I myself distinguish 'dynamic' from 'best'. I am not comparing Ehlers to McDavid in the latter category, although his pure skill level – including his speed – must be close.
Arjen Robben has never been considered the best soccer player in the world (although he has gotten close at different moments) but he has undoubtedly been one of the most
electrifying athletes in his sport, throughout much or even most of his career.
I have the same feeling watching Ehlers, as much as anyone I have ever seen play hockey. There is the potential for something exciting to happen in a very
dynamic sense, on a dime, whenever he touches the puck. And he only seems to be getting better.
"Nikolaj Ehlers had a decision to make, though with the benefit of hindsight, it wasn’t as tough as it probably felt like at the time.
Long before he became a speedy forward with the Winnipeg Jets, Ehlers was a soccer player of high regard, playing on an elite-level team while his father was coaching in Switzerland.
“I used to play on a provincial team in Switzerland,” Ehlers said recently. “They kind of gave me a choice at the end, to either pick hockey or soccer. It wasn’t a difficult choice.”
It’s fair to say that even with the fancy footwork he displays on the ice, Ehlers obviously chose wisely.
But what type of player was Ehlers on the pitch?
“I was a striker — or used on the flank,” he said."
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Subscriber Q&A: Nikolaj Ehlers on inspiring other Danes, soccer, Michael Jackson
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