Draft Retrospective: Connor McDavid's evolution from generational prospect to NHL superstar

Connor McDavid is overpowered in the NHL. He easily skates through opponents, deking around anyone who dares defend him. Creating something out of nothing – one versus two, three, four, or all five defenders – has become something of a McDavid special. 

McDavid, of course, largely did the same in the OHL. His crazy 2.55 points per game clip during his draft season suggests as much.  

But this isn’t the story of McDavid destroying the OHL. Rather, this is the evolution of McDavid, who, like every other elite player in the NHL, reworked his style of play while improving his skills to better suit the demands of the NHL.

The McDavid that now dominates the NHL was, of course, already visible in the OHL, just in a more unrefined reform. He was hailed as a generational prospect, and one look at his skating made that much clearly.