Connor McDavid is widely believed to be the best upcoming NHL prospect and most have penciled his name in to be called first during the 2015 NHL Draft. He has received praise from nearly every hockey outlet, but some recent comments from a former top overall pick go a long way in describing the youngster’s talent.
John Tavares, the first overall pick back in 2009, had some big praise for McDavid. As seen over on The Star, Tavares is pretty impressed with what McDavid brings to the ice.
“The way he changes gears, I’ve never seen anyone like that. I skated with him a little bit this summer. You think he’s at top speed, and then he hits the neutral zone and he has the puck and he just turns it up another gear. You really never see the way he brings speed. And he’s got exceptional vision, a way of seeing the play before it actually happens. Those two things are really what make him such a special player.”
Based on the quote above, Tavares sounds genuinely impressed. His description goes beyond the usual “he’s a great player” and “he should excel in the NHL” statements and offers some detailed analysis. From one top overall pick to another (well, we’ll see in June 2015), it sounds like McDavid has the skills to be an NHL star.
Of course, comments like the ones from Tavares only raise the expectation bar higher. McDavid is already under a ton of pressure and his name hasn’t even been called yet. We’ll have to see not only if his skills are as good as people claim, but also how we handles the immense expectations.
