C Connor McDavid - Erie Otters, OHL (2015 Draft) II

[Genghis Keon]

Monahan wasn't in the OHL at 15 though.

You may say it's semantics, but, as a late birthday, Monahan played about 6 OHL regular season games as 15 year old.

In terms of physical development, McDavis is only slighty younger than the late birthday '96s (if he was born two weeks earlier, he wouldn't need to have gotten exceptional status to play this past year). In terms of hockey development, McDavid has no doubt always played above his age, so I don't know how difference his path up has been compared to some of the late birthday '96s.

This coming year he will be 7 months older than Crosby was in his rookie season, with a year under his belt to get acclimated to the CHL, so McDavid has really got to perform to keep comparisons with Crosby even remotely realistic. McDavid will also be about 8 months older than MacKinnon was in his rookie season, so that will be another comparison to keep in mind (especially with how MacKinnon performed in the playoffs that year).

He's an awesome, awesome talent, but I think we need to temper our expectations, at least in terms of Crosby type comparisons.

 

[usascout1]

You may say it's semantics, but, as a late birthday, Monahan played about 6 OHL regular season games as 15 year old.

In terms of physical development, McDavis is only slighty younger than the late birthday '96s (if he was born two weeks earlier, he wouldn't need to have gotten exceptional status to play this past year). In terms of hockey development, McDavid has no doubt always played above his age, so I don't know how difference his path up has been compared to some of the late birthday '96s.

This coming year he will be 7 months older than Crosby was in his rookie season, with a year under his belt to get acclimated to the CHL, so McDavid has really got to perform to keep comparisons with Crosby even remotely realistic. McDavid will also be about 8 months older than MacKinnon was in his rookie season, so that will be another comparison to keep in mind (especially with how MacKinnon performed in the playoffs that year).

He's an awesome, awesome talent, but I think we need to temper our expectations, at least in terms of Crosby type comparisons.

Agree, 2 seasons to go... A lot will change, it always does. 2015 is expected to be a strong draft class. I wouldn't be putting mcdavid in a category of his own just yet. You will see many more 97s playing juniors this year, mcdavid just started a year earlier.

 

[Debrincat93]

I saw both Galchenyuk and McDavid during the past 2 years. Gally was the best player i have ever seen not in the NHL in person.... until i saw Mcdavid.

McDavid has an unreal set of talent. Unreal.

 

[7even]

Funny thing is.. I've played GM Mode in NHL 13 ALOT and out of like 5-8x the highest he got his overall to was 89-90 and most of the time he's an 87 while Datsyuk and Crosby are like 95.

He won't even be as good as Josh Morrissey!

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Once he puts on some muscle, he is going to tear apart the OHL like we've never seen. Crosby was the more dominant player at 15/16 because he already was built like an NHLer from the waist down. His strength on the puck made him unstoppable.

McDavid's skillset is higher than Crosby's at the same age though. Puck handling, skating, shooting all go to McDavid. Crosby had him beat on vision (barely) and strength. If McDavid can muscle up, he will be hands down the best prospect since Crosby. His 17 yo OHL season could be one for the record books.

 

[Lebowski]

The Crosby/Tavares thing was always stupid. They were never similar players and they aren't today. Tavares didn't have the skating to be compared to Crosby. Tavares has the hockey sense to be compared to Crosby, but not the skating - McDavid does, and I'd say, at this point, he projects as a more dynamic skater than Crosby. The kid's just lights-out good. He does everything at an elite (or near elite) level.

Maybe, but stats wise, to even be close to what Crosby did in his rookie season, he'd need more than double of the PPG (2,18 times to be exact) he had in his rookie season, in which he was, as I said, only 6 months younger than Crosby in his rookie season.

So in his sophomore season, in which he'll now be 6 months older than Crosby in his rookie season AND have a whole season behind his belt to acclimate to the OHL, he'll have to do at least twice as good as he did last year to come anywhere close to what Crosby did. That's a lot to ask.

 

[Devereau]

My Brother has watched him play in the OHL against players up to the age of 20 I think. He said he was the best player on the ice at age 15. Only time will tell how good he will be but he's off to a great start.

 

[Philadelphia Ducks]

I thought Nathan Mac was suppose to be the next Crosby, is that McDavid now? Every draft year seems to have the next Crosby.

 

[Devereau]

I hope Nathan Mac was suppose to be the next Crosby, is that McDavid now? Every draft year seems to have the next Crosby.

U notice how they say the next Crosby and Not Gretzky. I think our expectations have been lowered. Probably never see another Gretzky in my lifetime.

 

[McManked]

He played the team I help out in Minor Midget in the provincial semi finals and LIT THEM UP for like 5 points or something.

 

[Retire91]

It will all depend if Matt Cooke is still in the leauge when he plays.

 

[silkyjohnson50]

I've never watched the kid live and haven't really watched much footage of him at all despite being very familiar with the name.

For those who do follow his game, I've heard comparisons to Datsyuk? Any truth to this? Could this kid basically become Datsyuk with a better set of wheels and more of a scorer's mentality?

 

[Brock]

The thing that makes me laugh in this thread is how many people are saying things like "OHHH, same stuff was said about Tavares and look how that turned out."

You mean the same John Tavares who finished 3rd in the league in goal scoring this year and was a finalist for the Hart Trophy as a 22 year old? Talking about the guy like he's chopped liver. Only on HF.

I'm not going to compare McDavid to anyone. The question being asked by the thread starter was, "How good can he be?" The answer is incredibly good, as in annual Art Ross trophy good.

