from Ed Graney of the Las Vegas Review-Journal,

The storylines are plentiful and not just about the power play of the Edmonton Oilers.

Which, of course, is frightening.

But one sidebar to the clash that is Edmonton against the Golden Knights in a best-of-seven series that begins Wednesday at T-Mobile Arena dates some nine years.

It returns us to the 2015 NHL draft and its top two selections — centers Connor McDavid to Edmonton and Jack Eichel to Buffalo.

It was never a question who the two best players were. Now, as everyone has seemingly waited for since that moment, they will meet in a playoff series for the first time.

There is McDavid and everyone else. He’s up here, and the rest are somewhere beneath him. The world’s best player and many, many elite ones like Eichel.

McDavid this season: 153 points, including 64 goals. He’s just 26.

Sort of absurd, really.

“I think, obviously, Connor is on his own, and that’s no disrespect to Jack,” Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. “It’s great for Jack to have an opportunity to play against the best. Whether it’s fair to Jack or not, it doesn’t matter. It’s playoff hockey. That’s what is on the table for him.

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