Edmonton Oilers: 5 factors behind fast start to the season

3) Connor McDavid

What more can you say about Connor McDavid? Well…..it turns out quite a bit. He already has a ridiculous amount of awards and statistical achievements from his first four seasons in the NHL, but he seems to have become even better in 2019-20.

After tying a career-high with five points in the 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers, McDavid became just the second player in Oilers history to have 17 points through the first seven games of the season. The other player is a certain Wayne Gretzky, who achieved it five times during his time in Edmonton.

Even if McDavid doesn’t maintain his early pace, he still looks all but certain to once again reach 100 points and challenge for yet another Art Ross Trophy. He would become just the ninth player to win it three times. More generally speaking, his all-around game and confidence continue to grow, which is a scary proposition for the rest of the league.

Of course, the 22-year-old will tell you all he cares about is winning, something which the rest of the team is helping him achieve with more consistency so far in 2019-20. Make no mistake about it though, the Oilers won’t be making the playoffs without the contributions of arguably the best player in the NHL.