Article content continued

But if McDavid was timid, it didn’t show.

In his first game back with the Oilers, he had two assists and scored what many consider to be the goal of the year in a 5-1 win against Columbus. Two nights later against Ottawa, he already had two assists by the 12-minute mark of the first period.

“They beat us 7-2,” said Stone, shaking his head. “No offence to that team, but I don’t think that should happen. He didn’t play in the third period either. Gave us a break, I guess.”

Go around and talk to the Canadian players at the world hockey championship and you hear similar stories.

One week after that game against the Senators, McDavid scored twice and had three assists in a 5-2 win against the Maple Leafs (“I was a minus-3, so I remember,” said Toronto’s Morgan Rielly). On March 20, McDavid set up the game-winning goal with eight seconds left against the Avalanche and two nights later had two assists against the Coyotes.

“He’s already one of the best players in the NHL,” said Arizona’s Max Domi. “It’s awesome. It’s going to be exciting to see when he plays a full season, that’s for sure.”

Before we ask whether McDavid will be the best player in the league, a more pressing question is whether he was the league’s best rookie. More specifically, in a season in which he missed 37 games, does he deserve the Calder Trophy?

Before you answer, keep in mind what we are asking. It’s not whether you think McDavid is the best player among his rookie class or whether a team would choose him over any other rookie in the league. The award is given to the player who is “the most proficient in his first year.”