Maybe "consensus" isn't the right word, but vast majority of lists I've seen (Hockey News, NHL.com, History of Hockey board on this site), almost always have it as 1) Gretzky, 2) Orr, 3) Howe, 4) Mario
Howe has 6 Art Ross IIRC. I think McDavid can easily match that if not surpass. But even if he finishes with 5-6, let's not pretend that's not more impressive than Howe doing it in a 6 team league. This isn't to diminish Howe, his peak, longevity, and the physical presence he brought is an insane combo. But I think if McDavid peaks higher (which he is right now), and holds that peak for a while, it's worth debating McDavid vs Howe.
I do agree that people will be very apprehensive about sliding anyone into the top 4, but McDavid has a good of a chance as any.