{"id":458260,"date":"2026-02-14T22:14:22","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T22:14:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/458260\/"},"modified":"2026-02-14T22:14:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T22:14:22","slug":"new-linemate-heaps-praise-on-mcdavid-as-canada-goes-with-nuclear-option","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/458260\/","title":{"rendered":"New Linemate Heaps Praise on McDavid as Canada Goes With Nuclear Option"},"content":{"rendered":"

Connor McDavid<\/a> is in the midst of what could be his best year of hockey ever. After a sluggish start to the season, he\u2019s absolutely taken over, now atop the NHL scoring race\u2014and carrying that dominance onto the international stage at the Olympics.<\/p>\n

For a brief moment, debates about whether fellow superstar Nathan MacKinnon<\/a> had closed the gap on McDavid as the best player in the world became real. However, McDavid has since emphatically put those conversations to rest, and even MacKinnon, his new Team Canada linemate, can\u2019t hide his excitement about sharing the ice with No. 97.<\/p>\n

MacKinnon said<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d be lying if I said it wasn\u2019t cool. I love the game. I\u2019m inspired by Connor. I think he\u2019s the best & he pushes me to be even better \u2026 To play on a line with him is a blessing. He\u2019s flying. He\u2019s flying. It\u2019s nice to have him on your own team when he\u2019s flying like that. What words can I say? He\u2019s a special player & he\u2019s ready to go, & that article that he wrote sums up his mindset for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

McDavid\u2019s six points (one goal, five assists) through two games might not even tell the full story; he could easily have two or three more points, and to the eye test, he looks to be in a league of his own.<\/p>\n

\"McDavidMcDavid Olympics goal<\/p>\n

Now factor in that HC Jon Cooper has gone all-in, forming a trio of McDavid, MacKinnon, and the next young superstar<\/a>, Macklin Celebrini<\/a>, and it\u2019s fair to wonder if anyone will be able to stop him from leading Canada to a gold medal.<\/p>\n

One thing is certain: if Canada goes deep in this tournament, McDavid will set the record for the most productive single Olympics by an NHL player. Teemu Selanne<\/a> and Saku Koivu<\/a> currently hold the mark with 11 points from 2006\u2014so McDavid is already more than halfway there with a matchup against France coming up on Sunday, so the two legendary Finns should be ready to be surpassed.<\/p>\n

Next: ESPN Ranked Connor McDavid How Low Among NHLers at the Olympics?<\/a><\/p>\n

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