Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid closing in on 1,000th point

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Asking Connor McDavid about reaching 1,000 career points in the NHL would be a bit like putting quadruple-digit carts in front of the horse, at this point.

Oh, it’s going to happen. And soon.

It was always going to happen for the youngster out of Richmond Hill, Ont., who was billed not just at the top of his draft class on the way to being chosen first overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 2015, but of an entire generation of hockey players who came both before and after him, on the way to becoming the current poster boy for the entire league.

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Reaching the 1,000-point milestone was never a matter of if, but when. And where he was going to fit in the race to the top.

Now 27 years old and in his ninth professional season, McDavid is sitting on the precipice of the millennial mark. A goal and two assists as the Oilers offence finally came alive Saturday in a 7-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks puts him second on the team with 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 12 games this season.

And more importantly, 995 points (339 goals, 656 assists) on his career.

The only question is when this week will he reach five more? Will it be at in front of the home crowd Tuesday against the New York Islanders, or Thursday against the Nashville Predators?

The Preds have become such a free space on the Oilers’ bingo card lately there is almost no chance McDavid will have to wait until Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Though, it would be more than a little poetic for him to hit the milestone moment in his hometown.

Either way, the timing is set. McDavid will become the fourth fastest player in NHL history to his 1,000 points, behind (who else?) Wayne Gretzky (424 games), Mario Lemieux (513 games) and Mike Bossy (656 games).

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McDavid has played 657 games and will end up bumping Peter Stastny (682 games) out of fourth place in the race, as well as former Oilers great Jari Kurri (716 games) out of the top five.

Impressive company, indeed. And yet another feather in the very bird-looking hat adorning McDavid’s head.

Of course, there is one line still missing from his achievement-laden resume.

The 1,000-point celebration will come at a time when McDavid and the entire Oilers organization is still getting over the heartache and disbelief of coming oh, so close to holding hockey’s Holy Grail.

A Stanley Cup is the one thing that separates legends from the rest of the historically elite pack ever to play the game.

And none of those 995 points came when he needed them the most, in a 2-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in that fateful Game 7 of last year’s final.

Not to put all (or any) of the blame on McDavid, of course. He carried the team through much more thick than thin last season, and anyone could just as easily have stepped up while already standing on his shoulders.

And 100 per cent of the focus now lies on getting back to the final.

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So, not to put a damper on things to come for the Oilers superstar this week, as he closes in on a career accomplishment most NHL players could only dream of. But it’s hard not to think how said career would appear so much more illustrious right now if his team had been on the right side of that deciding goal a little over four months ago.

Any member of the Edmonton press asking McDavid for a soundbite on what 1,000 points will mean to him got the polite headshake, so far. But that didn’t stop Scott Oake in front of the Hockey Night in Canada camera following the win on the west coast Saturday.

He asked McDavid, do you think about it at all?

“No, I haven’t, to be honest,” came the reply. “It’s been a tough start (to the season). For myself, personally, as well, with dealing with the injury and stuff like that. It’s never fun.

“So, that’s been the focus. Just trying to get back healthy and playing. I’m happy to be back out there and contribute to a big win.”

Oake also brought up the Stanley Cup Finals, followed by the mediocre start, as the Oilers sit fifth in the Pacific Division with a 7-7-1 record.

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“It hasn’t been the start that we wanted. That’s the negative,” McDavid said. “If we’re going to look at the positive, it’s better than last year’s start (5-9-1).

“So, we’d certainly like to have more wins, and all that stuff. But it was a short summer. Maybe we weren’t ready to go, I’m not sure. It doesn’t matter now, we’ve got to just get rolling. And a big win tonight and something to build off of.”

E-mail: gmoddejonge@postmedia.com

On Twitter: @GerryModdejonge

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