Considering how physically immature he was, it was a testament to his skill level and hockey IQ as to how dominant he could be at times in the OHL this season. His numbers may not have been incredibly high, but it's because of the team he played on, his minutes were decreased heavily in the 2nd half, and because he definitely grew tired towards the end of the season. There were many times this year that I watched McDavid play, where he could have doubled his point production in the game had he been playing with more skilled/quicker players. He has an innate ability to pass the puck, like he has eyes in the back of his head. His skating and puck carrying ability is also already among the best in the OHL as a 15/16 year old. Best of all, he's not afraid of the backcheck, working in the corners or playing in front of the net. He just needs to become better conditioned to succeed there.

Guaranteed, those of you saying you're not impressed, have never seen the kid play (or saw him play later in the season when he was visibly gassed). He's worth the price of admission so go out there and do it. He's the real deal and the things being said about him are not hyperbole.

 

[2XPRO31]

He's only going to get better

 

[UsernameWasTaken]

The thing that makes me laugh in this thread is how many people are saying things like "OHHH, same stuff was said about Tavares and look how that turned out."

You mean the same John Tavares who finished 3rd in the league in goal scoring this year and was a finalist for the Hart Trophy as a 22 year old? Talking about the guy like he's chopped liver. Only on HF.

I'm not going to compare McDavid to anyone. The question being asked by the thread starter was, "How good can he be?" The answer is incredibly good, as in annual Art Ross trophy good.

Considering how physically immature he was, it was a testament to his skill level and hockey IQ as to how dominant he could be at times in the OHL this season. His numbers may not have been incredibly high, but it's because of the team he played on, his minutes were decreased heavily in the 2nd half, and because he definitely grew tired towards the end of the season. There were many times this year that I watched McDavid play, where he could have doubled his point production in the game had he been playing with more skilled/quicker players. He has an innate ability to pass the puck, like he has eyes in the back of his head. His skating and puck carrying ability is also already among the best in the OHL as a 15/16 year old. Best of all, he's not afraid of the backcheck, working in the corners or playing in front of the net. He just needs to become better conditioned to succeed there.

Guaranteed, those of you saying you're not impressed, have never seen the kid play (or saw him play later in the season when he was visibly gassed). He's worth the price of admission so go out there and do it. He's the real deal and the things being said about him are not hyperbole.

I don't think people are saying they're 'not impressed'...I think people are just skeptical about the whole "next Crosby" thing. The point isn't that he isn't a great player...it's that maybe people should wait a bit before making those projections.

 

[HanSolo]

Didn't watch him too much. But based on his highlight reels, he just seems like a ridiculously intelligent player.

 

[bishop12]

I don't think people are saying they're 'not impressed'...I think people are just skeptical about the whole "next Crosby" thing. The point isn't that he isn't a great player...it's that maybe people should wait a bit before making those projections.

He's be granted exceptional status and people have eyeballs. WHy can't ppl make that comp?

This whole thread had great intentions, but turned into a cluster**** of non funny jokes. i was really interested in reading through the great responses, but it was just filled with garbage.

And for those who don't think tavares lived up to exceptions..well you're stupid. the kid is as good as dynamic as they come and it was seen by most people with brains as a 15 year old.

McDavid is the next big deal...but let's not discuss it here in a hockey message board..let's wait till he's already doing it.

Ri-****ing-diculous

 

[UsernameWasTaken]

He's be granted exceptional status and people have eyeballs. WHy can't ppl make that comp?

This whole thread had great intentions, but turned into a cluster**** of non funny jokes. i was really interested in reading through the great responses, but it was just filled with garbage.

And for those who don't think tavares lived up to exceptions..well you're stupid. the kid is as good as dynamic as they come and it was seen by most people with brains as a 15 year old.

McDavid is the next big deal...but let's not discuss it here in a hockey message board..let's wait till he's already doing it.

Ri-****ing-diculous

People can make the comparison. However, the fact that there are others who think it's premature to call him the next Crosby doesn't mean they're all idiots

 

[nowhereman]

I think the best players in the long-run never get selected in the top 5. Too much hype.

You might want to Google some fellas by the name of Lemieux, Crosby, Jagr, Lindros, Yzerman, Dionne, Lafleur, Potvin, Lafontaine, Ovechkin, Pronger, Malkin, etc.

2006: Claude Giroux (22nd Overall)

Holy crap. 2006 is the only exception in like 20 years. 1st overall pick has the most amount of points by at least a couple hundred.

Oh, now I get it. You're from Philly.

Of the top five best players in the NHL (Crosby, Malkin, Stamkos, Ovechkin, and Datsyuk), only one of them was drafted outside the top two spots in the draft.

 

[TieClark]

Preeeeeetty good

 

[samsquanch9*]

Im in the same summer league as him i think i play his team in a few weeks

 

[PKV Jungle Friends]

I'm feeling an Alexandre Daigle vibe...

 

[geoo9]

I've never watched the kid live and haven't really watched much footage of him at all despite being very familiar with the name.

For those who do follow his game, I've heard comparisons to Datsyuk? Any truth to this? Could this kid basically become Datsyuk with a better set of wheels and more of a scorer's mentality?

he is young Jagr -slow, good skating , perfect hands (lefthanded), and strong

 

[Patmac40]

I'm feeling an Alexandre Daigle vibe...

I wouldn't trust those instincts.

 

[JetsHomer]

he is young Jagr -slow, good skating , perfect hands (lefthanded), and strong

Mcdavid is not slow at all though...his speed is one of his best talents. At least from the few times I've seen him play.