Connor McDavid races toward 1,000th point in NHL career

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid is on the heels of yet another career milestone and he's among the fastest to do so.

McDavid is currently sitting at 995 points, and considering the talent, it's a matter of when rather than if he'll become a 1,000-point player.

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Tom Gazzola, the host of Edmonton Sports Talk, spoke with CTV Edmonton News on Tuesday about McDavid's chance to earn a new accolade.

"Never count him out," said Gazzola, when asked if he'll achieve his 1,000th point against the New York Islanders on Tuesday. "When it comes to McDavid (and his) magical moments, he kind of has that same panache Wayne Gretzky did, where he could just pull it off like a rabbit out of a hat."

McDavid would be the fourth-fastest NHL player to see 1,000 career points, beaten to the punch only by hockey legends including Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Mike Bossy, who have done it in 424, 513 and 656 games, respectively.

"As soon as you're mentioned with Gretzky and Lemieux in that same breath … you're cementing your legacy," Gazzola said.

If Captain Connor scores five points against the Islanders on Tuesday, he would mark his 1,000th point in 657 games and become the 99th player to reach four-digit scoring numbers ever.

Gazzola said the numbers themselves hint at what could be the start of something good for the Oilers.

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"Maybe that's a good omen for Oilers fans and Oilers fans abroad … maybe it (will) help lead him to (a) Stanley Cup at some point," Gazzola said.

"Maybe this is the turning point of the season … the 99th guy to become a 1,000 point player. Maybe it's sealed in fate, and somewhere in the stars it all aligns."

Connor McDavid will lead the Edmonton Oilers against the New York Islanders at Rogers Place at 7 p.m.