The opening month of the NHL season has already produced its share of narratives, and the column argues it should not be dismissed. Six of the eight teams that reached the Western Conference playoffs last season were in playoff positions on Halloween, the piece notes, and that early form often proves meaningful as the year unfolds.
At the top of the overreaction list is the idea that Connor McDavid will eclipse Wayne Gretzky’s single-season scoring mark of 215 points or become the only player other than Gretzky to reach 200 points. The column calls that prognosis an overreaction, even while acknowledging McDavid’s extraordinary start: 34 points in his first 12 games and a 2.83 points-per-game pace.
Arguments in favor of a historic run center on McDavid’s chemistry with Leon Draisaitl. The column points out the two stars have spent almost the entire season together — McDavid has been apart from Draisaitl for only 32 minutes — and that their decision to play more together was a condition of hiring Mike Babcock as head coach. McDavid also has the highest average ice time of his career so far, which the piece cites as a factor in his production.
Reasons for caution include the differences between the modern game and the mid-1980s, when Gretzky set the record. The column notes McDavid’s 153-point season in 2022-23 remains the highest total this century in an 82-game campaign, and points to durability questions: McDavid has played more than 80 games in just three of the past five seasons, and he and Draisaitl have not both reached 80 games in the same season since 2022-23. The column also flags a potential controversy over an expanded schedule, suggesting an 84-game season could invite an asterisk to any record.
The piece also identifies Evan Bouchard as a candidate for the Norris Trophy, outlining the typical path to the award. It says contenders usually need to be in the conversation for multiple seasons, cites Bouchard’s fifth-place Norris finish in 2024 and fourth last season, and notes that in the last eight full NHL seasons seven Norris winners posted at least 70 points.
