As we head toward the beginning of the 2024-25 NHL season, we are able to get excited by the prospect of what’s to come.

This season will feature just about everything from international tournaments to Stanley Cup Final rematches and of course, another chance for Edmonton Oilers superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to shock the world.

But unlike previous seasons, 2024-25 provides an opportunity for these two players to reach a massive milestone in their careers: the 1000-point mark.

McDavid has already broken a load of NHL records (including multiple by Wayne Gretzky), won multiple awards and came within one win of bringing the first Stanley Cup to Edmonton in 24 years. The Oilers’ captain will begin the regular season with 982 points (335 goals, 647 assists) in 645 career games. That is over 1.5 points per game. Since coming into the NHL in 2015-16, McDavid has only gone two seasons without reaching 100 points, one of which was his rookie year. He has a career plus-249 rating, 78 power-play goals, 333 power-play points and eight short-handed goals. Heck, he even became one of just a few named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner despite his team losing in the Final.

McDavid needs 18 points to reach the big 1000 milestone. On his current 1.52 points per game pace, he should hit that somewhere around the 12th regular-season game, which would be a rivalry game in the battle of Alberta on Nov. 3 at the Calgary Flames. But there is some added motivation for the 27-year-old to get there even faster… If he can get there about a week earlier, McDavid could surpass Steve Yzerman, who reached the 1000-point milestone at 27 years, nine months and 15 days old on Feb. 24, 1993. For McDavid to beat out Yzerman as the third-youngest to reach the mark, he would need to hit 1000 by the Oct. 28 matchup with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Then he would sit behind only Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. Quite the company.

On top of that, McDavid can also become the third-fastest player in NHL history to hit 1000 points, as he chases down Mike Bossy’s 656-game mark. To do that, he would need to record 18 points in the first 10 games, something the NHL’s best player is certainly capable of.

Draisaitl has a little more travel time before reaching the same destination. The 28-year-old took a bit more time to get to his ridiculous 100+ point seasons… Maybe it had something to do with the guy Edmonton drafted in 2015?

Draisaitl currently sits at 850 points (347 goals, 503 assists) over 719 career games. He has a plus-55 rating, 146 power-play goals, 296 power-play points and nine short-handed goals. While 150 points is quite the hill to climb in one season, it is far from out of the question for either of these two players. Draisaitl’s best season came in 2022-23, when he racked up 128 points (52 goals, 76 assists).

Now add a crushing Stanley Cup Final defeat, an even more motivated McDavid and some new firepower added to the lineup. At his 1.18 points per game pace, Draisaitl is expected to reach the milestone in about 128 games. That would not be until the 2025-26 season. But, if he were to get going above his blistering 1.6 points per game pace from 2022-23, he could get there next season.

Here are a few other notable Oilers nearing milestones: 

• Evan Bouchard – 29 points 200, nine goals from 50
• Zach Hyman – 20 games from 600, one point from 400, four assists from 200
• Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – one point from 700, 52 assists from 500
• Mattias Ekholm – 81 games from 900
• Evander Kane 70 games from 1000, nine assists from 300
• Darnell Nurse – 60 games from 700, nine assists from 200, 33 points from 300
• Stuart Skinner – 28 wins from 100