2017, 2021, 2023), and also won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy once (2023) and Conn Smythe Trophy (2024; when Oilers lost to Florida Panthers in Stanley Cup Final).

Here are three EDGE stats storylines surrounding McDavid’s torrid start:

1. Skating speed, goals off rush

McDavid leads the entire NHL in both 22-plus mph speed bursts (44) and 20-plus bursts (187) this season; during the NHL’s puck and player tracking era, he leads the League in both of those categories.

NHL EDGE IQ insights: McDavid has scored 10 of his 11 goals this season off the rush (within five seconds of puck crossing offensive blue line); his only other goal was an empty-net goal. The only other players with more than five off-the-rush goals this season are Tage Thompson (seven) and Sebastian Aho (six).

McDavid also leads the NHL in 18-20 mph speed bursts (276) and is tied for third in max skating speed (24.01) behind St. Louis Blues defenseman Philip Broberg (24.26) and his Oilers teammate Kasperi Kapanen (24.05).

2. Goals by location

McDavid ranks in the 92nd percentile or higher among forwards in high-danger shots on goal (20), mid-range shots on goal (23), high-danger goals (five) and mid-range goals (three). As a team, the Oilers are the League leaders in both high-danger goals (39; sixth) and long-range goals (eight; tied for second).

The Oilers are the only team in the NHL with four players scoring at least nine goals this season: Leon Draisaitl (18; leads League), Evan Bouchard (12; leads defensemen), McDavid and Vasily Podkolzin (nine). McDavid (49), Draisaitl (37) and Bouchard (33) combined for 119 points in their first 20 games of the season; over the past 38 years, the only trio to have more points through the opening 20 games of a season are Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and Ron Francis (124) for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1995-96. 

McDavid has played mostly on a line with Draisaitl, who’s averaging nearly two points per game (1.81; second in NHL) this season, and Podkolzin under new coach Mike Babcock this season. McDavid and Draisaitl have also been fixtures on the first power play with Bouchard, who’s on pace for his first 100-point season (1.62 points per game; fourth in entire NHL) and has emerged as the Norris Trophy front-runner.

3. Playmaking

McDavid, who has at least one assist in all but one of his games this season, needs one assist in his next game (Sunday at Philadelphia Flyers; 7:30 p.m. ET; NBCSP, SNW, SNO, SNE, TVAS) to match Gretzky's all-time record for fewest games to reach the 40-assist mark (Gretzky did it in 22 games in 1984-85). McDavid also leads the NHL with 30 primary assists, more than double the next-highest skater (Draisaitl with 14) and has factored in on 61.7 percent of Edmonton’s goals (50 of 81; most of any player this season).

McDavid has also thrived in terms of offensive zone time percentage (percentage of time that the puck spends in the offensive zone while the player is on the ice and the game clock is running); among forwards, he ranks tied for seventh in that category at all strengths (48.2) and sixth at even strength (47.2). This has translated to his NHL-leading totals in both power-play points (20; all assists) and even-strength points (28) this season.

With the recent injury returns of top-six forwards Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (11 points in 12 games) and Zach Hyman (three points in past four games), McDavid has a chance to sustain his pace for at least 200 points. McDavid, who’s still seeking his first Stanley Cup title, has the new wrinkles of Babcock (won Stanley Cup with Detroit Red Wings in 2008) and improved team goaltending. On top of the steady play from both Tristan Jarry (four straight quality starts) and Devon Levi (stopped 69 of 72 shots faced in three straight wins), the Oilers are expected to eventually get veteran Frederik Andersen (won Cup with Hurricanes last season) back from injury.