from Dave Poulin at the Toronto Star,

What had I just watched? How could I write something different about the Oilers captain? I had to ask around, hence that first text. The cascade that followed was tremendous.

The answers were almost instantaneous, no matter the time of day. I texted a current player during what I was sure would be practice time, and his answer came back 30 seconds later: smart. I laughed, wondering if he had his cellphone tucked into his glove while on the ice.

The one-word answer was rare. People clearly wanted to say more. Unparalleled. Electrifying. Dominant. Those three came from a current player, who added, “I do think his complete tool kit is unmatched by any other player in the league … and he seems to dominate game after game in a different more exciting way each time.”

Incandescent. Scintillating. Sublime. This combination platter was delivered by a noted scribe who used the same formula to over-deliver as the player had. When I challenged him on the direction of what I had asked, he simply answered in another language: Nonpareil, clearly enjoying the exercise. The next morning, at 6:30 a.m., a detailed essay awaited in my inbox, eloquently expanding on his thoughts about McDavid, full of adjectives and verbs.

A lot of what I received dealt with his speed.

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