Connor McDavid Pushes His Season-Opening Point Streak to 19 as Leon Draisaitl Hits 18 Goals and Devon Levi Improves to 8-1-0: The Oilers' Fantasy Read

Connor McDavid keeps adding to his place in the record book. The Oilers captain scored early in Edmonton's 3-1 win over the New York Rangers on Monday at Rogers Place, extending his season-opening point streak to 19 games. He's only the fourth player in NHL history with a season-opening point streak of at least 19 games, joining Wayne Gretzky, Mats Sundin and Dany Heatley. Heatley was the last to do it, in 2005.

Leon Draisaitl scored twice, including a short-handed empty-net goal, to reach a league-leading 18 goals. Devon Levi stopped 28 of 29 shots to improve to 8-1-0. The win completed Edmonton's season-series sweep of the Rangers.

McDavid's assist streak did end. He had recorded an assist in each of the first 18 games, a season-opening record, but didn't get one Monday. He still leads the league with 48 points: 11 goals and 37 assists.

How the game went

McDavid's goal came early in the first period after Rangers goalie Dylan Garand turned the puck over behind his own net. McDavid jumped on it for his 11th goal of the season. Jaroslav Chmelar scored short-handed for the Rangers, who came into the game at 10-7-1 and riding a three-game winning streak on a four-game road trip.

Edmonton held on from there. Levi was the difference, and Draisaitl said after the game that Levi was the main reason the Oilers won. Draisaitl's empty-netter sealed it and extended his point streak to six games.

Fantasy outlook: McDavid and Draisaitl

There isn't much to say about McDavid that his numbers don't already say. Forty-eight points through 19 games is a pace that would lead the league by a wide margin in most seasons. He's the No. 1 player in fantasy hockey, and the streak is a reminder that his floor is almost never zero.

One small thing is worth noting. With the assist streak over, McDavid scored the goal himself on Monday. His goal total is lower than his assist total by a wide margin, so any stretch where he shoots more is a bonus in leagues that weigh goals heavily.

Draisaitl's 18 goals are the bigger story for category leagues. He's on pace for a huge goal total, and Monday's short-handed goal adds to his value in leagues that count short-handed points. He's a top-five fantasy player and one of the few who can rival McDavid in goal-heavy formats.

The two of them together make Edmonton's power play one of the most dangerous in fantasy. Any Oilers player who gets regular first-unit power-play time is worth starting.

Devon Levi's emergence

Levi's 8-1-0 record is the most important fantasy development in Edmonton. The goaltending question was the biggest risk for Oilers fantasy players coming into the season, and Levi has answered it so far.

His value comes from wins. Edmonton's offense gives him a lot of goal support, and a goalie on a team that scores this much will win plenty of games even on nights his save percentage isn't great. For fantasy managers, that makes him a strong starter in leagues that count wins, and a solid option in save-percentage leagues as long as he keeps playing this well.

The risk is workload. If Edmonton starts to share starts more evenly, Levi's win total will level off. For now, he's the starter and should be in lineups.

Rangers injuries and fallout

New York's injury list is getting long. The NHL's status report said forward Alberts Smits is week to week with an upper-body injury, and the Rangers recalled defenseman Marc Del Gaizo from AHL Hartford. The projected lineups before Monday's game listed goalie Frederik Andersen among several injured Rangers, along with forward Isaac Howard.

With Andersen out, Garand started Monday. That's a tough situation for fantasy managers, since a young goalie filling in on a road trip is risky in any format. Avoid the Rangers' net in fantasy until Andersen returns.

For New York's skaters, Smits' absence opens some ice time, but the Rangers haven't shown which forwards will benefit most. Wait a game or two before adding anyone from New York.

Betting angle

Edmonton's win was the type of game that has defined its season: an early goal from the stars, solid goaltending, and enough defense to hold on. That's a profile that tends to cover puck lines when the Oilers are at home against tired road teams.

For player props, McDavid's point streak means his "over 0.5 points" lines are expensive, and the value is usually in his assists or shots props. Draisaitl's goal props remain attractive given his pace. Levi's saves props depend heavily on the opponent's shot volume, so check the matchup.

For Verdexed's game-by-game read, see the daily NHL picks pages, such as /blog/nhl-picks-2026-11-10, and the live board at /nhl/predictions.

What's next

McDavid's next game is a chance at 20 straight to open a season. Every game he adds moves him further into territory almost no one has reached.

For fantasy managers, the plan is simple: start McDavid and Draisaitl every night, keep Levi as your starter, roster any Oilers player on the top power-play unit, and stay away from the Rangers' goalies until Andersen is back.