Connor McDavid's torrid start to the 2026-27 season hit a new level on Tuesday night.
As the Edmonton Oilers held off the Minnesota Wild for a 4-3 overtime win on home ice, McDavid dished out a trio of assists, including his 20th helper of the year on Evan Bouchard's game-winning goal.
It set the NHL record for most assists through the first nine games of a season, per Sportsnet Stats.
Already a three-time Hart Trophy winner, McDavid appears to have his eyes set on a fourth early into his 12th campaign.
McDavid now has an NHL-leading 26 points and has helped the Oilers break out to a 7-1-1 record as they look to bounce back from a disappointing first-round exit in the Stanley Cup Playoffs last spring.
That blistering start puts the 29-year-old on pace for 242 points over 84 games, which would shatter the NHL record of 215 set by Wayne Gretzky in the 1985-86 season.
McDavid's previous career high came in 2022-23, when he scored 64 goals and dished out 89 assists for 153 points.
Numbers that seem to have a small chance of standing up beyond this season, so long as the superstar centre can keep producing at this historic pace.
